Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Ice Center, 23 February 2002: YANG (S) Yang of China, 3rd and Marie-Eve DROLET, 4th, compete in the women's 1000m short-track speed skating final during the XIX Olympic Winter Games. Credit: Getty Images/MIRALLE DonaldOther names: YANG, Yang
Born: 14 September 1977
Birthplace: Changchun (China)
Nationality: China
Sport: Skating
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Lillehammer 1994
Nagano 1998
Salt Lake City 2002
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Silver: 4
Bronze: 1
Other results:
World Championships
Gold: 5 (95, 98 - 01)
Silver: 2 (96, 99)
Bronze: 1 (00)
World Team Championships
Gold: 4 (98-01)
Silver: 1 (95)
Five-Time Short Track Medalist
For the first five years of her short track career, from age 9 through age 13, Yang Yang (S) trained on her own because none of the local skating clubs thought she was good enough to be worth training. By the time she was 16 years old, Yang was competing in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. She made it all the way to the final of the 1,000m and placed fifth. At the 1998 Nagano Games, Yang earned a silver medal in each of the three short track events. In Salt Lake City in 2002, Yang was disqualified in the 1,500m, but bounced back to win another silver medal in the relay - her fourth career silver - and then a bronze medal in the 1,000m.
