The World’s greatest hurdler Liu Xiang will compete in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield this summer.

UK Athletics are hoping that Liu’s presence at the Don Valley Stadium will be a major attraction for the meeting on Sunday July 15, for which tickets are now on sale.

Liu won gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and has since become a huge sporting celebrity in his native China. His fame increased last summer when the Shanghai athlete set a new world record in the 110m hurdles, bettering the mark he previously shared with Britain’s greatest ever hurdler, Colin Jackson.

With the Olympics in Beijing only 16 months away and only a handful of races abroad under his belt, the presence of the 23-year-old on the Sheffield start line is expected to attract attention from spectators and athletes alike.

Liu said: “The race at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield is very important to me. I want to be running well ahead of the World Championships so my aim is to be in good form then. “The next two years are very important to me, especially with the Olympics in Beijing in front of my home crowd. “I have already won Olympic gold, now it would be my dream to win the world title. Hopefully I can kick start success with a strong performance in Sheffield.” Liu last competed in the UK in 2003, in Gateshead and at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham where he won bronze. 

To buy tickets for this event, or any of the other UK Athletics outdoor events this Summer click here.