 Yin Jian eyes record gold
By Zhao Ruixue (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-15 08:24
QINGDAO: With the Olympic sailing competition in full swing, the eyes of many are fixed on Yin Jian to see if the Chinese RS:X competitor can win the first-ever sailing gold for China. Yin is now in a solid first place with 6 points, ahead of Marina Alabau of Spain with 15 points and Jessica Crisp from Australia with 17 after four races. In her first two races, Yin staged stunning performances for home spectators by leading around every mark in both races. She continued to excel on day two of racing - winning one and finishing third in the fourth race of the competition. "Today my racing was not as good as yesterday, but catching up from 11th place to finish third (in race four) was an accomplishment for me," Yin said after Tuesday's races. "I will focus on the remaining races and my physical conditioning will get better and better," Yin added. No doubt Yin has challenged other RS:X sailors. "Yin is awesome. I had opportunities to beat her today, but it didn't work out," said Jessica Crisp from Australia. Yin has been a hot favorite to win China's first gold medal in sailing after she took a silver at the 2004 Athens Games. A minor collision with another competitor in the 10th round in 2004 dropped Yin to second place, just two points shy of the gold medalist. After 2004, bothered by leg injuries, Yin once had to consider whether to continue her sailing career or pursue a college education. "My leg ached a lot, especially in overcast and rainy days," Yin recalled. The sport's post-Athens transformation from Minstral to RS:X class boats also made Yin waver. "If I continue sailing, I have to take up a new sailing class. I don't think it is easy, so I decided to retire." But three months later she changed her mind. "As long as the sailing team needs me, I will continue sailing no matter how hard it is. Besides, the 2008 Olympics being held in China is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me," Yin recalled. Determined to give home spectators her best performance, Yin trained hard ahead of the Olympics. "Yin is experienced and there is no big gap between her and European sailors," said Yao Xinpei, deputy head of the Chinese sailing team. "She has only average performances in strong wind. But for a long time, she has been training hard to improve her skills in strong wind," Yao added. Yin will compete in her fifth and sixth races out of the total 10 that should have been completed yesterday. No racing was possible yesterday due to lack of wind. The Finn and Yngling classes have sailed seven races and will come out again today, originally planned as a reserve day for both fleets. It was still unclear if all remaining races in each series will be staged today, one day before the Finn and Yngling medals are decided. Agencies contributed to the story
(China Daily 08/15/2008 page24) |
