500 metres, Women

Two women were assumed to duke it out in this event: Yang Yang (A) of China and Evgeniya Radanova of Bulgaria. Yang had been the sports’ dominant figure since the last Olympics, winning the 1998-2001 World allround title, along with many distance wins in both individual and relay events. But in the 500 m, Radanova had proven herself as a force to be reckoned with. In October 2001, she had bettered the world record in the event during World Cup competition. Another title favorite would have been Yang Yang (S), but she was not selected in this event, the coaches favoring Wang Chunlu instead.

Yang [A], who had been under pressured to win China’s first Winter Olympic gold medal in the 1,500 m, had disappointed in that event, finishing only fourth. But this had given her courage, and she easily made the final in the 500 m, where she led from start to finish. With Radanova and Wang trailing nearby, Yang finally did win her (and China’s) first gold medal. Together with Wang, she toured around the track in tears while waving the Chinese flag.