World 110m Hurdles champion Liu Xiang will have surgery in the United States on an Achilles injury that denied him the chance of defending his Olympic title on home soil, reports Reuters.

The former World record holder and his coach Sun Haiping have spent the past week in the United States seeking advice on the injury.

Sun Haiping, who previously said surgery would be a last resort, was convinced by U.S. medical experts that an operation was both necessary and safe.

"We were less worried about the operation after hearing the experts' advice. They all said it wouldn't be very difficult," Sun Haiping told state television after returning from the United States. "Also, the three calcifications between his bone and tendon could not be removed in any other way but through surgery," said Sun, showing scans of Liu Xiang's foot.

Earlier, former World 110m Hurdles record holder Liu Xiang has been informed by doctors in the USA that his calcified Achilles tendon requires an operation.

Liu Xiang and his coach Sun Haiping arrived in Houston, Texas last week where the Chinese star was examined at the Memorial Hermann Medical, which also offers medical treatment to Houston Rockets players like fellow Shanghai sports icon Yao Ming. Earlier during his trip to the US, Liu Xiang had sounded optimistic about the possible prognosis for his injury confirming that, "it's fine. I come seeking medical advice on my injury from the local experts in America... I think its not that serious...."

Last month Sun Haiping had also been quoted as preferring a less interventional approach to the injury, which had ruined the hurdler's attempt to defend his Olympic title in Beijing this summer.

And after receiving the diagnosis from the doctors in Houston Sun Haiping still wished to shy away from the prospect of surgery for his charge.

"The doctors suggested surgery, but we will see more doctors in the US and collect more opinions," Sun was quoted by China Daily in an interview. "If it is possible to treat the injury without surgery, we will choose (that option)."

Coach Haiping is confident of a full recovery for Xiang whose pull-out from his Olympic title defence in the opening round at the Beijing Olympic Games was one of the media headlines of the fortnight of sports competition in the Chinese capital.

"It's more challenging kneeling than in a standing position," said Coach Sun of the testing of the tendon.

The coach also confirmed he was more in favour of a mild treatment such as massage and Chinese traditional medicine, as he was concerned an operation might cause ever-lasting impairment to the tendon.

"I am confident that Liu will recover 90 percent if he receives a conservative treatment," the coach told at a previous press interview.

"If everything goes all right, Liu will back to the competition track next June," Sun Haiping confirmed recently. "He's already recovered 80 percent and has even tried to clear some hurdles.... After a steady recovery, Liu is still capable of running to 12.88 or 12.87 seconds."

"Everything has passed and what I'm expecting now is to fully recover soon," said Liu Xiang who enjoyed the mid-autumn festival holiday with his family in Shanghai before his trip to the US.

- Courtesy: IAAF