The grudge race between Liu Xiang and Cuba's Dayron Robles in the men's 60m hurdles in Karlsruhe, Germany last Sunday was a thrilling drama, as expected.

The German Press Agency (DPA) reported that the Chinese track star outshone Germany's favorite athletes to become the biggest draw on the Karlsruhe track as local spectators waited to see the last race between a Cuban and a Chinese.

Liu Xiang (L) from China hit the finish line during the 60 meters hurdles competition during the track and field meeting at the indoor arena in Karlsruhe, Germany on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007. Liu clocked 7.42 seconds and broke the Asian record to score a sweet revenge to his arch rival Dayron Robles (second from left) of Cuba, who beat him earlier February in Stuttgart, Germany. [Xinhua]

The Cuban rookie clocked 7.38 seconds, just 0.08 seconds shy of the world record held by England's Colin Jackson, in Stuttgart in early February this year, leaving Liu in second place and cutting short his attempt to win his first race of 2007.

The races were cutthroat between the two hurdlers in Germany. Liu won a no-Robles race in Dusseldorf with a time of 7.53 seconds. In the third race with Robles, Liu broke his own record by 0.01 seconds, beating him with a time of 7.42 seconds.

Liu's greatest gain in Germany, according to www.ouline.com, a German language website quoted in www.yn.Chinanews.com.cn, was not his medals, but the new challenge brought forth by Robles stellar performance. The 20-year-old Cuban holds the seventh fastest time in the world in the 60m hurdles, while Liu's best time in the 60m hurdles places him in 17th place, putting great pressure on Liu to win gold on home soil in 2008.

Though Robles is not yet the celebrity Liu is, time is on his side. Though he failed to make the 110m finals in the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where Liu took home silver with a time of 13.08 seconds, he quickly improved throughout 2006 averaging 13 seconds and completing four races within 13.10 seconds.

"He just ran wild," Liu said of his younger rival after the Stuttgart defeat. The young Cuban was the runner-up to Liu on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) men's 110m hurdles ranking. "He is a dangerous opponent, and I beat him by a small margin, but I must owe my win much to his performance," Liu said to Reuters about his Karlsruhe win.

Liu was reported to undergo a period of down times after his 2004 Athens Olympic triumph because of less challenge from other top hurdlers.

Sun Haiping, Liu's coach commented after the Germany competitions that "Robles has an incredible speed, and he is set to turn into a challenging rival for Liu."

Robles, have drawn with Liu in their two clashes in Germany, said his aim is to overrun Liu but didn't care about any defeat by him.

From now till the 2008 Olympics, the 110m hurdles track will expect more cutthroat races between these two world hurdle powerhouses that will edge the sport gradually.