China’s most popular athlete divorces ‘crotch bomb’ actress

ONE of China’s most famous couples is calling it quits after an unusual and extremely short marriage.

Olympian divorces ‘crotch bomb’ actress

FORMER Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang, one of China’s best-known athletes, has announced he is getting a divorce after a nine-month marriage to actress Ge Tian.

Liu, who won gold in the 110-metres hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, made the announcement on his personal social media account.

He cited incompatibility as the reason for the divorce.

“We are ending this marriage today,” he wrote.

“We hope we can each have a better life from now on. We bless each other.”

Liu added that the couple’s “personalities didn’t match after the wedding”.

China’s "flying man" #LiuXiang announced his divorce with Ge Tian, a Chinese actress, on his Weibo today. pic.twitter.com/heKJCj2iUl

— Beijing Review (@BeijingReview) June 25, 2015

The 31-year-old Shanghai native married Ge in September last year after a four-month courtship.

Ge was recently embroiled in a controversy after a Chinese television drama she starred in was pulled off the air following a public outcry over a scene in which a hidden grenade is pulled from her character’s crotch by her lover, a man being held captive by the Japanese during World War II.

Within two hours of his announcement, there were about 100,000 comments on his account, mostly showing support for the former athlete.

Jokes about Ge’s television controversy also surged following Liu’s announcement.

“Liu Xiang must be tired, always having to defuse bombs!” was one offering.

“Using a hand grenade is enough. No need for a man anymore,” was another.

Liu Xiang during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Liu’s Olympic dream is shattered.

Liu was one of China’s biggest hopes going into the 2008 Beijing Games but had to withdraw from the heats with a foot injury. Four years later, he was injured again in the heats at the London Olympics.

He retired from athletics in April.

Liu’s coach Sun Haiping breaks down after his start athlete was forced out of the Olympics.

— with AP