To the Western ear, Ye Qiaobo's responses to a reporter's questions smack of the party line. She could rightfully claim to be disappointed that she never won gold in two Olympic appearances, finishing second to Bonnie Blair twice. Nope. "I have 133 medals from domestic and international competitions," she says. "This fact in itself is a great reward for me. But this fact is in no comparison with the spirit of competition and hard work which in turn have inspired millions and millions of Chinese people." Uh, O.K.
To those who follow speed skating, Ye is alternately known
as Blair's patsy or as that Chinese woman who was suspended
for doing drugs: In 1988 she was booted for 15 months after
testing positive for steroids at the World Sprint
Championships. She has
always claimed ignorance of her offense.
"I was totally unaware of [drugs] and I did not have the
slightest idea what it was," she says. "Such
things would not have happened if I had had some knowledge
about it." Ye bounced back from her suspension and
became Blair's primary competition at 500 and 1,000
meters—and if not for some bad
luck...
In '92, if she hadn't been impeded by a Russian skater on a crossover she likely would have won the gold in the 500. As it was, Ye finished second by .18 of a second.
In '93, Ye was undefeated in the 500, despite skating on an injured leg. While she failed to medal in that event in the 1994 Games, she finished second in the 1,000 by a scant .02 seconds.
Ye and Bonnie Blair were not exactly what one would call friendly rivals. "I was angry over Bonnie Blair," she says, nearing tears. "She was always stressing the drugs. It was not my fault and I wasted two years for it. Her repeated reminder of my drug problem is an insult to my character."
Like many of her countrymen, Ye, age 33, is enjoying China's newfound economic freedom. Currently she runs an industrial development firm and a sports and leisure promotion company. She expects to receive her MBA next year from Qinghua University in Beijing.
— by Stephen Thomas
photograph by Manny Millan
Sports Illustrated Flashback: Stirring | Women of Mettle