Li Ning

This article is about the contemporary gymnast. For the company he founded, see Li Ning (company). For the Tang Dynasty prince, see Li Ning (Tang Dynasty).

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Li.

Li Ning 李宁
Li lighting the torch at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Li Ning
Nickname(s)	The little prince of gymnastics
Country represented	China
Born	(1963-03-10) March 10, 1963 Laibin, Guangxi
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Head coach(es)	Zhang Jian
Retired	1988
Medal record Men's Artistic Gymnastics Gold 1984 Los Angeles Floor Gold 1984 Los Angeles Pommel Horse Gold 1984 Los Angeles Rings Silver 1984 Los Angeles Team Silver 1984 Los Angeles Vault Bronze 1984 Los Angeles All-Around

Li Ning (Simplified Chinese: 李宁; Traditional Chinese: 李寧; Pinyin: Lǐ Níng; born March 10, 1963 in Laibin, Guangxi) is a well-known Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in an ethnic Zhuang family.

Gymnastics career

Li started training at the age of eight and he 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" (体操王子/體操王子).

Li is most famous for winning 6 medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which was the first Olympics in which the People's Republic of China participated. He won 3 gold medals (in floor exercise, pommel horse, and rings), 2 silver medals, and a bronze medal. Li became the most decorated Chinese athlete at their first Olympics.

All in all Li won 14 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships titles.

Li took part in his second 1988 Olympics despite carrying injuries. It was an end to an illustrious career, as he was off-form and made crucial mistakes which robbed him of the chance of a medal.^{[citation needed]}

Post-gymnastics life

Li retired from sporting competition in 1988, and in 1990 he founded Li-Ning Company Limited, which sells footwear and sporting apparel in China. Li remains chairman of the company's board of directors.

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

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.

See also

• List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games

External links

• Biography - Li-Ning Company Limited
• 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
• Li Ning Malaysia (English)
• Li Ning(Pommeled Horse)(English)
• Li Ning(Still Rings)(English)

Olympic Games
Preceded by Nikolaos Kaklamanakis	Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer Beijing 2008	Succeeded by Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, Desiree Henry, Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds, and Adelle Tracey