(ECNS) -- Shanghai Sports Bureau on Thursday confirmed that former Olympic champion Liu Xiang has chosen to quit the state sports system after voluntarily accepting a buyout to end his employment relationship with the bureau.
The Shanghai Sports Bureau said in a statement posted on its official WeChat account on Thursday afternoon that Liu submitted an application to voluntarily choose independent employment on Sept. 1 and signed the relevant agreement. His personnel transfer procedures were largely completed by September 7, and he was given 494,000 yuan ($73,200) in economic compensation.
The bureau said it had held in-depth discussions with Liu and offered him a range of options, including positions at the athletics center, as a technical director or at sports universities.
Liu ultimately chose to pursue a career independently, a decision that the bureau said it "fully respects."
The 43-year-old said in a post on his personal Weibo account on Wednesday morning that he had completed the buyout process on Sept. 1 and received 494,000 yuan.
He also said he had donated 982,935 yuan in wages and subsidies he had received since April 7, 2015, the date of his retirement, to the China Charity Federation for disaster relief following mudslides in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
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