hina's world 110m hurdles champion liu xiang works out at a training session in xinzhuang, shanghai, september 24, 2008.[osports]

　　the 25-year-old athens gold medallist will consult medical experts in three cities, including a stop in houston to meet with doctors who have worked with nba all-star yao ming, titan sports said on wednesday."we will be taking (x-ray) images and some materials from inspections for experts there to have a look at, and have them take a look at liu xiang's foot," liu's coach sun haiping told the paper."we'll ask them to provide diagnoses and some suggestions for treatment, but we won't decide on a course of action until we've returned home and weighed up all the options," sun said.

　　liu, whose grimacing exit from the first round of the 110 metres hurdles clouded the games for millions of home fans, has been treated with traditional chinese medicine and massage over the past two months.the hurdler is back in light training but sun said last month that he was unlikely to return to competition until next june.sun said chinese doctors would accompany liu on the trip, and continue their course of treatment.

　　"unless it's absolutely necessary, we will do our best to avoid surgery," said sun.