Yang Yang got China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Full name

: Yang Yang

Date of birth: August 24, 1976

Place of birth: Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China

Events: short track speed skating

Yang Yang started skating at 8-years-old. She is arguably one of the best female speed skaters of all time. She has dominated short track speed skating for many years and has won six world championships in a row (1997-2002).

Most notably, 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, walking away from Salt Lake City with two gold medals and one silver.

Major achievements

Olympic Games: 2002 Gold 500m, Gold 1000m, Silver 3000m Relay

                               1998 Silver 3000m Relay

World Championships: 2005 5th Overall, 1st 500m, 2nd 3000 M Relay

                                           2003 2nd Overall, 3rd 1500m, 1st 500m, 3rd 1000m, 1st 3000 M relay

                                           2002 1st Overall, 1st 1500m, 1st 500m, 1st 1000m

                                           2001 1st Overall, 2nd 500m, 1st 1000m, 1st 1500m, 1st 3000m

                                           2000 1st Overall, 1st 1000m, 1st 1500m, 2nd 3000m

                                           1999 1st Overall, 1st 500m, 1st 1000m, 2nd 1500m, 1st 3000m,1st Relay

                                           1998 1st Overall, 1st 1000m, 1st 1500m, 2nd 3000m, 1st 3000m Relay

                                           1997 1st Overall, 1st 500m, 1st 1000m, 3rd 3000m

(China.org.cn September 11, 2009)