Liu gives quake students hurdles lesson

China's star hurdler Liu Xiang gave a quick class Monday to students in an area badly hit by last year's Sichuan earthquake but cut it short when the crowd swelled, officials and reports said.

The reigning 110m world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist visited a school in Beichuan county as survivors marked the first anniversary of the May 12 disaster, the trip's sponsor Ping An Insurance said in a statement. The 25-year-old, who shocked the nation when he was forced to pull out of the Beijing Olympics due to a foot injury, coached students on their stance for starting a race, sprinting and how to breathe properly, the statement said.

"I have a responsibility to do whatever I can for society," Liu was quoted as saying on the Internet portal Sohu.com. He told the students, whose school is being rebuilt, that perseverance is the key not only in sports, but in life in general, it said.

"I hope these kids can be strong and tough," he was quoted as saying.

But the lesson was cut short after only five minutes because the school playground was too crowded with reporters and bystanders, the Sina.com web portal reported.

CHENGDU, China, AFP