At 5 p.m., 23rd of August, 2008, men’s Canoe Double C2 500m of the Beijing 29th
Olympic started at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. Yang Wenjun and Meng
Guanliang of China claimed their second straight Olympic gold, bringing China the
48th gold medal at this Olympics. This time they finished in 1 minute and 41.025
seconds, fighting off Sergey Ulegin and Alexander Kostoglod of Russia who took
silver in 1:41.282. Christian Gille and Thomasz Wylenzek of Germany took bronze in
1:41.964.

Almost at the same time as Yang and Meng spurted at the finish line, at HNU in
Changsha, hundreds of audience, who had kept keen eyes on the duo, burst into hail
---- they were overjoyed at the news of victory, especially for Yang Wenjun, their
schoolfellow at HNU.

On hearing the good news from Beijing, Zhang Guoji, Chairman of HNU Council and
Liu Xiangrong, President of HNU immediately sent a congratulatory letter to Yang.
On behalf of HNU, they in the letter spoke highly of Yang’s perseverance and
enterprise, who had overcame lots of difficulties confronted with him before this
gold medal, and said that the whole HUN would be proud of him.

HNU’s 70th anniversary is around the corner, hence Yang’s success in the Games
certainly adding a joyful hue to it. Yang Wenjun’s claim to a second Olympic
gold signifies so much that we all take pride in him, and it is verily a most
precious gift presented to our university’s 70th birthday.” said Ouyang Xiyu,
Deputy Dean of Physical Education College of HNU.

Yang has been studying at HNU since his admission to HNU’s Physical Education
College in the June of 2004, two months before he took his first Olympic gold in
Athens also with Meng Guanliang.

Yang Wenjun

Yang Wenjun

Yang Wenjun and Meng Guanliang with gold medals

Yang Wenjun and Meng Guanliang with Li Yanling, Dean of Physical  Education College, HNU

Yang Wenjun with his coach and Li Yanling