BEIJING - Chinese hurdling star Liu Xiang said his sights are set on the London 2012 Olympics after he returned home from successful foot surgery in the United States, state press reported yesterday.

BEIJING - Chinese hurdling star Liu Xiang said his sights are set on the London 2012 Olympics after he returned home from successful foot surgery in the United States, state press reported yesterday.

"Barring anything else, I'll definitely compete in the next Olympic Games, otherwise I would not have had this operation at all," Liu told the Titan Sports newspaper.

Liu, 25, spoke after returning to Shanghai on Sunday following three months in the US, where he underwent an operation in December to repair the Achilles tendon that forced his dramatic withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics.

Liu, the reigning 110m world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist, shocked the nation by pulling up lame in a qualifying heat.

Liu's coach, Sun Haiping, has said Liu will not compete in this year's world championships in Berlin in August . - Reuters