Yang Chuan-Kwang

Yang Chuan - Kwang (* July 10, 1933 in Taitung on Taiwan, † January 28, 2007 in Los Angeles ) was a Taiwanese athlete who was successful as a decathlete from 1954 to 1964. He participated in three Olympic Games and won a silver medal.

The son of a farmer was a fellow at the University of Los Angeles. His friend and training partner was Rafer Johnson. He was 1.85 m tall and had a competition weight of 82 kg.

Career

He was able to record his first success in 1954 when he became Asian champion with 5454 points. In the high jump, he mastered considerable 2,02 m. At his first Olympic appearance at the XVI. Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, he crossed to the rod 3.30 m and ended up with a total score of 6521 on 8th place in 1958, he was charged with 7625 points Second in the U.S. Championships and a year later with 7835 points even winning, but in absence of Rafer Johnson.

On 9 July 1960, he scored his personal best with 8426 points. His slip-up in the high jump, where he managed only 1.67 m, he could compensate by eminent 7.75 m in the long jump. His score would have been a world record means, if not the same day Rafer Johnson with 8683 points would have been even better. So we waited with excitement to the duel of the two world-class athletes at the XVII. Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960. The external conditions were unfavorable: 32 ° C, high humidity and the Scirocco did not allow for excellence, especially since the 400 - meter race could take place only at 22.30 clock because of thunderstorm after a long break of the competitions. After nine exercises Yang was 76 points behind Johnson. He would have to pass him in the final 1500 - meter race to its ten seconds faster. He could, however, make up only 18 points and was narrowly beaten second.

Three years later, on April 28, 1963 in Walnut, then hit his big moment: Yang presented with 9121 points - in the pole vault, he had scored 4.84 m - a new world record. On this high, however, was followed by a deeper fall: According to the new rating in 1964 introduced Yang's performance was suddenly only worth 8089 points. Henceforth, Yang had no way to compensate for his weakness by throwing its strength in the jumping events. So he could at the XVIII. Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 no longer show off and lay at the end of fifth more than 100 points behind the winner of the bronze medal back.

Services

• Olympic Games 1956 in Melbourne: Roller with 6521 points (score the winner Milt Campbell: 7937 )
• Olympic Games in Rome in 1960: silver with 8334 points behind Rafer Johnson with 8392 points and above Vasily Kuznetsov with 7809 points
• Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964: Fifth with 7650 points (score the winner Willi Holdorf: 7887 )
• Winning the AAU Championship 1959 (7549 pts), 1962 (8249 pts) and 1964 (8641 pts)
• Winner at the Asian Games 1954 (5454 pts) and 1958 (7101 pts)
• World record with 9121 points on April 28, 1963 in Walnut