Li Ning is a gymnast who has competed for China. He competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games.
At his nation's Olympic debut in 1984, Li assisted the Chinese men to secure a silver medal in the team all-around event at the expense of his perfect 10s on the pommel horse and rings, losing the title to the Americans by six tenths of a point. He finished third behind the winner Kōji Gushiken and the runner-up Peter Vidmar in a star-studded all-around final. He comfortably scored a perfect 10 to capture the gold over his teammate Lou Yun on the floor exercise and tied for the top spot with Vidmar on the pommel horse and Gushiken on the rings. He also shared a silver medal in a four-way tie with the Japanese duo Gushiken and Shinji Morisue and the American favorite Mitchell Gaylord on the vault, trailing the winner and his teammate Lou by five-eighths of a point. With a total of six medals (three golds, two silver, and a bronze), Li became the most decorated Chinese athlete and the most successful male gymnast of the Games.
Four years later in Seoul, Li and his teammates Lou and Xu Zhiqiang returned to their second Olympics as the co-captains of the fledging Chinese men's team. He struggled to recapture his form from the previous Games with a spate of serious injuries, ending his illustrious Olympic career without a single medal.
Two decades after his last Olympic participation, Li ignited the cauldron at the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony after being hoisted high into the air with cables and miming running around the rim of the stadium.
Li is married to Los Angeles 1984 gymnast and bronze medalist Chen Yongyan.
Olympic Results[]
Year | Event | Result |
---|---|---|
1984 | Men's individual all-around | |
Men's team | ||
Men's floor | ||
Men's vault | ||
Men's parallel bars | 6th | |
Men's horizontal bar | 34th | |
Men's rings | ||
Men's pommel horse | ||
1988 | Men's individual all-around | 50th |
Men's team | 4th | |
Men's floor | 5th | |
Men's vault | 86th | |
Men's parallel bars | 84th | |
Men's horizontal bar | 12th | |
Men's rings | 39th | |
Men's pommel horse | 43rd |
1984[]
Discipline | Stage | Score |
---|---|---|
Individual all-around | Qualification | 118.450 |
Final | 118.575 | |
Team | Final | 585.250 (118.450) |
Floor | Qualification | 19.850 |
Final | 19.925 | |
Vault | Qualification | 19.750 |
Final | 19.825 | |
Parallel bars | Qualification | 19.750 |
Final | 19.775 | |
Horizontal bar | Qualification | 19.400 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Rings | Qualification | 19.800 |
Final | 19.850 | |
Pommel horse | Qualification | 19.900 |
Final | 19.950 |
1988[]
Discipline | Stage | Score |
---|---|---|
Individual all-around | Qualification | 114.950 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Team | Final | 585.250 (114.950) |
Floor | Qualification | 19.850 |
Final | 19.800 | |
Vault | Qualification | 18.400 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Parallel bars | Qualification | 18.600 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Horizontal bar | Qualification | 19.600 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Rings | Qualification | 19.350 |
Final | Did not advance | |
Pommel horse | Qualification | 19.150 |
Final | Did not advance |