Yang eyes last Olympic win

China's Winter Olympics hero Yang Yang (A) is in good form to take another shot at Olympic victory next year in Turin, Italy - but in her final appearance, she plans to shrug off the pressure and savour every moment.

Having reached the climax in her career, Yang has become more mature. And what is the most important for the multiple world champion is not the results but the process of enjoying her beloved skating.

"In the previous Olympic Games that I attended, the only thing I cared about was to win the gold medal, which left too much pressure for me," said the 29-year-old veteran. "But now I found that the most important thing is the process, not only the results. I'm much more relaxed than before, and I think it will be better for me in preparation for the Olympic competitions."

Led by Yang, China's short track speed skating team is now busy preparing for the Olympics. Together with Yang and rising young star Wang Meng, the team is striving for even better results than at the last Games.

"The final entry list for the Turin Games has not been wholly decided yet," Yang said. "The events for me to compete in may be the 1,000m, 1,500m and the relay race, but the final entry should be decided according to our conditions before the Games."

After the Olympic qualifications, the Chinese women's short track speed skating team has earned two tickets in 500m and 1,000m respectively and the full three tickets in the 1,500m race.

"As an athlete, while standing on the ice, the only goal is to win the gold medal," said Yang, who broke China's gold medal jinx at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games by winning two golds in women's short track speed skating 500m and 1,000m races. "What's more important for me is that I could compete in one more Olympic Games."

After her victory in 2002, Yang chose to step off the ice for one year to pursue her studies in the United States, which was considered by most people to be her retirement. But she came back to stand on the starting line again in 2004.

"While absent from the ice rink, I found that I still miss the competition very much," Yang recalled. "I was certain that if my position is only as a spectator in Turin next year, I will be very sad. I'm not that old, so I came back, and I feel very lucky to have a chance for another Olympic Games."

Yang also said she feels "very lucky" to be an athlete.

"The ice rink is a place that is full of dreams," Yang said. "I hope to continue my dream on the ice. Being an athlete is an honourable thing."

Putting on her first skates at the age of eight, Yang's last dream is the Turin Olympic Games, after which she has confirmed her plans for retirement.

"I will be sure to retire after the 2006 Games, and the first thing I will do then is to finish my studies," said Yang, who is currently a student in Tsinghua University. "For the future, I haven't thought too much about it yet, but I won't leave sports."

New role ahead

Besides competing on ice, Yang still has another task in Turin - facing an election contest to become a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission.

"Starting in 1999, I began to join some of the international meetings," Yang said. "Through these activities, I have broadened my horizon to a large extent."

During the last Winter Olympic Games in 2002, Yang had already tried to enter the election contest to become a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, but was short 22 votes.

"At last Olympics, I just focused on my competitions but not the election, so I did not prepare much for it, and I even did not make the basic introduction about myself required by IOC," Yang said. "But I'm very happy that although I lost the election, it was not by a big gap."

At that attempt, Yang ranked fifth among the total 13 candidates, among which four were qualified.

This time, she will face fiercer competition since only the top two candidates will be chosen out of the total 15.

"I think I'm competitive enough although it will be very hard," she said. "If I become a member successfully, I will fulfil my duty in the future Olympic Games, especially the 2008 Beijing Olympics."

Source: China Daily