Chinese skating star donates bonus money

Inspired by American speedskater Joey Cheek's example, Chinese short track Olympic medalist Yang Yang said Sunday she'll donate her $10,000 bronze-medal bonus to a charity that helps children in areas ravaged by conflict.

The donation helps push the charity, Right to Play, close to $500,000 in funds raised during the Turin Winter Olympics, said the group's founder, Johann Olav Koss, a former Norwegian speedskating star.

Yang _ who won two gold medals at the 2002 Olympics and who is retiring from competition after Turin _ said she decided to make the donation after her bronze medal performance in the 1,000 meters Saturday night. She went to Koss' office first thing Sunday to discuss it.

''As you know, I'm retiring after these Games,'' she told a news conference. ''I want to leave something for sports and expand the influence of sports in China and the world.''

Cheek's donations of his winnings from two medals _ $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver _ have brought a windfall of publicity and funds to Right to Play, which was founded six years ago and has projects in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. American corporations, Canadian athletes and the U.S. Olympic Committee have followed Cheek's lead.

Yang said she too was similarly inspired. She and Cheek, she said, struck up a friendship four years ago when she spent half-a-year training and studying in Salt Lake City.

Yang and Koss said they also discussed opening a Right to Play office in China. Yang is a well known figure in China; her two gold medals were the first ever for China at a Winter Olympics.

Koss predicted that her involvement with his group should open new doors for Right to Play in China.