 Yin heads home medal hopes
By Cui Xiaohuo (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-05 09:05 Yin Jian will head China's medal winning hopes in sailing at the Olympics. The 30-year-old, who won the silver medal at the Athens Games in the sailboard competition, will be looking for a windsurfing gold this time. "I hope the Olympic sailing competition will be a success. A breakthrough to win a gold medal would be the best!" she told China Daily last year. Team China will be fielding 18 sailors in all 11 events at the Olympic regatta for the first time at Qingdao's Fushan Bay. Other top contenders include Xu Lijia, who was the first Chinese sailor to become world champion and is another gold medal hopeful. The 21-year-old took first place in the Sailing World Championships in the Laser Radial in Los Angeles in 2006. However, her form faltered in this year's World Championships at Auckland when she finished second after leading at one point. China's other talented athletes include men's windsurfer Wang Aicheng, a China national champion, and the Yinling three woman crew, Song Xiaqun, Yu Yanli and Li Xiaoni, who won a third. In the Qingdao International Regatta in 2006 and then sixth in the same event in 2007. However in the women's and men's 470, Laser, Star, 49er, Finn and Tornado events, Chinese sailors are less favored to win any medals. (China Daily 08/05/2008 page20) |
