It's not getting any easier at the hurdling.

Within two strides of heat six the Hungarian runner pulled up with a muscle injury — and things quickly got worse.

Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic champion, slammed his leading foot into the first hurdle and crashed down.

For the second straight Games, Liu — who was injured at his home Beijing Olympics — got to the start line but never cleared a single hurdle.

Injured, he hopped to the side, down the track, then was taken away in a wheelchair.

Two lanes along, the Barbados athlete also fell at the first and the Senegal athlete was later disqualified.

— Graham Dunbar — Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdunbarap

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EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.