China’s Liu Xiang on his way to winning the gold in 110m hurdles, in Guangzhou, on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

Guangzhou: None of the record 171 gold medals China had already collected at the Guangzhou Asian Games carried quite the lustre of former world record holder Liu Xiang’s victory in the 110m hurdles.

Two years after he left the Bird’s Nest stadium crowd in stunned silence as he limped off the track with an Achilles injury before even starting his first heat at the Beijing Olympics, China’s multimillionaire athletics superstar won at a major meet on home soil, on Wednesday.

Liu led from the sound of the starters’ gun to the finish, extending his lead over the last four hurdles to cross in his season-best 13.09 seconds. His Chinese teammate and Athletes’ village roommate Shi Dongpeng took silver in 13.38.

Olympic champion diver Wu Minxia ensured China equalled that mark earlier Wednesday with an expected win in the women’s one-metre springboard. Li Hong won the women’s 50kg division in karate to secure No. 167.

South Korea was in second place, a long way behind, with 70 gold medals. The most important thing was, the team was still at the games.

A North Korean artillery attack on an island near the disputed western border killed two marines and two civilians and injured others on Tuesday, sparking concern about retaliation and international calls for calm.

Sports and games officials are insisting the focus remains on sports.

“I don’t want to get into politics,” Kim Chang-kew, president of the Asian Associated Wrestling Committee, said.

“We are (here) for sport and for these Asian Games. Sport should not be connected with war or peace.”

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia picked up another equestrian title with Hamad Ramzy Alduhami winning the show jumping.

Afghanistan set up an Asian Games cricket semi-final against Pakistan with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Hong Kong, while Sri Lanka overcame some nervous moments in a two-wicket win over Nepal.

(Agencies)