Ice Princess Returns

She's back.

After taking a year off to travel and study the Olympic speed skater known as Yang Yang (A), or Da Yang Yang to her Chinese fans, is focused on winning more gold for China in the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games.

After the 2002 Winter Olympics, Yang, who is called Yang Yang (A) to distinguish her from the younger Olympian Yang Yang (S), quit training to pursue studies at Tsinghua University in China and in the United States. Many felt she had, in fact, retired.

But, after considering the importance of her skating career in her life, Yang donned her skates and began training again. She had just finished a training session in preparation for the February 10–26 Torino Games when she joined BTM for an interview.

"I'm a 'freshman' on the ice now, and I'm still young," Yang said, using this self-description to start the interview, despite the fact that she has dominated speed skating's World Championships for six years straight (1997–2002), reaching 22 of 24 possible finals, winning 15 of them and pocketing two Winter Olympic gold medals, the first for China in the winter Games. Her brilliant performances have prompted her fans to call her their Ice Princess.

But Yang is anything but cold. Despite her success and fame, the short-track speed skater is a pleasant "girl" from Northeast China, straight, out-going and enthusiastic. Giggling and jumping, she is the girl student next door.

Of her time away from the ice, Yang said, "I found that I had to force myself onto the ice every time. So I decided to leave myself a period of time to think carefully about whether to continue my skating career or not. I chose a temporary rest from daily training."

She spent one semester at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States, where she had reached the pinnacle of her successful skating career; then came two semesters at San Francisco State University.

"I liked the winter in Salt Lake, and I was able to continue my training there while studying. Life in San Francisco was fun and the education was great."

But after 20 years of dormitory life, Yang found it hard to live alone in a completely unknown place. "I had to learn to be independent, and, for the first time, to rely on no one but myself." But with her outgoing character, it didn't take her long to make friends and get accustomed to the brand new life. She even got her driving license!

Looking back to her one-year study in the United States, Yang was full of gratitude: "This one year widened my horizons and helped a lot with my career on the ice, giving me a better understanding about my training and competition."

"I asked myself many times whether I wanted to continue my skating career. Finally I followed the voice of my heart and said, 'Yes,' I'm still eager to stand on the track. As I've gotten older, I have begun to treasure my sporting life."

Despite concerns of her friends and relatives, all worried about her physical status, age and the possibility of failure, Yang decided to return to the national team which was in urgent need of a leader both physically and spiritually.

Though Yang is still working toward getting to her peak athletic, competitive condition, she will spearhead the Chinese short-track speed-skating Olympic squad, and she is expected to compete in the women's 1,000-metre (m) and 1,500 m skating events. The whole team expects to do well in Torino.

"My advantages are my abilities and experience. And my recovery is way beyond my expectation," although she admits her physical condition is not as before or as she’d like.

"I feel no pressure at all this time participating in my third Winter Olympics. My goal in the last two Olympics was to win the gold medal and break the jinx for China's short-track speed-skating team. This time, my biggest ambition is just to bring myself into full play and have no regrets." Yang smiled a relaxed smile. "I just want to enjoy the Games and collect more wonderful experience."

Yang said the Olympics is the ultimate dream for any athlete, and she said she will treasure this opportunity. She said she never gives a thought what it would be like if she should lose a race or if she returns to China empty-handed.

"There's no such word as 'if' in my dictionary." Yang giggled, "And to win or to lose is just the view of others. As long as I've tried my best, I'm the winner. If I was afraid of losing and embarrassing myself, I wouldn’t have come back in the first place."

No matter what the result in Torino turns out to be, this Games will mark the end of Yang's skating career. Still, she has not considered her post-retirement plans.

"I don't want to think about retirement now while focusing on the upcoming competition in the Games. First I'll finish my studies at Tsinghua University."

Currently Yang is pursuing a bachelor's degree in the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua, but she said she wants more than a degree.

"Actually, it is easy for me to get a degree or a graduation certificate, but I want to learn some real knowledge. Sport is not the only way to make people strong, but real knowledge will give me confidence to face a new life after my retirement," she said.

With the end of the interview, Yang resumed her training. Flying over the ice, she represented the very image of an ice princess.

Her last words still echo: "No matter whether an athlete competing on the field, or a student thirsting for knowledge, or in whatever role I'm going to play in the future, the passion is the same."   

 

Sidebar:

Yang Yang (A)

Birth: July 29, 1975

Constellation: Leo

Height: 1.66 metres

Weight: 56 kilogrammes

Favourites:

Animal: Dog

Fruit: Orange

Drink: Cappuccino

Colours: Black, white

Athlete: Eric Heiden