How do you disappoint 1.6 billion people?

China's golden boy, track and field phenom Liu Xiang, withdrew from the Olympics today. The 110m hurdler shot to fame in 2004 by being the first Chinese man to win in a track and field event.

Liu has been having problems all season with his hamstring and ended up limping off the track before races began on Monday morning China-time.

If you want to know what this means to the Chinese, think of Michael Phelps injuring his arms before his first race. Now multiply that disappointment by 10 and you have what China is experiencing right now. I wouldn't be surprised if people riot. I don't blame them.

Liu's appearance has been arguably the most anticipated sporting event in Chinese history. Tickets for the event today were entirely sold-out. There had been rumors all morning that something was wrong with Liu Xiang. Fans knew that he'd been having problems for a while, but most stayed optimistic.

When he first emerged onto the field today, it was obvious he was suffering. As he warmed up, he appeared to hobble and even dropped to the track and stretched his leg. Despite the obvious pain, he still took his place for the first heat. When one of the other racers committed a false start, Liu limped off the blocks. He knew he was finished.

His withdrawal was met with tears from many of the spectators and stunned silence from the rest. His coaches were in tears and obvious distress during the news conference after.

"Liu Xiang has two injuries, one in his foot and one in his leg. One of the injuries is an accumulated injury."

Liu has had immense pressure on him ever since 2004. Before him, China had never done well in track and field. Liu's success made him a household name and is undeniably China's biggest sports star.

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