Liu Xiang Wins at China National Games

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang continued his comeback this week by winning the Chinese National Games championship.

Major track meets worldwide are generally scarce each year following the aptly-titled World Athletics Final. But this year, the National Games are an exception. An Olympic-style event in which track and field is just one of 33 sports, China currently holds these Games every four years. This 11^th version of the event concludes tomorrow (Oct. 28).

Liu, the former Olympic champion and world record holder, previously won China's 110-meter hurdles championships in 2001 and 2005. He won his third straight title on Sunday in a time of 13.34 seconds, running into a 0.9 meters-per-second headwind. This was Liu's second event of the season after missing more than a year due to injury. Liu ran 13.15 and finished a close second to Terrence Trammell in a Shanghai meet last month.

In another interesting result from the Chinese Games, 30-year-old Li Yanfeng (shown above) won the women's discus last Thursday with a 2009 world-leading toss of 66.40 meters (217 feet, 10 inches). Li is a solid thrower who's competed in two Olympic finals - placing seventh in 2008 - but with a previous personal best of 64.34/211-1, her effort last week was surprising. There is a history of throwers reaching their peak well past age 30 - four-time Olympic discus gold medalist Al Oerter set his personal best at age 43 - so it'll be interesting to see if Li's performance was a one-day exception, or if she continues to throw in the 66-meter range next year.

It'll also be interesting to see if Liu Xiang regains the form that put him on top of the 110 hurdles world and made him China's most popular athlete. Next year is the one year in every four without a major outdoor event (i.e., either an Olympics or a World Outdoor Championship), but the World Indoor Championships in March could provide him with a chance to regain international glory. Liu is the defending World Indoor 60-meter hurdles champ.

Photo: Li Yanfeng threw a 2009 world-best 66.40 meters to win the discus throw at the 2009 Chinese National Games. Harry How/Getty Images.