vaulting legend Yelena Isinbayeva started her sporting career as a gymnast until she simply became too tall.
Coach Fang Shuiquan brought Liu Xiang onto the
final fantasy xi Gilright track to become China's first Olympic hudling champion. [Agencies]
China's first men's track Olympic champion Liu Xiang has a similar sport-switching story. He started as a high jumper and 100m sprinter before leaping into the 110m hurdles, an event which made him a world champion.
For Isinbayeva, the switch to pole vault came almost
Dofus Kamas naturally, however, Liu owes a lot to one man who recognized his natural potential.
If it were not for coach Fang Shuiquan, Liu could have
world of warcraft goldremained a mediocre high jumper, and quit the sports field long before.
Fang discovered Liu in 1995 when the 12-year-old
Dofus Kamas was being beaten in most of his events during a local school athletic meet. As he watched the boy sprint 100m and launch himself into the long jump, Fang noticed a special rhythm, flexibility and saw
world of warcraft gold the boy had strong ankles.
Fang approached Liu and told him he was focusing on the wrong events. The coach asked if he'd like to switch to hurdles. "Sure," the Shanghai boy answered.