Liu Xiang's resettlement issue hit top search after 800k resettlement fee, 500M peak endorsement and 100M deduction surfaced. The former Olympic 110m栏 champion questions unfulfilled resettlement promise.
With 800,000 in resettlement compensation, a 500-million-yuan endorsement deal at the height of his career, and 100 million in earnings being withheld—once these three figures were made public—discussions about Liu Xiang’s resettlement quickly shot to the top of the trending topics list.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang won the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a time of 12.91 seconds, tying the world record. The image of him leaping onto the podium draped in the national flag remains a shared memory for many Chinese people.In the short-distance hurdling events, which had long been dominated by European and American athletes, he became the first Asian to win an Olympic gold medal in the event. With 36 world-class titles throughout his career, he is widely recognized as a distinguished athlete in Chinese sports.At the peak of his commercial value, the total value of his endorsement contracts exceeded 500 million yuan. In accordance with relevant regulations at the time, 100 million yuan of that amount was centrally allocated and withheld by the relevant authorities; there was no dispute regarding the accounting of these funds at the time.
In 2015, Liu Xiang officially announced his retirement. His personnel status remained affiliated with the Shanghai sports system, and he was long classified as “on the payroll but not on active duty.” Efforts to arrange his post-retirement placement had not progressed since his retirement, and this matter remained on hold for eleven years.It was not until 2026, when relevant rectification requirements were issued, that the competent authorities presented two placement options: either return to the public sector as a coach, or choose to seek employment independently by buying out his years of service, with the severance pay for the latter option amounting to just over 800,000 yuan.
Neither of these options aligned with Liu Xiang’s actual circumstances, and a historical issue that had been shelved for years was subsequently brought to light. Liu Xiang rejected both options and publicly questioned the relevant authorities, stating that when 100 million yuan in endorsement earnings were withheld years ago, the corresponding resettlement and security measures were not put in place at the same time.Subsequently, several state-run media outlets spoke out regarding the relevant authorities’ delays in implementing the resettlement measures, and public opinion on the matter quickly intensified.
As everyone knows, Liu Xiang currently has stable commercial partnerships and is not concerned about this resettlement payment of several hundred thousand yuan. What he is fighting for is the protection of the rights and benefits that a distinguished athlete deserves, a reasonable resettlement plan commensurate with his contributions, and the fair treatment that has been delayed for more than a decade.
After reviewing the full context of the incident, many netizens expressed their dismay: athletes who once fought hard to bring honor to the nation are, when it comes time for their retirement, compensated at a level of only a few hundred thousand yuan. This disparity between their sacrifices and the support they receive is something no one can accept.
It is a widely held consensus that those who have made outstanding contributions to the country should receive commensurate treatment, and the original intent of the rectification efforts is to ensure that those who have truly contributed are not disheartened.
However, when it comes to the actual implementation of these policies, there have been noticeable discrepancies. Everyone who has brought honor to the nation deserves to be treated with the respect they deserve.
