China wins first ever winter gold

Yang Yang (left) celebrates her win with compatriot Wang Chunlu who finished third

SALT LAKE CITY -- Skater Yang Yang (A) has won China's first ever Winter Games gold medal, powering her way to victory in the women's short track 500 m.

Yang Yang's success ends a decade of frustration for China's winter athletes, who only began competing in the Winter Olympics in 1992 at the Albertville Games.

In three previous Winter Games, China has captured 14 medals (10 silver, 4 bronze) but a gold medal has proven elusive.

All but one of the silvers was in either speed skating or short track events.

Yang Yang, a five-times world champion, shot into the early lead and was never challenged taking the gold ahead of Bulgaria's Evgenia Radanova and compatriot Wang Chunlu.

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China has sent its biggest ever contingent of athletes to the Salt Lake City Olympics – 71 athletes to compete in 38 events.

Apart from Saturday's gold and bronze in the short track, China's only other medal so far at Salt Lake is a bronze in the pairs figure skating.

Yang Yang's medal caps off a stellar 12 months in sport for China, after Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Summer Games and its national football team qualified for this year's World Cup.