China's Liu Xiang celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 110 hurdles final at the 2004 Olympic Games on August 27, 2004 in Athens, Greece. Photo: VCG

Shanghai's sports authority said Wednesday night that it will maintain communication with Olympic champion Liu Xiang and properly handle his post-retirement arrangements, after the former Olympic hurdling champion publicly sought advice over whether to take a coaching job or opt for a one-time settlement. 

Liu won the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 in 12.91 seconds, equaling the then-world record. He is the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. 

Liu, now 43, posted on social media on Wednesday afternoon saying, "I've run into a difficult problem and hope everyone can give me some advice. The sports bureau is asking me to either take a buyout or work as a coach. What should I do?"

He accompanied the post with a photo of the bib he wore when he won the men's 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In response, the Shanghai Sports Bureau issued a statement calling Liu an outstanding athlete from Shanghai who has made "outstanding contributions" to the city's sports development as well as a decorated sports figure whose achievements are "engraved in Shanghai's history."

The Shanghai Competitive Sports Training Management Center communicated with Liu on Wednesday afternoon regarding his post-retirement arrangements. The center plans to properly arrange his placement in accordance with relevant regulations, mainly through either organizational placement or self-employment placement, according to the statement.

The Shanghai Sports Bureau and the training center will maintain smooth communication with Liu and properly carry out all related support and placement work, the statement said.

Liu's afternoon post quickly drew widespread attention online, with the former Olympic champion's question becoming a trending topic on Chinese social media.

Two years after the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu broke the world record in the event with a time of 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland. He went on to win the 110-meter hurdles at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.

His career was subsequently hampered by injuries. He withdrew from the 110-meter hurdles at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, and formally announced his retirement in April 2015.

Under China's system for retired athletes, post-retirement arrangements can include organizational placement within the sports system or self-employment placement, under which an athlete leaves the system and receives a one-time settlement, Fu Zhenghao, a sports commentator, told the Global Times. 

The Shanghai Sports Bureau's statement did not disclose the financial terms of the proposed settlement or specify what coaching position Liu might take.

Liu's post-retirement career has largely kept him away from competitive athletics, although he has remained a prominent figure in Chinese sports and has participated in various public and sporting activities.