OLYMPICS/ Team china
Yin Jian: Gold in 2008 would be icing on cake
By Gao Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-20 09:46
QINGDAO: Yin Jian manages to get by without her favorite food - the famously spicy cuisine of Sichuan Province, in China's southwest.
"I like hot food, but I've been in the national team for 10 years and have got used to northern cuisines," said the easy-going windsurfer from Sichuan.
"Besides, our team doesn't have very strict control over what we eat; and I'm lucky to be the type of person who needn't worry about weight problem."
Yin held onto a solid third place on the heels of Briton Bryony Shaw and France's Faustine Merret after Saturday's racing at the 2007 Sinopec Oingdao International Regatta.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, a small collision with another competitor in the 10th round relegated Yin to a silver medal finish, just two agonizing points shy of a gold medal.
But she wasn't too disappointed with her Olympic debut.
"I had wanted to be a basketball player but wasn't successful," she said.
"In 1994 I entered aquatic sports school and took up windsurfing, so a silver medal was quite an encouragement to me."
Niggling injuries had her deliberating on whether to continue her career after Athens.
But she was confident she had overcome them before heading into this year's Olympic warm up.
The International Sailing Federation's decision to change its windsurfing event from Mistral to Neil Pryde RS:X had also made her waver.
"Before I actually saw the new type, I heard others say that the new equipment wasn't suitable for Asians," Yin recalled to the China Daily.
"They said it was bigger and faster, and might be challenging and even dangerous for us Chinese. Personally, I'm not quite competitive in mid and strong wind."
But the chance to ride the wind in front of home fans at Qingdao next year convinced her to throw her hat in the ring one more time.
"The 2008 Olympiad will be held in China.
"This is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for me, and I was reluctant to give up these Games," she said.
"After training for one year, I found myself competent on the new equipment.
"I hope the Olympic sailing competition will be a success. A breakthrough to win a gold medal would be the best!"
While she still has to qualify for next year's Olympics, the 29-year-old is eyeing retirement afterwards in order to concentrate on her studies.
"I'll rest for some time," said the Chengdu Sports University sports management major.
"I think more about retirement - it depends on my physical condition.
"I want to spend more time at school and concentrate on my study."
Yin looks up to New Zealand windsurfing legend Barbara Kendall, who has an impressive collection of medals and is still sailing as a mother of two.
Kendall is currently ranked ninth.
"Maybe it's the sound physical conditions that keep them doing it as a career. But we have different situations in our country," Yin said.
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