Gymnastics Nostalgia: Appreciation of Retired Chinese Gymnasts

[Big_rock_show]

What about Zhang Nan? Or Liu xuan? I also remember loving Bai Chunyue back in the day but she never made it to an Olympics.

 

[jezmerallia]

Mo Huilan was certainly a huge part of both teams. She was the best gymnast in the world in 1995 and should have been able to win AA easily and medal on all 4 events, except of course the inconsistency that you mention. The biggest disappointment of that quad for me, even though she did manage to win a world EF title and win major medals on bars and vault. She was one stumble on a back 2 1/2 on floor in '95 EF away from the coveted "major medal on every event" cohort that we discussed a few weeks ago.

Still my all time favorite Chinese gymnast.

 

[jezmerallia]

What about Zhang Nan? Or Liu xuan? I also remember loving Bai Chunyue back in the day but she never made it to an Olympics.

I liked Bai too but the American commentators suggested the coaches disliked her. I've also always had a soft spot for Deng Linlin. I loved how clean and consistent she was. I felt like her gymnastics was over looked because she was on a team of giants.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Oh man, I forgot about that! It was such a a fuck you move. I loved it.

Now that I think about it, I think she actually retired right before the competition started. Like on the way to the venue or something. It was super last-minute, IIRC

 

[irichluck21]

I believe Priess did podium training.

 

[brg09]

I agree with you.

Jiang Yuyuan was something special too : not the most competitive floor, but a huge performance.

Agreed, she had charisma.

Didn't she have (reportedly) an Amanar? I'd say that was pretty impressive for 2008.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

She did indeed.



Not a bad one either. If she'd been able to do it at the Olympics, I think China would've been uncatchable. With just one Amanar and 2 DTYs, there's still a theoretical US argument if they'd been healthier. JYY in full flow puts that to bed.

 

[Iminhanoi]

She did indeed.



Not a bad one either. If she'd been able to do it at the Olympics, I think China would've been uncatchable. With just one Amanar and 2 DTYs, there's still a theoretical US argument if they'd been healthier. JYY in full flow puts that to bed.

She really as strong as Deng Linlin

She got silver in individual all around at world championship 2010. (Cheng Fei didn’t qualify in all around because she don’t compete at UB in qualifications)

 

[IratePanda]

She really as strong as Deng Linlin

She got silver in individual all around at world championship 2010. (Cheng Fei didn’t qualify in all around because she don’t compete at UB in qualifications)

Cheng Fei didn't compete at 2010 Worlds.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Li Shanshan is balance beam specialist of the gold medal-winning Chinese women’s gymnastics team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the team final, she scored 16.05 from her balance beam routine. This high score is very important and needed to keep China team still ahead on points.

After announced her retirement in December 2009. Li Shanshan then went to study at University of Macau. After graduating from University of Macau, she works for Bank of China Macau Branch.

She has traveled to Hawaii, Dubai (where she stayed at luxury hotels). But these trips are incapable of proving that she is a richer. These trips probably were held by some companies and she probably was invited to join the trips along with many retired Olympic champions.

In a photo in 2019, Li Shanshan posing with a Porsche roadster; this car may not belong her, probably it belong to one of her friends. There aren’t any evidence show that she is rich.

In early 2010s Li ShanShan published her memoir, describes how she began training at the age of four, and how she became a professional athlete in the national team.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Deng Linlin is a legend. She now the only Chinese female gymnasts to have won gold medal in two different Olympics.

After retiring from gymnastics in 2013, Deng Linlin went to college at Beijing Sports University and has obtained her Master’s degree at California Baptist University. And then became a Physical Education teacher at Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.

She also had worked at judge for Gymnastics events at Universiade 2021 (FISU World University Games)

As a legendary athlete, Deng Linlin seems having a rich life. In 2023 she was invited to Madrid to teach the Spain Women Gymnastics team here.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Cheng Fei is leader of the gold medal-winning team at 2008 Olympic. She’s one of greatest Chinese female gymnasts of all time.

After retiring, she chose to become a gymnastics teacher to pass on her experience and knowledge to the next generation. She teaches gymnastics at Wuhan Sports University. Cheng Fei’s already an associate professor.

She also become vice chairwoman of gymnastics association of Hubei

Cheng Fei is rich, she owns states in Wuhan.

 

[Iminhanoi]

He Kexin is legendary Chinese gymnast. She now the only female Chinese gymnast in history to have won two gold medal in same Olympic.

After retiring from gymnastics. She went to college at Beijing Normal University; and then become a physical teacher here after graduation.

As a legend; she seems having rich life. She maybe earning much money from brand deals (include Puma deal)

Since retirement from gymnastics, she has grown 12cm taller, her height now approximately 1m6

 

[Iminhanoi]

According to Sohu, He Kexin (Uneven Bars legend) has grown taller 12cm since her retirement. Her height now approximately 1m6.

Yang Yilin (key member of gold medal-winning team) now is a teacher in Sun Yat-Sen University. She look tall now, her height now probably roughly 1m63-1m65

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Some gymnasts stay short after retiring. Shang Chungsong doesn't appear to have grown much. Hilary Mauro didn't. In some cases, that's just their adult height for whatever reason.

It's also a question of the age gymnasts retire at. Simone has competed well into adulthood. Any growth spurt she was going to have would've happened by now. The Chinese gymnasts you mention usually retire as teenagers, and most of them were competing in an era when it was common for Chinese gymnasts to be a year or two younger than claimed as well. So 18 year old He Kexin was always more likely to still have some growth left in her than 27 year old Simone Biles.

Simone has also alluded to not being properly nourished as a small child before being adopted. That sort of thing can have a lifelong impact. Same with Shang Chungsong.

 

[Doug1233]

I am absolutely loving this thread. More please!

 

[Hatsumomo]

It's funny because I was just thinking a few days ago about where a lot of Chinese gymnasts are now. Because I'm not on Weibo much, I don't see what they're doing now, so I'm pleased to see this thread

 

[Matilda23]

I read Simone takes / took ADHD medication. Long term use of stimulants could suppress height and weight in children and teens as a side effect.
Or could be biological. Maybe her biological mum and dad are shorter too

 

[dkbot]

Also, Simone hasn't retired. She's only ever been out of the sport for about a year, and even during that year, she still trained regularly, putting off any possible growth spurt, which possible wouldn't have happened anyway due to the other reasons mentioned above.

 

[MaryClare]

It is great to see these gymnasts being so successful in their post gymnastics careers. Often the impression we are given about the Chinese program is that athletes have to sacrifice their academic studies for gymnastics.

If you have any updates for other athletes, especially 2004 team, that would be great