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Li Ning

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people named Li Ning, see Li Ning (disambiguation).
For the eponymous sportswear and sports equipment company, see Li-Ning.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.
Li Ning
李宁
Li lighting the torch at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Nickname(s)Prince of gymnastics
Country represented China
Born (1963-03-10) March 10, 1963 (age 61)
Liuzhou, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight58 kg (128 lb)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Head coach(es)Zhang Jian
Retired1988
Medal record
Representing  China
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Floor
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Rings
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles Team
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1984 Los Angeles All-Around
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1983 Budapest Team all-around
Gold medal – first place 1985 Montreal Rings
Silver medal – second place 1983 Budapest Vault
Silver medal – second place 1985 Montreal Team all-around
Silver medal – second place 1985 Montreal Pommel horse
Silver medal – second place 1987 Rotterdam Rings
Silver medal – second place 1987 Rotterdam Team all-around
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Moscow Team all-around
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Budapest Rings
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Budapest Floor
Bronze medal – third place 1985 Montreal Floor
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb Floor
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb Rings
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb Vault
Gold medal – first place 1982 Zagreb Horizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Zagreb Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 1986 Beijing All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1986 Beijing Floor Exercise
Gold medal – first place 1986 Beijing Pommel Horse
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Beijing Rings
Li Ning
Simplified Chinese李宁
Traditional Chinese李寧
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Níng

Li Ning (Zhuang: Lij Ningz; born March 10, 1963, in Liuzhou, Guangxi) is a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur, the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning, and retired gymnast of Zhuang ethnicity. He lives in Hong Kong.

Gymnastics career

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Li Níng started training when he was eight and was selected for 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 Níng is most famous for winning six medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 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 Níng won 11 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships medals, including gold medals in the rings (1985) and team all-around (1983).[1]

Li Níng took part in his second Olympics at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, despite carrying injuries. It ended an illustrious gymnastic career, as he was off-form. He did not win any medals that year. [citation needed]

Post-gymnastics

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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]

In 2017, a statue was erected in his honor on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux.[4]

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 stadium's rim.[5][6][7]

Personal life

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ Inauguration of the statue of LI Ning
  5. ^ "Games begin with spectacular show". BBC.co.uk. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  6. ^ "Li Flies High at Opening Ceremonies". International Gymnast. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  7. ^ Fong, Mei (2008-08-25). "Li Ning on the Beijing Olympics". The Wall Street Journal.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Li Ning.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Final Olympic torchbearer
Beijing 2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Final Summer Olympic torchbearer
Beijing 2008 		Succeeded by
Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, Desiree Henry, Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds, and Adelle Tracey
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