Special report: 2008 Olympic Games     

    BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- People benifit from the Olympics to which they make great contributions, said China's first Winter Olympic gold medallist Yang Yang (A) here on Monday.

    "The Olympics have brought us a lot and have pushed us to make progress since we started the bidding in 1993," Yang, who had retired and was then recruited by the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games (BOCOG) as an expert, told Xinhua in the Olympic Village.

    Yang's two gold medals in the women's 500m and 1,000m short track speed skating in the Salt Lake City in 2002 ended China's gold drought at winter Olympics. She is working at the BOCOG Volunteer Department, mainly in charge of communication and volunteer training.

    After attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Village internet cafe in the morning, the smiling Yang said, "We have contributed a lot to the Olympics and we also benefit from the Games."

    "The perfect combination of the notions of Green Olympics, Hi-tech Olympics and People' Olympics signifies China's development and also promotes its internationalization," She added.

    "The Olympics mean a lot to me. Two gold, two silver and one bronze medals in three Olympics make me become more mature. The participation in Olympics signifies more than a gold does. It helps me improve myself and pursue excellence," said Yang.

    In the Olympic torch relay, Yang was selected as the first torchbearer in Sanya, the first leg in the Chinese mainland.

    Yang noted she would continue her sport-oriented career to help promote the development of China's sports.