Li Ning (born March 10, 1963 in

Liuzhou Liuzhou (; , IPA Pronunciation:) is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,436,599 in the built-up area made of 4 urban ...

, Guangxi) is a Chinese retired gymnast, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning.

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" (). 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 China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, sli ...

participated. He won three gold medals (in

floor exercise In gymnastics, the floor is a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The gymnastics event performed on the floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for t ...

pommel horse The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male gymnasts. Originally made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, the modern pommel horse has a metal body covered with foam rubbe ...

, 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 The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships are the world championships for artistic gymnastics governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). The first edition of the championships was held in 1903, exclusively for male gymna ...

medals, including gold medals in the rings (1985) and team all-around (1983). 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 did not win any medals year.

Post-gymnastics

Li retired from sporting competition in 1988, and in 1990 he founded

Li-Ning Company Limited Li-Ning Company Limited is a Chinese sportswear and sports equipment company founded by former Olympic gymnast Li Ning. The company endorses a number of athletes and teams worldwide. History The company was founded in 1989 by Li Ning, a former C ...

, which sells footwear and sporting apparel in China. 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. Li was inducted into the

International Gymnastics Hall of Fame The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics. The early IG ...

in 2000, becoming the first Chinese inductee. In 2017, a statue was erected in his honor on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Li Ning ignited the

cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...

at the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

after being hoisted high into the air with cables and miming running around the rim of the

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

Personal life

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

References

External links

List of competitive results at Gymn Forum

60 Years of Asian Heroes, By

Hannah Beech Hannah Beech is an American journalist. Since August 2017, she has been the Southeast Asia Bureau chief for ''The New York Times'' based in Bangkok. She formerly worked for ''Time'' magazine; Beech specializes in Asia, and was sometimes credited ...

, ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

'', 2006 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Ning 1963 births Living people Asian Games gold medalists for China Asian Games medalists in gymnastics Asian Games silver medalists for China Chinese male artistic gymnasts Businesspeople from Guangxi Gymnasts at the 1982 Asian Games Gymnasts at the 1984 Summer Olympics Gymnasts at the 1986 Asian Games Gymnasts at the 1988 Summer Olympics Gymnasts from Guangxi Medalists at the 1982 Asian Games Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1986 Asian Games Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Olympic cauldron lighters Olympic gold medalists for China Olympic gymnasts of China Olympic bronze medalists for China Olympic silver medalists for China Olympic medalists in gymnastics Peking University alumni People from Liuzhou Universiade gold medalists for China Universiade medalists in gymnastics World champion gymnasts Zhuang people Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade

Gymnastics career

Post-gymnastics

Personal life

See also

References

External links