Yang Yang (A)

Yang Yang (A)

Yang Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨扬; traditional Chinese: 楊揚; pinyin: Yáng Yáng; born 24 August 1976 in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China) is a former Chinese short track speed skater and current IOC member. She is a two-time Olympic Champion from 2002 Winter Olympics and a five-time Overall World Champion for 1998-2002. She was formerly a member of the Chinese national short track team. Yang is one of the most accomplished short track speed skaters of all time having won 32 world titles, including five Overall World Championships. She is the second person to have won five Overall World Titles (after Sylvie Daigle of Canada) and the first to have won five consecutively. Her victory in the women's 500 m short track at the 2002 Winter Olympics made her China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medalist. She added a second gold in the women's 1000 m short track at the same Games and has also won two silver and a bronze medal. After 2003 World Championships, Yang took time off competing, but came back in 2004-2005 season in lead-up to 2006 Winter Olympics where she won the bronze medal in 1000m race. She retired soon afterwards.