Yang Wenyi

Yang Wenyi (Chinese: 杨文意; born January 11, 1972 in Shanghai) is a former freestyle and backstroke swimmer from China, whose best performance was winning the gold medal in the 50 m freestyle at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

She began swimming training in Shanghai Sports Club in 1978, breaking national records for different age group on eighteen occasions. Selected as a member of the Shanghai municipal swimming team in 1984, Yang joined the national team for intensified training two years later. She was the first woman in history to go under the 25-seconds barrier in the 50m freestyle.

After retirement, she owned "Jinyi Sports Promotion Ltd", holding sports contests and running "Yang Wenyi Swimming Club". The club is located in Minhang, Shanghai.

High performances

* 1987 – Pan Pacific Swimming Championships:*Bronze – 4x100 m medley relay
* 1988 – Asian Championships :* Gold – 50 m freestyle (24.98 WR):* Gold – 100 m backstroke (1:03.08, Asian best):* Gold – 4x100 m medley relay :* Gold – 4x100m freestyle relay
* 1988 – Seoul Olympic Games:* Silver – 50 m freestyle
* 1990 – Beijing Asian Games:* Gold – 50 m freestyle:* Gold – 100 m backstroke :* Gold – 4x100 m freestyle relay
* 1991 – World University Games :* Gold – 50 m freestyle
* 1992 – Barcelona Olympic Games:* Gold – 50 m freestyle (24.79 WR)

Honours

* 1989 – Selected one of National Top Ten Athletes
* 1989 – Voted one of forty Sports Stars in forty years since the founding of new China in 1949

ee also

* World record progression 50m freestyle

External links

* [http://en.olympic.cn/athletes/serch_Y/2003-11-06/4616.html Profile on Chinese NOC]
* [http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ya/yang-wenyi-1.html sports-reference]