’Big 3’ set for 110m hurdles showdown tonight

The men’s 110-meter hurdles is expected to be the most anticipated and competitive race at the World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, featuring the three fastest hurdlers in history.

Dayron Robles of Cuba has the world record, while China’s Liu Xiang, the former record holder, is a former Olympic and world champion. U.S. sprinter David Oliver, the oldest yet an emerging star, has the season’s best time.

Although it’s forecast for one of them to clear the hurdles to take a gold medal, it is not clear which one will stand atop the podium.

The three participated in the 2007 world championships in Osaka, Japan, but Liu won the title, while Robles had to settle for fourth. Oliver failed to qualify for the final. The Cuban sprinter, who set the all-time fastest record of 12.87 seconds in 2008, is confident of adding a world title to his resume that already includes a gold medal in Beijing.

“I am better than in the last world championships,” he said at a press conference here on Friday. He failed to make the final at the Berlin worlds two years ago. “I expect a very good competition here.”

Despite his poor history at the biennial world championships, where his best finish is fourth, Robles is recently on an upswing, coming off his best performance of the year.

On Aug. 5, the 24-year-old clocked 13.04 seconds, beating Oliver in the last Diamond League meet before the Daegu event. Liu is looking to return to the top after a foot injury.

While enjoying his heyday on the track, he was struck with the injury that ruled him out of the 2008 Olympics at home while forced to rehabilitate for 13 months. Luckily, Liu has regained his old form and put on some solid performances on his way to Daegu, winning at the Asian Games last year and the Diamond League in May.

“Liu is in a good technical and physical condition now,” China’s head coach Feng Shuyong told China Daily. “He has recovered from his injuries and shows top quality in his daily training.” Oliver, lesser known to local fans, enters the Daegu event with the year’s best record of 12.94 seconds, the only man to run under 13 seconds in 2011.

The 29-year-old American, who held eight out of last year’s top 10 records, extended his winning streak to 18 before losing to Liu in May, but in one month, he got even with the Chinese hurdler en route to the season’s fastest time of 12.94.

“I just want to make sure I go out there and win the gold medal,” the Beijing Olympic bronze medalist told reporters.