View source for Yang Wenjun

{{short description|Chinese canoeist}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
 | name              = Yang Wenjun
 | native_name       = 杨文军
 | native_name_lang  = 
 | image             = 
 | image_size        = 220
 | alt               = 
 | caption           = 
 | nationality       = Chinese
 | birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1983|12|25|df=y}}<ref name="Yang Wenjun1">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000100/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ya/yang-wenjun-1.html Olympics: Sports-Reference.com - Yang Wenjun's profile (杨文军)]</ref>

 | birth_place       = [[Fengcheng, Jiangxi|Rongtang, Fengcheng]], [[Jiangxi]]<ref name="Yang Wenjun3">More details of Yang Wenjun according to [http://news.163.com/13/1210/06/9FNBKIN100014AED.html 163.com (2013-12-10)], the first Olympic gold medalist: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160916092938/http://www.jx.xinhuanet.com/news/ztzl/2009-09/24/content_17799935.htm xinhuanet.com (2009-09-24)], [http://www.jxnews.com.cn/n1057/ca728995.htm Jiangxi news (2004-9-14)]</ref>
 | residence         = [[Nanchang]]<ref name="Yang Wenjun4">more details about Yang Wenjun's recent situation [http://jiangxi.jxnews.com.cn/system/2013/08/13/012573671.shtml jiangxi.jxnews.com (2013-08-13)]</ref>
 | education         = 
 | alma_mater        = [[Jiangxi Normal University]]<ref name="Yang Wenjun5">details Yang Wenjun after his retirement [http://xy.jxnu.edu.cn/s/275/t/1142/a9/34/info43316.htm jxnu.edu.cn (2013-12-30)]</ref>
 | years_active      = 
 | height            = {{height|m=1.78|precision=0}}<ref name="Yang Wenjun1"/>
 | weight            = {{convert|78|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="Yang Wenjun1"/>
 | website           = 
 | country           = {{CHN}}
 | sport             = male [[Canoe sprint|sprint canoeist]]
 | event             = 
 | club              = 
 | coach             = 
 | retired           = 2013 <ref>[http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-09-11/19026777901.shtml sports.sina.com (2013-9-11)]</ref>
 | show-medals       = yes
 | medaltemplates    = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[canoe sprint]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{CHN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]|[[Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's C-2 500 metres|C-2 500 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]]|[[Canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's C-2 500 metres|C-2 500 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2006 ICF Flatwater Racing World Championships|2006 Szeged]]|C-1 500 m}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2007 ICF Flatwater Racing World Championships|2007 Duisburg]]|C-1 500 m}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Canoeing Championships|Asian Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 Asian Canoe Sprint Championships|2007 Hwacheon]]|C-1 200 m}}
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Yang (surname)|Yang (杨)]]|lang=Chinese}}

'''Yang Wenjun''' ({{lang-zh|s=杨文军|t=楊文軍|p=Yáng Wénjūn}}, born December 25, 1983, in [[Fengcheng, Jiangxi|Fengcheng]], [[Jiangxi]]) is a Chinese former [[Canoe sprint|flatwater canoeist]] who has competed since the early 2000s, winning gold medals in the [[Canoe sprint|canoe]] double (C2) 500 m event at both the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] and [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008]] [[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]].

As an Olympian and a competitive canoeist with a master's degree from [[Jiangxi Normal University]], Yang officially announced his retirement at the conclusion of the [[2009 National Games of China|2009 National Games]], making a short time comeback for competing in the [[2013 National Games of China|13th National Games]]  in 2013.<ref name="Yang Wenjun4"/> He won many medals in major international and domestic competitions, including three gold medals and a silver in two [[Asian Games]]; he participated in four [[National Games of China|National Games]] from 2001 to 2013, won four gold medalists in later three National Games.<ref>[http://dalian.runsky.com/2013-09/12/content_4802189.htm dalian.runsky (2013-09-12)], [http://www.jxnews.com.cn/xxrb/system/2013/09/11/012637406.shtml jxnews.com (2013-09-11)]</ref>

