Chinese · Zhuhai, China · Born 8 September 1963Chinese gymnast who won 6 medals at the 1984 Olympics including 3 golds, later founded major sportswear company bearing his name.
Born in Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, China, on September 8, 1963, Li Ning emerged from modest beginnings to become one of gymnastics' most celebrated figures. He began training in gymnastics at age seven, displaying exceptional natural ability that quickly distinguished him from his peers. His early development took place during China's re-emergence in international gymnastics competition following the country's return to Olympic participation. Li Ning's career reached its zenith at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he delivered one of the most dominant individual performances in gymnastics history. He captured six medals at a single Games—three gold, two silver, and one bronze—winning gold in floor exercise, pommel horse, and rings. This achievement tied the record for most medals won by a male gymnast at one Olympics. His technical precision and innovative skills, particularly on pommel horse and rings, established new standards for apparatus work. Throughout his competitive career, Li Ning accumulated 14 world championship medals and over 100 gold medals in major international competitions. Several gymnastics elements bear his name in the Code of Points, including the "Thomas-Li" on floor exercise, formally recognizing his technical contributions to the sport. His consistency across all six men's apparatus events made him one of the most complete all-around gymnasts of his era. Following retirement from competition, Li Ning founded his eponymous sportswear company in 1990, which grew to become China's leading domestic athletic brand and a significant presence in global markets. His business success paralleled his athletic achievements, making him one of the few Olympic champions to achieve comparable success in the commercial sphere. Li Ning's dual legacy encompasses both his revolutionary impact on men's gymnastics technique and his role in developing China's sports industry. His career bridged China's return to international sporting prominence and its emergence as a commercial powerhouse.
Winning 6 medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
He lit the Beijing 2008 Olympic cauldron while suspended horizontally above the stadium — one of the most dramatic cauldron-lighting moments in Olympic history.
Did You Know?How They Played
Known for exceptional precision, innovative routines, and consistency across all apparatus
Lasting Impact
Most successful Chinese gymnast and founder of major sportswear brand
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 3x 1984
- 6 Olympic medals at one Games
- Li Ning sportswear founder
- World Championship All-Around Gold 1982
- World Championship All-Around Gold 1983
- World Cup All-Around Champion 1982
- World Cup All-Around Champion 1983
- World Cup All-Around Champion 1984
- World Cup All-Around Champion 1985
- Olympic Silver Floor Exercise 1984
- Olympic Silver Vault 1984
- Olympic Silver Rings 1984
- Olympic Bronze Parallel Bars 1984
- Olympic Bronze Pommel Horse 1984
- Olympic Bronze Team All-Around 1984
- World Championship Floor Exercise Gold 1982
- World Championship Rings Gold 1982
- World Championship Pommel Horse Gold 1983
Chinese Athletes