An overseas insurance company estimates that Olympic hurdling champion Liu Xiang's legs are worth $13.5 million, according to website qq.com, which did not name the company.

Despite his status as a national icon no domestic insurer has been prepared to take the risk, so Liu had to look further afield. Currently, there are no Chinese companies that specialize in insuring athletes, though major soccer stars in Europe have done so.

Liu Xiang

Famously, David Beckham insured his body for $70 million when he was at Real Madrid.

Liu is currently living like a monk in Beijing, concentrating on training and nothing else. His team strictly controls his diet and has banned pork in case he puts on weight. All his food is tested to ensure no chemicals have been added.

Medicinal soups, popular in China, are also prohibited. No seasoning is allowed on his food and even his water has to be taken from a tested source.

It's not all bad though. A fan sent the 25-year-old a 460 yuan ($67) bunch of flowers, setting off a trend of sending copycat bouquets to the hurdler, Sohu.com reported.

Meanwhile, his mom has been worrying about her cub, in hometown Shanghai. She was concerned that he trains too much and apparently often asks whether he has diarrhea when the athlete calls home. Liu's parents came to Beijing on Thursday by train and had tickets for the Opening Ceremony last night.