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Athletes' plan after Vancover Winter Olympics
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-01 14:42
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Zhou supports family
VANCOUVER, Canada - Winning an Olympic gold medal was not the only dream of 18-year-old Zhou Yang. The driving force behind her achievements was to give her parents a better life.
That dream was realized soon after she claimed the women's short-track speed skating 1,500m title.
According to reports, her parents were given an apartment in her hometown of Changchun, the capital city of northeast China's Jilin Province, by the local government.
Authorities also promised to give her family at least 1 million yuan ($140,000).
After winning the 1,500m race, the Olympic champion said she expected the gold medal to change the living conditions of her family.
According to local reports, her parents have been given a 94-sq/m suite with two bedrooms and two living rooms in the Chaoyang District of the city valued at about 300,000 yuan ($43,000).
Wang might retire
VANCOUVER, Canada - After becoming China's first female athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympics, Wang Meng is considering retiring after this season.
"I'm now nearly 25 years old and it is four years to the Sochi Winter Games and I will be 29. It is hard for me to imagine competing at the Olympics again. I am very tired now," said Wang, who won the women's 500m, 1,000m and 3,000m relay gold medals at the Vancouver Games.
"I will compete until the end of this season and decide whether to stay or not after the World Championships."
Wang, who has collected four gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the past two Winter Games and has dominated the 500m and 1,000m events in recent years, says all she is hoping for now is that head coach Li Yan stays with the team after this season.
"I really hope coach Li stays with the Chinese team and I also hope her husband and daughter can come to Beijing and stay with her," she said.
Couple to have baby
VANCOUVER, Canada - Announcing their retirement after winning the figure skating pairs gold at the Games, China's husband-and-wife figure skating team of Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo said having a baby and holding a national exhibition tour for Chinese fans were now their priorities.
"We plan to participate in a figure skating exhibition gala in Beijing and other cities in China," said Zhao. "We will also invite some of the top figure skaters from other countries to join us for the exhibition to draw more fans. We want to help promote the sport in China, especially among young people."
After coming out of retirement to realize their golden Olympic dream, they say a baby is on their schedule, as well.
"We don't have an exact plan, but I think next year," Zhao said of a potential offspring.
To conclude a great career, 36-year-old Zhao was chosen as the flagbearer of the Chinese delegation at the closing ceremony.
