Despite missing the 110m hurdles final in the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, China's rising athletes show promise, with coach Sun Haiping optimistic about a breakthrough by the 2028 Olympics.

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- 18 years after Liu Xiang's historic victory in the men's 110m hurdles at the Osaka World Championships, China is still waiting for another athlete to follow in his footsteps.

In the summer of 2007, Liu claimed his only world title in 12.95 seconds, further cementing his status as one of China's greatest track and field stars.

On Monday night in Tokyo, three Chinese hurdlers reached the semifinals, but none managed to advance to Tuesday's final. Liu Junxi placed fifth in Heat 1 with 13.40 seconds, Xu Zhuoyi finished sixth in Heat 2 with 13.34, while Chen Yuanjiang was fifth in Heat 3 in 13.32.

Their times remain well behind Liu Xiang's former world record of 12.88 seconds, set in 2006, which still stands as both China and Asia's best. That performance remains remarkable even today, faster than the winning time of 12.99 seconds set by Cordell Tinch here on Tuesday.

Xu, the reigning national champion coached by Liu Xiang's long-time mentor Sun Haiping, could not hold back tears after his race.

"I didn't perform at my best," he admitted. "I had expected to run inside 13.20, but I didn't start well. I was too nervous to deliver my top form."

Liu Xiang, who rose to global fame with his gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, became a national hero and a symbol of China's athletics breakthrough. He went on to win silver at the 2005 Helsinki worlds and again in Daegu in 2011, before injuries forced his retirement.

Sun, now 70, has continued guiding China's new generation of hurdlers. While acknowledging the gap with world-class competition, he expressed optimism. "Our top hurdlers are mostly running around 13.20 seconds or slightly below. With one or two years of hard work and refinement, they can return to the world elite level," he said.

Speaking of Chen Yuanjiang, a promising 19-year-old who stands 1.86 meters and shows strong explosiveness, Sun highlighted the importance of experience. "Liu Xiang also had a big gap when he first competed internationally. Through repeated races, he narrowed the difference, built confidence, and eventually rose to the top."

Sun added that China's hurdlers could achieve breakthroughs by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Chen, competing at his first World Championships, remained positive. "I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped, but the key is to maintain the right attitude, learn from this experience, and prepare for the next competition," he said.  ■