Elizabeth Yin - Photo: Today File Photo

Yin’s on track for an Olympic breakthrough, but she wants to avoid the fuss right now

SINGAPORE — It was the greatest achievement of her young sailing career, when she won
the girls’ Laser Radial class at the Volvo ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships last July, yet Elizabeth Yin (picture) wore a pained look when she stood on the winners’ rostrum.

It was not because she was in the Brazilian coastal town of Armacao de Buzios, thousands of kilometres away from home.

The 18-year-old simply hates the idea of being in the spotlight. “I am quite comfortable with it (the pressure), but the worst part is doing interviews,” she said last Friday, minutes after receiving her accolade as the Today Sportsperson of the Year 2009 at Caldecott Broadcast Centre.

“I remember in Brazil I was also trying not to trip or fall (during the prize ceremony), or drop the prize on stage!” Mum Ang Poh Li quipped: “She hates prize-giving ceremonies. She looks the
saddest.

“Sometimes, she doesn’t know where to face. She prefers the competition and process of winning, not so much this which, is the nerve-wracking part for her!”


Yin’s win last year was her third world title in as many sailing classes, having also bagged the 2006 Byte and 2008 Laser 4.7 world crowns.

She also secured Singapore a spot in the Laser Radial event for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, although the slot eventually went to team-mate, Lo Man Yi.

Winning last year’s Volvo championship — the most important youth sailing event — confirmed the teenager’s potential.

Since 1971, 27 sailors who medalled at the meet have gone on to clinch 45 Olympic medals.

Yin, who left on Sunday for Sydney, is one of SingaporeSailing’s hottest rising stars, and her goal is to win an Olympic medal.

A far cry from her initial foray in the sport. “The first time I sailed (in an Optimist boat), the waves looked really big,” she laughed.

Off the water, she swims and plays badminton with her 15-year-old brother Joel, also a sailor. She loves Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men series, where Gambit is her favourite character.

She cannot get enough of her grandmother’s chicken stew, and prefers fussfree jeans and trainers.

While champion athletes are known for their discipline, Yin admits she isn’t the most organised person.

She is awaiting her “A” level results, but has already decided to pursue further studies at the University of Sydney.

At the time of this interview, her father Max was already there sorting out her accommodation.

The former St Hilda’s Primary (she was in the gifted programme from Primary 4-6), Nanyang Girls’ School and Victoria Junior College student said: “I’m leaving in two days, but still haven’t packed anything yet.”

Mdm Ang added: “She’s like me, a lastminute person.” Her daughter does not pay much attention to the fuss around her and struggles for an answer when asked what makes her tick.

But mother knows best, as they say.

Proudly describing her eldest child, Mdm Ang said: “She’s a quick decision-maker. She is spontaneous, not wishy-washy. She expects certain things, but isn’t fussy about how she gets there.”

In Sydney, Yin will pursue a Bachelor of Science degree, and she hopes to major in Geology.

While there, she will enjoy greater flexibility juggling her academic and sporting pursuits. She will train on a regular basis with SingaporeSailing’s Australia-based national laser coach Brett Beyer.

Yin is convinced she can become an Olympic medallist. “I didn’t feel I was ready for the (2008) Olympics,” she said.

“I’d just started sailing the Laser, and had my ‘O’ levels before that. I felt I didn’t have enough training or experience. I was very erratic. “ ... (But since then), I’ve done quite well without a lot of training,” she insisted. “I still have a lot to improve on, especially my boat speed and tactics.

“If I improve in these areas, I can do a lot better.”

London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 are potentially two big dates for her.

An Olympic triumph in Brazil will cement her love affair with the country, but she knows there are so many pitfalls that could derail her dream.

But Yin has the talent, and all she can do is ensure she gives it her all.

One thing’s for sure, there will be no pained expression if she realises her dream, either at the London Games or Rio Olympics. “For an Olympic medal, I’ll gladly do all the interviews,” she vowed, laughing.