Et Tu, Liu?

Some of my Chinese colleagues are  inconsolable; hurdler and national hero Liu Xiang has pulled out of the Games.

The man is more than just a star athlete.  To the Chinese youth who I spend my days working with, he's an idol, a symbol of hope, pride, and ambition who has come to epitomize China's desired global image; fast, strong, able to stay on par with international competitors. 

So many things have brought a wealth of negative media attention to China during these Olympic Games.  The Drum Tower stabbing, the Milli Vanilli backlash, the smog, the weather.  Spain's controversial photo session pissed me off more than I expected it to, and I realize that, despite my initial protests and adversion to the culture, I've come to think of Beijing as my city, even though I've really no right to feel that way, since, all in all, I'll have spent only 8 weeks here.  In a sense, I'm sad for Beijing, for China, because I perceive Liu Xiang as a representative of the country's hopes for the future.  No, his departure from the Games does not mean that China is destined for social, political, and economic crumble.  But it is disheartening, for reasons beyond the desire to add yet another Gold medal to China's extensive 2008 collection.