Yang Chuan-Kwang
Encyclopedia
Yang Chuan-kwang, or C.K. Yang (10 July 1933 in Taitung
, Taiwan
– January 27, 2007 in Los Angeles, California
, at the age of 73), was an Olympic decathlete from the Republic of China
.
Known as the "Iron Man of Asia," Yang won the gold medal
in the decathlon at the 1954 Asian Games
, and he again won the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1958 Asian Games
, and in addition, the silver medal
s in both the 110 m hurdles
and the long jump
, and the bronze medal
in the 400 m hurdles
. Yang's first Olympic Games competition was at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne, Australia, where he finished in eighth place in the decathlon.
Yang's most memorable decathlon competition was a duel with Rafer Johnson
, his good friend and fellow track and field teammate at University of California at Los Angeles, during the 1960 Summer Olympics
in Rome. Going into the final event of the decathlon, the 1500 meter run, Yang trailed Johnson by just 67 points in the decathlon competition, but Johnson hung on to win the gold medal, with Yang winning the silver medal. Yang actually topped Johnson in all four track events, plus the three jumping or vaulting events, but the large margins in points that Johnson attained in the three throwing events (the shot put
, the discus throw
, and the javelin throw
) was big enough to make Johnson the winner, and to put Yang in second place - the decathlon silver medalist.
In 1963, Yang set a new world indoor record in the pole vault
among decathlon competitors http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/GetSingleNews.aspx?ContentID=30165, and the next year, he competed again in the decathlon in the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo
, finishing in fifth place.
Yang was a member of the Amis tribe of Taiwanese aborigines
. He had a wife, Daisy, and two sons: Cedric Yang (Yang Sui-yuen) and C.K. Yang, Jr.
Yang, who contracted liver cancer
in 2001 while he was the president of the National Sports Training Center at Kaohsiung
, died on January 27, 2007, due to a massive stroke. He is buried in Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, California
.
Taitung City
Taitung City is the county seat of Taitung County, Taiwan. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean.The city is served by Taitung Airport. Taitung is a gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island, both of which are very popular among Taiwanese tourists.-History:Taitung...
, Taiwan
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
– January 27, 2007 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, at the age of 73), was an Olympic decathlete from the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Known as the "Iron Man of Asia," Yang won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the decathlon at the 1954 Asian Games
1954 Asian Games
The 1954 Asian Games was a mult-sport event celebrated in Manila, Philippines from May 1 to May 9, 1954. A total of 970 athletes from 19 Asian National Olympic Committees competed in 76 events from eight sports...
, and he again won the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1958 Asian Games
1958 Asian Games
The 3rd Asian Games were held from May 24 to June 1, 1958 in Tokyo, Japan. A total number of 1,820 athletes, coming from 16 countries, competed in thirteen events at this Asiad. Debuting sports were field hockey, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. Tokyo would go on to host the 1964 Summer...
, and in addition, the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
s in both the 110 m hurdles
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
and the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, and the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 400 m hurdles
400 metres hurdles
The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...
. Yang's first Olympic Games competition was at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne, Australia, where he finished in eighth place in the decathlon.
Yang's most memorable decathlon competition was a duel with Rafer Johnson
Rafer Johnson
Rafer Lewis Johnson is an American former decathlete and film actor.-Biography:Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, but the family moved to Kingsburg, California, when he was nine. For a while, they were the only black family in the town. A versatile athlete, he played on Kingsburg High School's...
, his good friend and fellow track and field teammate at University of California at Los Angeles, during the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in Rome. Going into the final event of the decathlon, the 1500 meter run, Yang trailed Johnson by just 67 points in the decathlon competition, but Johnson hung on to win the gold medal, with Yang winning the silver medal. Yang actually topped Johnson in all four track events, plus the three jumping or vaulting events, but the large margins in points that Johnson attained in the three throwing events (the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, and the javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
) was big enough to make Johnson the winner, and to put Yang in second place - the decathlon silver medalist.
In 1963, Yang set a new world indoor record in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
among decathlon competitors http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/GetSingleNews.aspx?ContentID=30165, and the next year, he competed again in the decathlon in the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, finishing in fifth place.
Yang was a member of the Amis tribe of Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
. He had a wife, Daisy, and two sons: Cedric Yang (Yang Sui-yuen) and C.K. Yang, Jr.
Yang, who contracted liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
in 2001 while he was the president of the National Sports Training Center at Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, died on January 27, 2007, due to a massive stroke. He is buried in Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, California
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
.
External links
- The Games of the XVII Olympiad, Rome 1960: Official Report of the Organizing Committee, The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad, 1960.
- Volume 1, Yang's entry and vital statistics in the List of Athletes, p. 832
- Volume 2 Part 1, results and nine photographs of Yang during and after the decathlon competition, pp. 160–178
- Database Olympics
- UCLA notice about C.K. Yang's death Asian Iron Man: Yang Chuan-kuang dies of illness, Apple DailyApple DailyApple Daily is a Hong-Kong-based tabloid-style newspaper founded in 1995 by Jimmy Lai Chee Ying and is published by its company, Next Media. A sister publication carrying the same name is published in Taiwan, Republic of China under a joint venture between Next Media and other Taiwanese companies...
, January 29, 2007 - Taiwan Culture Portal: The Life and Legend of Taiwan's first Olympic medalist "Asian Iron Man" C.K. Yang (in English)