BEIJING (AP) _ Deep inside, beyond the muscles and mind-set it takes to be an Olympic champion, Yang Wei felt an obligation to do more for his people. He needed to bring relief from the tragedies that have recently struck China.

While no sports success can erase the pain of thousands dying in earthquakes, floods and blizzards, Yang recognizes that even the slightest comfort is welcome. He was thrilled to have provided it Thursday, at last winning the all-around gymnastics gold medal he has chased for eight years.

“The Chinese team is responsible for a lot of people’s dreams,” Yang said. “This year has not been very good for China. There’s been a lot of disasters, so these Olympic Games, there’s a lot of pressure. It’s impossible not to be nervous, and it’s how to cope with the nerves is our job. And right now, I feel very excited.”

Excited, relieved and, well, just plain thankful that he stuck around.

Denied in Sydney and disappointed in Athens, Yang was ready to quit at the age of 24. What a loss that would have been for China.

And for the sport.

“After the Athens Games, I wanted to retire from the national team because I thought I was in very good shape back then. If I couldn’t win a gold medal then, I thought I could never get a gold,” said Yang, who had the gold medal for the taking in Athens but couldn’t close the deal, falling — literally — to seventh.

“Extra training would not have had an effect. I was worried that even if I could have adjusted myself to the best standards in 2008, I could not get a gold.

“But my coach, Huang Yubin, kept on encouraging me. He took me on a vacation and told me that the 2008 Games would be the greatest chance in 100 years, and I should have a try at it. He kept pushing me, and then he kicked me to the highest position on the podium.”

Yang stood above Japan’s Kohei Uchimura and France’s Benoit Caranobe on the medals stand. He looked down often at the piece of gold he cradled in his hands, then went back to being a showman afterward. He even held up his prize to one group of Chinese fans and pretended he was going to throw it at them.

Not that they didn’t already feel they shared in his triumph.

Yang was the headliner of this extravaganza even when he was struggling on floor, his first routine. By the time he was done with his third apparatus, the vault, he was in the lead. When he reached the high bar to conclude the event, he was a cinch for his nation’s second all-around gold; Li Xiaoshuang won in 1996.

He didn’t even bother waiting for his marks on the bar before hamming it up. Yang leaped onto the podium, thrusting his fists in the air while the crowd waved flags, chanted his name and hugged each other.

Even more fitting was the judges’ delay in posting his marks, allowing the celebration to build and Yang to revel in it.

“I thought a month ago if I would get this medal, I would be every emotional,” Yang said. “But I’m really not because we won the team gold medal.”

Oh, yeah, his all-around win gave China all three titles in gymnastics so far. Yang still has the pommel horse and rings events in the individual finals.

Regardless of what he achieves then — is anyone really going to bet against him? — Yang has set the bar incredibly high for everyone else in gymnastics. He won so decisively Thursday (by 2.60 points) that the gap between him and Uchimura was the same as between the silver medalist and the 19th-place finisher.

That’s called a rout.

“He is amazing,” said American Sasha Artemev, who finished 12th. Remember that Artemev had just been added to the team a week ago, replacing injured Morgan Hamm.

“He must be the most consistent gymnast, and to do it in front of the home crowd, with all that pressure, that’s just a great performance.”

But the most stunning performance came from Caranobe, who was shocked himself to have won the bronze, France’s first all-around medal in 88 years.

“I’m extremely happy today,” he said. “Actually, I did not do any research in regards to the previous medals (for France). It was not part of my preparations. I came to be a part of the final six on pommel horse; that was the goal and that was my expectation.

“This medal, it was so unexpected, and I probably will not realize the significance of it until later.”

Neither Artemev nor Jonathan Horton, the other American in the all-around, could match the bronze they helped the U.S. squad earn in team finals.

“I definitely didn’t have that fired-up feeling that I had with the team, but I’m really happy with how I did,” said Horton, who wound up ninth. “I don’t have any regrets with my competition today.”

There would have been so many regrets had Yang left the sport in 2004. But Huang, his longtime coach, persuaded Yang there was an Olympic gold medal in him.

So Yang stuck at it, winning the world title in 2006 and 2007.

Then came Thursday’s crowning achievement.

“After so many years of competition, especially in the all-around, there is no pressure from the outside anymore. It’s just from yourself,” he said.

“Today was perfect.”