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Chinese legend skater Yang Yang retires
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-27 05:33
TURIN, Italy: Chinese short-track speedskating legend Yang Yang, who won
China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medals, announced her retirement on
Saturday after one final trip to the podium.
 The 29-year-old from Tianyuan achieved breakthrough victories for China at
the 2002 Olympics, capturing the 500m and 1,000m gold medals to become the first
short-track speedskater with multiple golds at a Games.
But after a possible appearance with a relay at next month's World
Championships, Yang is ready to take off her skates and try to contribute to
China's preparations for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
"This is my last race," Yang said. "I'm very happy. I'm done with skating.
I'm very happy with what I've done and what I've got."
After failing to reach the 1,500m final and being part of a 3,000m relay team
that was disqualified in the final, Yang was pleased to claim one last Olympic
medal.
Yang took the bronze after Korean Choi Eun-Kyung was disqualified for
impeding at the 1,000m event on Saturday.
Choi's compatriot Jin Sun-Yu won the event, with China's Wang Meng taking the
silver.
"It means a lot to me," she said. "After my first two races I was very
disappointed. I had to find my fight again. It was a tough race. I tried my
best. I'm very happy, not just because of the bronze medal but because I skated
well."
Yang has not stopped to ponder her place in Chinese sports history, leaving
that for other people to decide.
"I don't really think about it too much," Yang said. "All I know is people
inspired me very much and I tried to inspire people. It went both ways."
As mentor to Wang Meng, who won 500m gold at Turin, Yang has helped pass
along her legacy to a new generation.
But she said China must train harder at the longer
distances to compete with South Korea, which won six of eight short-track golds
at Turin.
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