Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang has pulled out of this weekend’s Osaka Grand Prix because of an Achilles tendon injury.
Organisers said the 110-metre gold medallist from the 2004 Athens Olympics has had a flare-up of the same injury that caused him to miss the 2008 Beijing Games.
The 26-year-old Liu is scheduled to race against Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba at a May 23 meet in Shanghai. It’s not clear if the injury will prevent him from taking part.