As Champions in two [[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]], Yang won much honour. He was the winner at the Best Group of CCTV Sports Personality Awards of Year 2008, the winner of the 2008 China Top Ten Benefiting Laureus Sports for Good.<ref name="yang">[http://www.jxsssydglzx.com/lishihuigu/tupianjijin/2015-07-15/10.html honours of Yang Wenjun]</ref> he also won the honor at the 2004 Top 10 Outstanding Youths of Jiangxi,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041023201559/http://www.jx.xinhuanet.com/ywdd/2004-10/17/content_3047476.htm xinhuanet.com.com (2004-10-17): 2004 Top 10 Outstanding Youths of Jiangxi]</ref> the 2008 Top 10 Yichun People,<ref>[http://jxyc.jxnews.com.cn/system/2009/01/14/011006378.shtml jxnews.com (2009-01-14): 2008 Top 10 Yichun People]</ref> the 2008 People Who Moved Fengcheng.<ref>[http://jiangxi.jxnews.com.cn/system/2013/08/13/012573671.shtml Jiangxi advanced people (Yang Wenjun)]</ref> Yang was selected the representative of [[17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China|17th CCPC National Congress]],<ref>[http://www.jxgdw.com/jxgd/ntv/jszbs/sqd/tp/userobject1ai770268.html Jiangxi TV (2008-10-19): records of interviewing Yang Wenjun in Beijing], [http://www.jxcn.cn/69/2007-8-31/30085@330101.htm jxcn.cn (2007-8-31): record of elegant demeanor]</ref> he currently serves as the vice director, and a coach in Jiangxi Water Sports Administration Center on October 8, 2008,<ref name="yang"/> also the secretary of [[Communist Party of China|communist party]] committee.<ref>[http://www.jxsssydglzx.com/dangqungongzhong/dangjiangongzuo/2015-07-15/59.html Jiangxi Water Sports Administration Center (2015-07-15): division of work at tasks of anti-corruption]</ref>

== Career ==
Yang's first major international success came at the [[2002 Asian Games]] where, aged only 18, he won two gold C-2 medals with [[Wang Bing (canoeist)|Wang Bing]]. At the [[2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships|2003 world championships]] in [[Gainesville, Georgia|Gainesville, USA]] he was the youngest of the individual C-1 1000m finalists, finishing a very creditable seventh overall.

At the start of the 2004 season he formed a new C-2 partnership with the more experienced [[Meng Guanliang|Meng]], working under [[Canada|Canadian]] coach [[Marek Ploch]]. On their first international appearance together in [[Komatsu, Ishikawa|Komatsu]], Japan, they shocked observers by posting a 500 m time of 1:40.27. Then, in June, they won the prestigious [[Duisburg]] World Cup.

At the Olympic Games in [[Athens]], they were drawn in the toughest heat alongside all the main medal contenders. They won the heat in a time of 1:38.916, almost a full second ahead of Cubans [[Ibrahim Rojas Blanco|Rojas]] and [[Ledis Balceiro|Ledys Balceiro]]. The final was much closer with less than a second separating the first eight contenders but Meng and Yang again came out on top, beating the Cuban pair to win the gold medal.

After the Olympics, Yang returned to the C-1. At the [[2005 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships|2005 World Championships]] in [[Zagreb]], Croatia he raced over all three distances, despite the new compressed schedule, and finished sixth (500 m), seventh (1000 m) and tenth (200 m).

At the [[2006 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships|2006 World Championships]] in [[Szeged]], Hungary, Yang concentrated on the shorter distance events. He won the C-1 500 m bronze medal, China's first-ever men's world championship medal, and finished fifth in the C-1 200 m. Yang won another bronze in the C-1 500 m event at the [[2007 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships|following world championships]] in Duisburg.

Meng and Yang defended their Olympic title four years later despite their boat [[capsize|capsizing]] at the finish line after their win.

Yang is {{convert|177|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} tall and weighs {{convert|77|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105013709/http://canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%201-41%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007-2.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=2010-01-05 |title=ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 1: flatwater (now sprint): 1936–2007 }}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://www.webcitation.org/5l9vPO85Y?url=http://www.canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%2042-83%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=2009-11-09 |title=ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines: 1936–2007}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000100/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ya/yang-wenjun-1.html Sports-reference.com profile]

{{Footer Olympic Champions C-2 500 m}}
{{Xinhua News Agency's Top Ten Chinese Athletes of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yang, Wenjun}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Yichun, Jiangxi]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jiangxi]]
[[Category:Chinese male canoeists]]
[[Category:21st-century Chinese sportsmen]]
[[Category:Olympic canoeists for China]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in canoeing]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canoeists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canoeists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in canoeing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists in canoeing]]
[[Category:Canoeists at the 2002 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Canoeists at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in Canadian]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for China]]