On the morning of September 10, Liu Xiang published a long post on Weibo to explain the days-long dispute over his retirement placement. He wrote: "So many days have passed and we couldn't wait for an official result, so I'll say it myself."

In the post he listed four points. First, he completed the buyout as early as September 1, receiving 494,000 yuan and will no longer be affiliated with the sports bureau. Second, from his retirement on April 7, 2015 to now, all wages and subsidies totaled 982,935 yuan; he donated the entire amount to the China Charity Federation on September 2 for landslide relief in Tibet.

Third, Liu responded to the official claim of being "on the payroll but not on post." He said that since retiring he had never been assigned any establishment or post, asking, "The state regulates and rectifies the 'on the payroll but not on post' issue year after year—why, after 11 years, are you suddenly rushing me to choose between two options?" He said he respects the rules and accepts any oversight, but stressed, "Regulations are never an excuse; like being a coach or accepting a buyout—11 years late, it's no longer a choice."

Fourth, he explained his reasons for making the matter public. He said putting "placement" in the sunlight is not to use public pressure to seek a third option, but to promote a more orderly society through public discussion and equal access to information. He urged organizations to seriously consider every retired athlete's future: "Treat them well, make retirement placements flexible and varied, give them more suitable choices, because they gave up their youth and health and sometimes suffered permanent injuries."

At the end of the post he specially mentioned his coach Sun Haiping: "On this special day, I wish my coach a happy holiday; without your dedication, there would be no today's glory for Chinese hurdling."

This placement controversy began on August 26, 2026. That day Liu Xiang posted on Weibo a photo of his bib number 1363 from his 2004 Athens Olympic victory, captioned: "Waiting online, I've run into a problem: hoping netizens can give me some advice. The sports bureau wants me to take a buyout or work as a coach — what should I do?"

That evening he posted again expressing his confusion: "I never left; it's not that I didn't want to go, it's that you wouldn't let me go. It's been 10 years, and suddenly now you want to 'place' me. Choosing between being a coach or a buyout — this is why I'm puzzled." He also questioned: "When the advertising revenue was divided, why wasn't I placed according to law and regulations?"

It is reported that after Liu Xiang officially announced his retirement on April 7, 2015, his personnel relations remained within the Shanghai sports system. As early as 2011, while still active, he was elected deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee of the Shanghai Sports Bureau — a part-time league cadre post with no administrative rank, not a civil servant position, and no requirement to be on duty. This identity continued after retirement, creating an 11-year "on the payroll but not on post" status.

In response to Liu's public remarks, the Shanghai Sports Bureau replied that evening on August 26, saying Liu is a meritorious athlete who made outstanding contributions to Shanghai sports. According to relevant regulations from the General Administration of Sport of China and Shanghai on retired athlete placement, the Shanghai Competitive Sports Training Management Center has communicated with Liu and plans to properly place him either through organizational placement or by allowing him to seek employment on his own. On September 3, staff from the Shanghai Competitive Sports Training Management Center said Liu is still with the unit and that a unified announcement will be issued later.

Liu's retirement placement issue is not an isolated case, but it has drawn attention because of his special status. As the 2004 Athens Olympic men's 110 m hurdles champion, Liu set an Olympic record of 12.91 and is the first Grand Slam winner in Chinese track and field history. After retirement he signed a lifetime ambassador contract with Nike and is not financially dependent on placement compensation. Some media commented that Liu's dilemma "has never been about money, it's about principle."

The incident has also sparked wide public discussion about the system for placing retired athletes. Some commentators note that someone at the top of the pyramid like Liu can make his voice heard across society with a single Weibo post, but the countless ordinary athletes at the base often lack channels to publicly express their needs after retirement. How to make the placement process more standardized, transparent, flexible and diverse, and to treat every athlete who fought for the country with care, remains an important issue the sports system must continue to address.

With Liu's formal completion of the buyout and donation of all his wages and subsidies, the more-than-ten-day placement controversy has come to an end. But as Liu himself said, putting placement into the open, ensuring equal information and public discussion, "this is how the times are progressing."