Name: Yang Yu
Sport: Swimming
Date of Birth: February 6, 1985
Home: Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Height: 1.73 meters
Weight: 64 kg
Experience:
1996: Zhejiang Provincial Swim Team, coached by He Xinzhong
2000: First international appearance at the Short Course World Cup
Major Achievements:
1999 National Games: Third, women's 200m freestyle
2000 World Short Course Swimming Championships: First, women's 200m freestyle
2001 World Swimming Championships: Second, women's 200m freestyle
2002 World Short Course Swimming Championships: Second, women's 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly; first, women's 4x200m freestyle relay
2002 National Games: First, women's 200m freestyle; second, women's 100m freestyle
2003 Short Course World Cup, Shanghai: First, women's 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle
2003 Short Course World Cup, Berlin: First, women's 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly
2003 World Swimming Championships: First, women's 4x100m medley relay; third, women's 200m freestyle
2004 Short Course World Cup, Berlin: First, women's 200m butterfly, broke world record
2004 Athens Olympic Games: Second, women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay
2005 World Swimming Championships: Third, women's 200m freestyle
2005 National Games: First, women's 200m freestyle
At one time, Yang Yu was a champion. She won the women's 200m freestyle at the 2002 Asian Games. In 2003, she started the year off with a 1:57.70 at the National Games and then won the 4x100m medley relay at the World Championships.
Unfortunately, just before the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yang sank into a deep depression. She gained weight and was not performing at her best. At the games, Yang didn't even make the 200m freestyle final. She won only a silver medal in the 200m freestyle relay with her teammates.
After that, this pretty woman seemed to disappear from sight. Rumors were constantly swirling that she would retire for good.
However, Yang resuscitated herself at the 2005 World Swimming Championships in Montreal, winning a gold medal in the 200m freestyle. Although it was still a long way from her personal best, she sent out the message that she was back in the game.
As expected, Yang did well at the 2005 National Games, where five out of eight swimmers in the 200m freestyle final were from the Shanghai team. Yang did not jump out to an early lead, but outswam the competition over the last 50m to win an important title.
"I'm pretty satisfied with my performance today," she said, after the race. "I'm already more than a second faster than my record in the world championships and I've done best. I prepared myself really well before the games and I definitely swam with confidence today."
That was her first gold medal at the National Games. She had won five silver medals at the two previous games.
"I only came here to win," Yang said. "I want to change my old nickname, 'Second Forever'."
(China.org.cn June 25, 2008)