Meng and Yang hope to continue success in Duisburg

(BEIJING, June 11) -- After winning two gold medals in the 2008 MOL ICF Flatwater Racing World Cup in Szeged, Hungary, partners Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun of China are confident they can continue their winning ways at the ICF Flatwater Racing World Cup 2008 Race 2 in Duisburg, Germany, which takes place June 13-15.

In his blog, Meng expressed his delight over the team's success in Szeged, saying that they used the right tactics to reach their goals and that the wins have boosted their confidence about challenging for gold in Beijing. The competition also gave them a better understanding of their opponents, he said.

Meng and Yang won China's first canoe/kayak gold medal at the Athens Olympics after they had been partnered for just eight months. They split in 2005 when Yang decided to focus on C-1. He later won China's first ever men's canoe/kayak world championship medal by taking the bronze in C-1 500-meter during the 2006 Szeged World Championships.

Early this year Meng and Yang began competing together again in hopes of repeating as Olympic champions.