The Hindu : Sport : Yang Wei eyes gymnastics gold

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 27, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Yang Wei eyes gymnastics gold

S.R. Suryanarayan

He gave glimpses of his prowess in Sydney

— PHOTO: AFP

PICTURE PERFECT: Chinese gymnast Yang Wei, performing on parallel bars, is certain to grab a gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Yang Wei has set his eyes firmly on the all-around gymnastics gold in the Beijing Olympics. There is nothing like being a champion in front of his adoring home fans.

Having failed in Sydney in 2000 and thereafter in Athens four years later, Yang is warming up for the big moment. For, if there is one thing missing from his cupboard, it is the Olympic individual gold.

After winning the World championship title in Stuttgart last year, Yang was asked how bad does he want to win in Beijing?

“Ten-thousand per cent, 100,000 per cent and many, many other per cents,” he said without batting an eyelid. And why not?

In contemporary times this Chinese gymnast has been the cynosure of all eyes.

Born in Xianto in Hubei Province, the 27-year-old Yang gave enough glimpses of his prowess in Sydney and perhaps also in the process gave an insight into China’s rising stature in a sport which traditionally view USA, Russia and Romania as superpowers.

Yang only earned a silver but in the individual all-round though China won the team gold.

In the 2003 World championship in Anaheim (U.S.) he again won the gold medal with his team but bagged silver in the all-round competition.

Bad luck at Athens

At the Athens Games there was calamity for Chinese gymnasts in the team event after a spate of falls, Yang included. But the world came to see the rivalry of Yang and America’s Paul Hamm. Hamm swept the honours. Much has happened since.

In 2006, Yang shone in both the World championship in Aarhus (Denmark) and at the Qatar Asian Games, he and his team winning gold medals. Having pocketed the World title in 2007 also Yang is ready.

The legendary Nadia Comaneci believes he will be the potential star in Beijing.

For that he has to keep down Hamm or Japan’s Hiroyuki Tomita or Germany’s Fabian Hambuchen.

In fact, Hamm is just returning from injury — a broken bone in his right hand — but seeing his routines at the U.S. team’s preparation camp in Colorado Springs officials are convinced he is ready to defend his Olympic all-around title.

“I guess Yang Wei should be a little worried. He’s probably counting on me being out,” said Hamm, all set for the challenge.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport