No one expected an accident at this time. The two runners, Liu Shiqing and Liu Xiang, were at the center of the track, side by side. Liu Xiang was to the right of Liu Shiqing, and to his left, there was another runner. Perhaps it was the excitement or the strain of the race that caused his leg to cramp. He failed to cross the hurdle, stumbled over it and then slipped forward, flailing his arms and unintentionally brushing against Liu Shiqing.
Liu Shiqing stumbled slightly, slowing him down. On the 110-meter track, every second counts. Within that blink of an eye, Liu Xiang had caught up with him. Both athletes simultaneously lifted their feet to scale the tenth hurdle.
The two runners seemed to have a shared understanding, leaping the hurdle at the same time, landing at the same time, and charging forward at the same time. They even managed to share a glance mid-race, each seeing the determination and defiance in the other's eyes.
