Published : 2025-04-14
Chinese "Prince of Gymnastics" Li Ning (李寧) announced his retirement in April 1988 after winning 106 gold medals.
At the same time, he gave up opportunities to go to university, become a coach, or a government official, and instead chose to become the special assistant to the general manager of Guangdong Sanshui Jianlibao Group (廣東三水健力寶集團).
This move became a sensational topic in the Chinese sports and business circles at the time.
Li Ning began learning gymnastics at the age of eight. Throughout his athletic career, he won 14 world championships and 106 gold medals.
His outstanding performance made him a legend in the history of world gymnastics, earning him the title of "Prince of Gymnastics."
In 1980, at the young age of 17, Li was noticed by Zhang Jian (張健), the head coach of the Chinese national gymnastics team.
Despite his young age, he had an exceptional talent for gymnastics and could master many techniques with just a few practice sessions. He could replicate even difficult moves almost perfectly after only watching them a few times.
Combining his talent with hard work, Li Ning won six out of seven gold medals in the men's events at the 6th World Cup Gymnastics Competition in 1982, sweeping the titles in the horizontal bar, floor exercise, vault, pommel horse, rings, and all-around champion.'
In the same year, due to his outstanding performance, Li Ning received widespread recognition, topping the list of the top 10 athletes in the national poll with 261,016 votes.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games in the United States, Li Ning continued his stellar performance, winning three gold medals in men's floor exercise, pommel horse, and rings, accounting for one-third of the 15 gold medals won by China.
To this day, the unique moves named after Li Ning, such as the Parallel Bars Li Ning Giant Swing, Li Ning Cross, and Li Ning Inverted Hang, remain popular and are forever etched in the history of world sports.
In 1988, at a time when the Chinese gymnastics team was in transition, the 26-year-old Li Ning was called upon to compete in the Seoul Olympics.
Unfortunately, during the crucial rings event, Li Ning made an unexpected mistake, resulting in the Chinese gymnastics team finishing 4th in the team competition.
During that period, Li Ning faced immense pressure from public opinion. Eventually, with his advancing age, he announced his retirement in 1988.
Subsequently, he worked for Jianlibao Group until 1990 when he founded Guangdong Li Ning Sports Goods Co., Ltd. and served as its general manager.
Over the years, with meticulous management, the "Li Ning" brand of sportswear has gained nationwide fame and now holds a significant market share in China's sports goods industry.
In recent years, the company's business has expanded globally, sponsoring many well-known athletes.
