Yang Bo (CHN)
1987 World Sports Fair: 4th AA (tie)
1988 Pacific Alliance Championships
1988 Catania Cup: 2nd AA
1989 Australian Grand Prix: 2rd AA, 1st UB, 1st BB
1989 Beijing International: 1st AA
1989 World Championships: 3rd T, 5th AA, 6th UB, 7th BB,7th FX
1989 Chunichi Cup: 12th AA
1990 French International: 3rd AA, 1st UB, 1st BB (tie)
1990 World Cup: 4th AA, 5th V (tie), 4th UB (tie), 1st BB, 6th FX
1990 China Cup: 1st AA
1991 World Championships: 4th T, 5th BB
1992 World Championships (prelims): 8th V (tie), 30th BB
1992 Olympics: 4th T, 25th AA, 7th BB
Results courtesy of Gymn Forum
Yang Bo was born on September 8, 1973. Although age eligible for the 1988
Olympics, she was only just starting to make her mark in 1987 and 1988. In 1987
she tied for fourth all-around at the 1987 World
Sports Fair and in 1988 she came close to winning the Catania Cup. She also participated in the Pacific Alliance Championships.
With the end of an
Olympic cycle and expected retirements that these often bring, Yang Bo
immediately became a key member of the Chinese women's team in 1989. At the 1989
Konica Australian Grand Prix she placed second behind the great Natalia
Laschenova (URS) and added gold medals on bars and beam.
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Yang Bo performs her signature leap on the balance
beam
Photo by Matthew
Barber
An extremely strong
performance during the team portion of the 1989 Worlds (she was her team's top
scorer) contributed to the Chinese women taking the bronze medal. Individually
she performed well in the AA as well (5th overall) and she succeeded in having
her stag jump named after her (see left photo). Having qualified to three
event finals (all but vault), the stage seemed set for success. Most
heartbreaking was her balance beam routine, perfect until her under rotated
dismount! : (
Undoubtedly, it was at
the 1990 World Cup that Yang Bo earned her greatest accolades. A fourth place
finish was topped by qualifications to all four event finals. Moreover, she
deservedly won gold on the balance beam.
Yang Bo continued to
show her mastery of the balance beam at the 1991 Worlds, and many predicted
another gold. Her optional beam performance (9.95) certainly supported the
prediction. Unfortunately, in a replay of the 1989 World Championships, she
capped off a brilliant beam routine in finals with a miscalculated
dismount.
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics started
out brilliantly for Yang Bo - she was her team's top scorer in the compulsory
round. Unfortunately, things fell apart from there. The Chinese women finished
fourth, just out of the medal standing. A 0.5 deduction for "ill fitting
leotards" did not help (though did not mean losing the bronze). In the AA
she was mediocre on vault (9.787) and succumbed to bars (9.350). The result was
a 25th place standing. In the event finals she placed 7th out of 8 on the
balance beam.
Yang Bo retired after the 1992
Olympics. She went on to study advertising at the University of Xia Men. Upon
completion of her four year program she began hosting a music program for a Hong
Kong channel. Since then she has provided commentary for a number of gymnastics
broadcasts on Chinese television (e.g., Li Ning Cup, post-Olympic tours). She
has also acted in music videos
for Chinese artists.
Yang Bo is now hosting a program for a Beijing channel. The program
loosely translates to "Make the Dreams True During Sunset."
(January 12, 2001). Huashuo, the World's largest marker of
motherboards, have signed Liu Xuan, Li Yi Fang, and Yang Bo to participate in
their advertising campaigns.
Many thanks to F Wu for providing
updates about Yang Bo's post-Olympic career.
. This page was created on November 25, 2000.
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