Chinese Olympic Gold Medal-winning hurdler LIU XIANG has retired. The 31-year-old won the country's first Olympic men's athletics Gold in the 110m hurdles in Athens in '04 and added a world title in '07. Liu: "I'm retiring. I want to start a new journey." Liu has been affected by an Achilles problem "ever since it caused him to pull out of his first heat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics" (BBC, 4/7). ... Boxer NATASHA JONAS, the first woman to box for Great Britain at the Olympic Games, "has retired 16 months before Rio 2016." Jonas won Bronze at the 2012 World Championships before reaching the quarterfinals at the London Olympics. The 30-year-old, who hopes to move into coaching, said, "I don't think I've got the hunger and dedication to achieve any more" (BBC, 4/7). ... World champion boxer CARL FRAMPTON has criticized SCOTT QUIGG's promoters for a "televised offer to fight." WBA super bantamweight champion Quigg and promoter EDDIE HEARN appeared on Sky with a £1.5M ($2.2M) check, which they promised Frampton if he took the bout. Frampton: "It is frustrating they have deviated from negotiations with this TV offer" (BBC, 4/7). ... Former South African footballer RICHARD HENYEKANE "has been killed in a car crash." The 31-year-old South African Premier Soccer League side Free State Stars player was traveling with four others in a vehicle "but was the only one to die in the crash" (REUTERS, 4/7).
