Li Ning (March 10, 1963-), born in Laibin, Guangxi, graduated from Peking University, is a former Chinese male gymnast, and is currently the chairman of Li Ning Sports Goods Co., Ltd.

In 1971, he entered the gymnastics team of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In 1980, he was selected into the national gymnastics team. In 1982, he was known as the "Prince of Gymnastics" for winning the men's all-around, floor exercise, horizontal bar, vault, pommel horse and rings titles at the 6th World Cup Gymnastics Championships. In 1983, he was selected as one of the top ten athletes in the country in 1982. In 1984, he won three gold medals in floor exercise, rings and pommel horse at the 23rd Olympic Games. In 1985, he won the title of international athlete. In 1987, he was elected as a member of the Athletes Committee of the International Olympic Committee and became the only representative from Asia. In 1988, he participated in the 24th Olympic Games Torch Relay and became the first Chinese athlete to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay. In 1989, he obtained the International Gymnastics Referee Certificate and officiated at all World Gymnastics Competitions from 1991 to 2000. In the same year, he founded the "Li-Ning" sporting goods brand. In 2000, he was included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame by the International Gymnastics Federation. In his sports career, he won 14 world championships and 106 gold medals in domestic and foreign gymnastics competitions. He is regarded as the most comprehensive male gymnast with skills.

Honorary Records

Award-winning Records in the 1970s

1971 National Junior Gymnastics Championships floor exercise champion, fourth on parallel bars.

1977 National Youth Gymnastics Championships, runner-up on floor exercise.

Award-winning record in the 1980s

1980 National Gymnastics Regional Competition (Chengdu Division) pommel horse championship.

Won the third place in the individual all-around, the second place in the floor exercise, and the third place in the rings at the 1980 National Gymnastics Championships.

1981 National Gymnastics Division (Kunming Division) Individual All-Around, Pommel Horse, Rings, Parallel Bars, and Horizontal Bar Champions.

In 1981, he won the championship in floor exercise, pommel horse and rings at the 11th World University Games, the third place in the team, and the fifth place in the all-around.

In 1981, he won the all-around, rings, and vault championships in the Sino-US Gymnastics Competition. In 1981, he won the third place in the team of the 21st World Gymnastics Championships in 1981.

In the 6th World Cup Gymnastics Championships in 1982, he won six championships in the all-around, floor exercise, horizontal bar, vault, pommel horse, and rings, and was third on the parallel bars, becoming the first athlete to achieve such good results in the history of world gymnastics.

1982 The 9th Asian Games gymnastics team, all-around, pommel horse, rings champion, parallel bars runner-up.

1982 National Gymnastics Championship individual all-around, pommel horse, vault champion, runner-up in rings.

In 1983, he won the men's team championship, runner-up on vault, and third runner-up on floor exercise and rings at the 22nd World Gymnastics Championships.

In 1983, he won the individual all-around and pommel horse championship at the Fifth National Games, the runner-up in rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bars, and the third runner-up in floor exercise.

In the 23rd Olympic Games in 1984, he won three gold medals in floor exercise, rings and pommel horse, a silver medal in vault and a bronze medal in all-around, and a silver medal in the men's team.

Won the floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, and vault championships in the 1984 U.S. Cup Gymnastics Competition.

1984 Beijing Gymnastics Invitational Championship individual all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse champion, team champion.

1984 Central Japan Cup Gymnastics Championship, champion in floor exercise and pommel horse, runner-up in rings and vault.

1984 Tokyo Cup Gymnastics Invitational Championships floor exercise, rings and vault championship.

1985 The 23rd World Gymnastics Championships rings champion, pommel horse, team runner-up, floor exercise third runner-up.

1985 German DTB Gymnastics Grand Prix champion in floor exercise, pommel horse and rings, runner-up in individual all-around and vault.

In 1985, he won the individual all-around championship in the Gander Cup Gymnastics Competition.

In 1986, the 7th World Cup Gymnastics Championships won the all-around, pommel horse, and floor exercise championships, and the third place in the rings.

1986 The 10th Asian Games gymnastics team, individual all-around, floor exercise, rings champion, pommel horse, horizontal bar runner-up.

1986 German DTB Gymnastics Grand Prix individual all-around, floor exercise, rings champion, runner-up on vault, third runner-up on pommel horse.

In 1986, he won six championships in the individual all-around, floor exercise, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bars at the Rome Gymnastics Grand Prix.

