Li Ning

Li Ning (born March 10, 1963 in Liuzhou, Guangxi) is a Chinese retired gymnast, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning.

Li Ning 李宁
Li lighting the torch at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Prince of gymnastics
Country represented	China
Born	March 10, 1963 Liuzhou, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	58 kg (128 lb)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Zhang Jian
Retired	1988
Medal record Representing  China Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles Floor 1984 Los Angeles Pommel Horse 1984 Los Angeles Rings 1984 Los Angeles Team 1984 Los Angeles Vault 1984 Los Angeles All-Around World Championships 1983 Budapest Team all-around 1985 Montreal Rings 1983 Budapest Vault 1985 Montreal Team all-around 1985 Montreal Pommel horse 1987 Rotterdam Rings 1987 Rotterdam Team all-around 1981 Moscow Team all-around 1983 Budapest Rings 1983 Budapest Floor 1985 Montreal Floor World Cup 1982 Zagreb All-Around 1982 Zagreb Floor 1982 Zagreb Pommel Horse 1982 Zagreb Rings 1982 Zagreb Vault 1982 Zagreb Horizontal Bar 1982 Zagreb Parallel Bars 1986 Beijing All-Around 1986 Beijing Floor Exercise 1986 Beijing Pommel Horse 1986 Beijing Rings

Li Ning
Simplified Chinese	李宁
Traditional Chinese	李寧
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Níng

Gymnastics career

Li started training at the age of eight and was selected into the national team in 1980. In 1982, he won six of the seven medals awarded at the Sixth World Cup Gymnastic Competition, earning him the title "Prince of Gymnastics" (simplified Chinese: 体操王子; traditional Chinese: 體操王子).

Li is most famous for winning six medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which was the first Olympics in which the People's Republic of China participated. He won three gold medals (in floor exercise, pommel horse, and rings), two silver medals, and one bronze medal. Li became the most decorated Chinese athlete at the first Olympics that China participated in after the founding of the People's Republic in October 1949.

Li won 11 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships medals, including gold medals in the rings (1985) and team all-around (1983).[1]

Li took part in his second 1988 Olympics in Seoul despite carrying injuries. It was an end to an illustrious gymnastic career, as he was off-form. He made crucial mistakes and consequently missed out medals.

Post-gymnastics life

Li Ning on a 1996 Azerbaijani stamp

Li retired from sporting competition in 1988, and in 1990 he founded Li-Ning Company Limited, which sells footwear and sporting apparel in China.[1] Li remains chairman of the company's board of directors. According to Hurun Report's China Rich List 2014, he has an estimated fortune of RMB 5 billion, making him the 407th wealthiest person in China.[2]

Li was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2000, becoming the first Chinese inductee.[3]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Li Ning ignited the cauldron at the opening ceremony after being hoisted high into the air with cables and miming running around the rim of the stadium.[4][5][6]

Li is married to Chen Yongyan, a fellow gymnast who won an Olympic bronze in 1984.[1]

See also

• List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Li Ning". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
2. "China Rich List 2014 – Li Ning". Hurun Report. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
3. "LI NING". International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
4. "Games begin with spectacular show". BBC.co.uk. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
5. "Li Flies High at Opening Ceremonies". International Gymnast. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
6. Fong, Mei (2008-08-25). "Li Ning on the Beijing Olympics". The Wall Street Journal.

External links

• List of competitive results at Gymn Forum
• Li Ning: China's legendary gymnast has combined sporting agility with commercial muscle, 60 Years of Asian Heroes, By Hannah Beech, Time, 2006
• Ning Li at the International Olympic Committee