Start concerns Robles as hurdles showdown looms

World record holder Dayron Robles's start has him concerned as he prepares for a clash with the second and third fastest 110 metres hurdlers of all-time at the world athletics championships next week.

"One mistake and you are dead," the Cuban Olympic champion said on Friday when asked about the highly anticipated showdown with Chinese former world record holder Liu Xiang and American David Oliver on Monday.

"Everybody is coming to win and to run fast."

The three have never met in a global outdoor final, which makes the Daegu meeting more mouthwatering and with only two-hundredths of a second separating the three on the all-time list, there is no room for error, said the Cuban, which is why his start concerns him.

"I have something wrong with my start," Robles said. "David is coming very fast in the start. Liu Xiang is coming faster too.

"I need to come faster because right now it is very important the start, maybe in winning."

While always dreaming of breaking his 2008 world record of 12.87 seconds, Robles would not predict the mark will fall in Daegu.

"Maybe," he said. "Anything is possible," before adding that he felt a time around 13 seconds would probably win the title, which was more important to him.

"I need to win every medal," said the 24-year-old, who only needs the world athletics championships gold to complete the set of global titles.

He won the 2010 world indoor title and took the Beijing Olympic crown with Oliver finishing third both times. An injury kept Liu out of the Beijing Games and he could only finish seventh in Doha.

Robles has had his share of injuries since then, but now healthy he plans to continue hurdling for a long time.

"You know Allen Johnson. I need to stay a longer time," Robles said of the 1996 Olympic champion who retired last year at age 39. "He is my idol. Every time I think about him. He was the best of his time."