Yang Yang (A) wins the women's 1,000m short track speed skating race, giving China its second gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. [File photo: people.com.cn]

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

(Source: China.org.cn)