Liu Xiang

Reading stories about how the trials and tribulations of South Korean athletes at the Vancouver Winter Olympics is making that country lose its collective mind reminded me of how the Chinese feel about their athletics hero, Liu Xiang.

I thought it was only a myth when I heard someone say that all of China stops when Liu Xiang runs. Liu is the 110 meter hurdling sensation who became the first Chinese track athlete to win a gold medal at the Athens Olympics. He then turned national fame to shame by walking away from the starting line in the Beijing Olympics due to a chronic leg injury. Just as in all good sports stories, Liu made a monumental comeback, running to a near-victory in Shanghai 12 months later, and then lined-up for the gold medal run in China's 11th National Games.

I was enjoying a quick meal at a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing when Liu Xiang ran his National Games race. A large flat-screen TV in the corner of the place was tuned to the live coverage. And, true to what I was told, everything stopped. Diners stopped eating. Workers stopped working. Counter staffers stopped taking orders. I could imagine that all across China, all kinds of behavior came to a screeching halt as this one sports event captured the nation's attention.

People stopped spitting. Kids stopped peeing in public. Corrupt officials stopped cheating on their wives with pretty young secretaries, and their familes stopped suffering in silence. Taxi drivers stopped being obnoxious jerks, although I am sure there were some who didn't get with the program and continued with their lousy behavior.

And in 13.25 seconds, it was over. Liu Xiang ran his race, won the gold medal, and life returned to normal. Except for that taxi driver who never quit showing his bad-ass attitude, blissfully unaware that his national sports hero was making history again.