Olympic hurdler leaves 'wet and cold' London to train in Germany

Published Jul 19 2012, 00:26 BST  |  By Freddie Edwards

Gold medal-winning hurdler Liu Xiang has reportedly decided to finish up his Olympic training in Germany because he is fed up with the British weather.

Liu's coach Sun Haiping confirmed that he is now training in Leverkusen to avoid London's "wet and cold" weather, BBC News reports.

"Other Chinese teams have also chosen to move their base thanks to London's cold weather, so Liu Xiang is not the only one," Sun told China Daily.

Xiang pulled out of the Diamond League Grand Prix 110m hurdles final on Friday, citing muscle pain, despite winning his semi-final.

The athlete also shocked fans when he pulled out of the hurdles at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.

Haiping confirmed that Liu would be fit for the Olympic hurdles, which will be held on August 7 and 8, saying that he "will be sure to fight to the end".

Liu will not move into the Olympic Village until a few days before the race, instead preferring to stay in Germany.