A Greek tragedy was played out when Liu Xiang faded into the athletes' tunnel with an injured Achilles tendon on Monday. The tragic hero was too heartbroken to talk for hours, but he regained his composure by late evening to say he felt "very sorry" for his forced withdrawal from the 110m hurdles at the Beijing Games.

The ace hurdler, whose injury dashed China's only real gold medal hope in athletics, told China Central Television (CCTV) that he would come back stronger.

Liu Xiang of China grimaces in pain during his warm-up before the start of his 110m hurdles heat of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 18, 2008. [Agencies]

"So many people are worried about me. I feel sorry. I could do nothing about it (pulling out of the race)," Liu told CCTV during an interview, telecast yesterday morning.

"I didn't feel okay when I was warming up before the heats," he said. "I knew my foot would fail me. It was painful even when I was just jogging."

Gone was his flashy red T-shirt, so characteristic of China's athletes. In its place, he wore a plain white one. Maybe it was his T-shirt that made him look pale and tired, a drop of perspiration hanging from the corner of his left eyebrow, when he spoke to CCTV. But his voice was steady as ever.

"Two weeks ago, I ran a 12.90-something. I didn't know why things turned out this way. I wanted to hang on. But I couldn't. It was unbearable ... I cannot describe my feeling at that moment."

"I'm not that type of a person (someone who quits easily). I never quit easily. I believe I'll come back."

In an open letter posted online yesterday, Liu said he he will run even faster after he recovers.

China's leading news portals including Xinhuanet, Sohu and Sina all carry the letter.

"I know everyone was keenly expecting me to run yesterday. I wanted, as much as you did, to cross the finish, a scene you have already got used to. But my feet...Please believe me. The sadness and pain I have been through are not less than yours. Please believe me. I am still the same Liu Xiang you have known."

NBA star Yao Ming, who too has suffered a crippling injury, encouraged Liu to look to the future. "Forget what has happened. The road ahead is still long. Go! Liu Xiang," Yao said in his text message to Liu.

Medical experts says Liu's injury is serious and could have worsened had he run in the heats - his Achilles tendon could have ruptured with lifelong implications.

The pain in the tendon, which supports the movement of the body, could cause an athlete to lose his or her balance while running. Temporary treatment can relieve the pain, but the athlete's performance would still suffer, said Chen Shiyi, professor of sports medicine at Fudan University, who has treated Liu's injury.

Such an injury requires rest. An incomplete recovery may result in calcification at the tendon's end, making that part of the body more susceptible to injury.

Recurrence is always a fear with such injuries, especially if an athlete intensifies his or her exercise regimen.

Whether Liu would fully recover depends on the state of his body, the care he gets and his training plan, Chen said. But the injury will definitely not end Liu's life on the tracks.