1987 National Gymnastics Championships individual all-around champion, runner-up in floor exercise.

1987 The 23rd World Gymnastics Championships: Team runner-up and ring runner-up.

1987 The 14th World University Games, runner-up in individual all-around, rings, and team, and runner-up in floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars.

In 1987, he won the championship in rings at the Sixth National Games, the runner-up in individual all-around and floor exercise, and the third runner-up in vault and parallel bars.

In the 24th Olympic Games in 1988, he placed fourth in the team and fifth in the floor exercise.

Won the floor exercise and rings championship at the 1988 U.S. Cup Gymnastics Competition.

1988 Team Champion of the First Expo Cup Gymnastics Competition.

Winning sports honors in the 1980s

Won the title of Sportsman in 1980.

In 1983, he was selected as one of the top ten athletes in the country in 1982.

In 1983, he was selected as the best male gymnast in the world in 1982 by the International Gymnastics Federation and the "World Gymnastics" quarterly magazine.

In 1984, he was selected as the top ten male gymnasts in the world in 1983 by the International Gymnastics Federation and the "World Gymnastics" quarterly magazine.

In 1984, he was named "The 35 Heroes of Sports in the 35th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China".

In 1984, he won the first-class military merit medal from the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army, the title of New Long March Commando awarded by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, and the title of special labor model awarded by the Guangxi People's Government.

In 1985, he was selected as the top ten male gymnasts in the world in 1984 by the International Gymnastics Federation and the "World Gymnastics" quarterly magazine.

In 1985, he was elected as one of the top ten athletes in the country in 1984 and joined the Communist Party of China.

In 1985, he won the title of International Sportsman.

In 1986, he was selected as the top ten male gymnasts in the world in 1985 by the International Gymnastics Federation and the "World Gymnastics" quarterly magazine.

In 1986, he was selected as one of the top ten athletes in the country in 1985.

In 1987, he was selected as the best male gymnast in the world in 1986 by the International Gymnastics Federation and the "World Gymnastics" quarterly magazine.

In 1987, he was elected as one of the top ten athletes in the country in 1986;

In 1987, he was admitted as a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes Committee and became the only representative from Asia.

In 1988, he participated in the 24th Olympic Games Torch Relay as a representative of Chinese athletes and became the first Chinese athlete to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay.

In 1989, he obtained the International Gymnastics Referee Certificate. From the 1991 World Championships in Indianapolis, USA, to the 2000 World Cup Finals in Glasgow, England, he officiated at all world gymnastics competitions.

In 1989, he was named "The 40 Heroes of Sports in the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China".

Received sports honors in the 1990s

In 1992, he was elected as a member of the Men's Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation for a four-year term, becoming the youngest official of the International Gymnastics Federation in history.

In 1994, he was named the "45 Heroes of Sports in the 45th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China". In 1996, he was re-elected as a member of the Men's Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation for a four-year term.

In 1999, he was named "The Best Athlete of the 20th Century" by the International Sports Journalists Association.

In 1999, he was selected as the "New China Sports Fifty Stars" jointly sponsored by China Sports News, CCTV and Shandong Weifang Yaxing Group.

In 1999, he was selected as the "Star of the Century" as China's best athlete in the selection co-sponsored by the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Fok Ying Tung Foundation and the China Sports Journalists Association.

Obtaining sports honors in the new millennium

In 2000, he was included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame by the International Gymnastics Federation, becoming the first world gymnastics celebrity among Chinese athletes.

In 2000, he was selected by the International Gymnastics Federation as one of the most prestigious gymnasts of the 20th century.

In 2005, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in technology by Loughborough University, UK.

In 2008, he was selected as the last torchbearer to light the Olympic flame at the 29th Beijing Olympic Games.

In 2009, he was selected as one of the "Top 30 Sports Players in the 60 Years of China and the United States" by the China Sports Journalists Association.

In 2009, he won the title of "The Most Influential New China Sports Figure in the 60 Years of Glory" sponsored by the Publicity Department of the State Sports General Administration and Five-Star Sports.

On December 12, 2018, Li Ning won the Heratles Award of the 2018 Big Ben Award and the Ten Outstanding Chinese Sports Contribution Awards for the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up.

On January 22, 2019, he won the Sina Sports China Sports Extraordinary Achievement Award.

Won 14 world championships and 106 gold medals in domestic and international gymnastics competitions. He is regarded by many in the gymnastics industry as the most comprehensive male gymnast. He once served as the Men's Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation. Chairman Hardy Funk praised him as the most perfect male gymnast he had ever seen.