"If it was without yoga, I wouldn't be what I am now," said Lange. "Mental condition is very important for sailing. Some race you might be the last and some first. So yoga gives us inner harmony and control."

Besides yoga, Lange said he had to lose weight to cope with the light wind. Instead of living in the Olympic Village, their Tornado team rent an apartment in Qingdao and cooked by themselves. They had a very light breakfast, some fruits and power bars on the sea and pasta with fish or chicken for dinner.

"I have lost five kilograms for the past three months and will lose as much as possible," he laughed, patting his flat belly.

What sailing has shaped Lange is not only body, but character. He said sailing taught him a lot.

"When I was young, I was always angry and aggressive. Sailing made me realize no matter how hard the nature hit you, you have to control yourself and remain calm," he said.

"Sailing is also a lonely sport. We don't have audience when we sail far from the shore. So we are used to playing for ourselves. Many sailors are kind and modest. They don't like to show off, even when they win the race, they will be very quiet."

Lange said he felt lucky to have a sponsor like the Red Bull and strong support from the Argentine government.

"Sailing has brought many medals for Argentina in world championships. The country also has a lot of good ship designers and ship building companies. More and more children are interested in sailing," said Lange.

"But it is still not a popular sport, only ranked No. 7 or No. 8. In Argentina. Everything is about football, you know," he laughed.

Lange also felt lucky that his favorite sport finally landed him in China, where it is part of the world that he has rarely been to.

"It is so special for me. It's interesting to see another way of living, thinking, eating and everything," said Lange, adding that "people of the whole city are enthusiastic in helping us."

"The foot massages and Qingdao beer really help a lot in recovering from a tiring day," he said.

"The Olympic Games gave me the opportunity to enjoy and to see more. We are working very hard. We are looking forward to the start (of the race)," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)