Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang debuts on political stage

He was also absent from the advisory session last March, when he was in Spain to compete in the world indoor championship.

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang attends a panel  meeting of the annual session of the National  Committee of the Chinese People's Political  Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on  Wednesday, March 11, 2009. [Photo: Xinhua]

He returned to China on March 8 and spent one day in his hometown Shanghai before coming to Beijing Tuesday evening.

"As a new political advisor, I am honored to be here to perform my duty," the young man read a prepared speech.

Liu, 25, is one of the youngest among the 2,235 members of the nation's top political advisory body.

Liu was once the world record holder of the men's 110m hurdles. He stunned the world by withdrawing from the Beijing Olympics right on the track because of the tendon injury.

Editor:Liu Anqi