China's Chen Lu was just eighteen years old when she took bronze at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics and then gold a year later at the World Figure Skating Championships in Birmingham. Since then, she and the sport have gained a huge following in China. In an interview with CGTN's You Yang, "Lu Lu", as this popular figure skater is known to her fans, shares with us her expectations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and how she's trying to promote the sport in China.

YOU YANG CGTN Reporter "China recently announced its figure skating team for the Olympics. It includes Jin Boyang, Zhu Yi, Sui Wenjing, Han Cong, and Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu. Have you any advice for them?"

CHEN LU Gold medalist, 1995 World Figure Skating Championships Bronze medalist, 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics "Actually, I believe for all athletes, the Olympic Games is the 'final target.' Being able to participate in the Olympics is a highlight in every athlete's career. The Beijing Winter Olympics is very special because it will be held in our motherland. For our athletes, it indeed has a different significance. I hope they can perform to their best and show their highest level to the world."

YOU YANG CGTN Reporter "At the same time, Japanese figure skating star, Yuzuru Hanyu announced his Beijing Winter Olympics schedule. His preparations are going well, he just completed a quad axel jump. What does such a feat mean to a figure skater?"

CHEN LU Gold medalist, 1995 World Figure Skating Championships Bronze medalist, 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics "I think that means he's undertaking very hard training and has accepted there is a high risk of injury. Because to take one more turn on ice, that doesn't just mean taking a simple turn, that means he needs to train very hard to enhance his strength and control abilities. And hard training also brings a high risk of injury. But it is indeed because of that, his courage and spirit are very admirable. I think actually for him, he doesn't really need to do so. Because he is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. As a figure skater, he is great enough. But he tries to make that jump. His choice is the best example of the Olympic spirit: 'Faster, Higher, Stronger.'"

YOU YANG CGTN Reporter "You are actively promoting figure skating in China. You even closed your skating club in the U.S. and returned to China to open several ice sports centers. Can you tell us your motivations?"

CHEN LU Gold medalist, 1995 World Figure Skating Championships Bronze medalist, 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics "First, China has always been my motherland. So I think I need to do something for the development of figure skating there. Secondly when I was little, I would learn figure skating alone. During competition, I was really envious of the Americans and Russians because they had so many teammates. So I made a wish, that in the future, we would have more and more figure skaters in China and they could come to compete together. So I hope I can use my experiences and skills to influence young Chinese athletes and encourage them to take up figure skating."