Yang Yang (A) Reaps Second Gold, Gagnon Gets Two Too

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 24, 2002

Yang Yang (A) Reaps Second Gold, Gagnon Gets Two Too

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Yang Yang (A) of China became the first woman to win two short-track individual events at one Olympics by taking the 1,000m final here Saturday evening while Canadian Marc Gagnon collected two Olympic golds in a row.

Yang Yang (A), six-time world champion and world record holder in the event, overtook namesake teammate Yang Yang (S) with two laps to go in the race and beat a late surge from South Korean teenage Ko Gi-Hyun for her second gold in eight days.

Yang Yang (A), who won China's first ever winter Olympic gold medal with her triumph in the women's 500m last Saturday, clocked one minute and 36.391 seconds, 0.036 seconds ahead of the 16-year-old Ko, winner in the women's 1,500m.

"I was more confident in today's race than in the 500s," said Yang (A) after the nine-lap race. "I did not think about the gold medal and just tried to do my best on the field."

Yang (A) was favorite to win the opening race of women's 1,500m but finished a disappointing fourth on February 13 because of the heavy pressure before the race.

"I beat myself in the 500m final and learned a lot from that race," she added.

Yang Yang (S) took home a bronze medal behind Ko with 1:37.008.Having clinched three silvers at the Nagano Games in 1998 and another in the women's relay on Wednesday, she became the Chinese with the most Winter Olympics medals.

Gagnon, who won the men's relay with Canada in 1998 and a bronze medal in the men's 1,000m in 1994, recorded his first victory in an Olympic singles event as he stormed from the start to lead Canada to a one-two finish in the men's 500m final with an Olympic record time of 41.802.

Compatriot Jonathan Guilmette finished second in 41.994 before bronze medalist Rusty Smith of the United States.

"There is no description," said the 26-year-old Gagnon after the 500m final. "I came here hoping for my first medal in these Olympic Games but tonight I should get a second one (in the relay)"

Gagnon, who had won a bronze in Wednesday's 1,500m final after being disqualified in the previous 1,000m quarter-finals, had his word realized when he led his teammates to win the relay race in 6:51.579 following the Chinese and the Americans' fall amid the 45-lap long journey.

"Wow, we were very confident in winning, but we were very tired.

We really pushed and got it," Gagnon said after securing his second gold in an hour.

Italy was a distant second in 6:56.327 and China finally came in third with 6:59.633.

That concludes the short-track competition of the 19th Winter Olympic Games.

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