Huge expectations are being placed on Liu Xiang in the lead up to the 110 meter hurdles final on Thursday. Media even met his parents at the train station in Beijing as they arrived from Shanghai.

He still however, has a nagging injury which could make a repeat of his Athens’ performance difficult.

“He still feels some pain in the heel after training,” Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping, was quoted as saying by Sports.cn, the official website of the State General Sports Administration.

He will run his first heat tomorrow.

“Something is wrong with his [heel] bone membrane, which makes him feel some pain or discomfort in training,” the unnamed doctor was quoted as saying.

“The pain and discomfort occur intermittently, which will affect his performance if they occur in a race.”

Dayron Robles is the current world record holder of the 110 meter hurdles is will be favorite for the race.