Gymnastics Nostalgia: Appreciation of Retired Chinese Gymnasts

[Hatsumomo]

Had that Amanar been downgraded like it arguably should have been...

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I always feel Ksenia Semenova had a raw deal there.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Yep. That podium could have easily been Liukin-Yang-Semenova. Johnson going from the heavy favorite for gold to getting 4th place would've been quite the upset.

 

[esta]

Yes, she was. In Legend of Fuyao, Liu Xuan played Fei Yan, High immortal of Ancient Firmament, Lord of Huansheng Shrine. Granddaughter of Di Feitian.
Her main goal is to revive Di Feitian, by using Fuyao and her five-colored stone to bring upon chaos to the Five Continents.

Thank you for this info on Liu Xuan! My fave CHN WAG generation(95-97)! Would you happen to know how Ji Liya, Bi Wenjing, Kui Yuanyuan, Mao Yanling, Qiao Ya, Mo Huilan, and Meng Fei are doing these days?

 

[Iminhanoi]

Sui Lu recognized as one of the most masterful gymnasts on the balance beam in early 2010s. But at Balance Beam final in Olympic London 2012, Sui Lu lost the gold to Deng Linlin.

After retiring from gymnastics, Sui Lu become a teacher. She teaches at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He Kexin, Li Shanshan, Cheng Fei and Sui Lu, sometime in 2017-2018

 

[Iminhanoi]

In Olympic 2024, Zhou Yaqin hoped to win the gold medal on the balance beam final. However In the balance beam final, she grabbed the beam on a side jump and incurred a 0.500 deduction, and lost the gold to Italian Alice D'Amato.

Zhou Yaqin went viral for her actions during the Olympics podium for the balance beam final. She reacted with shock as gold medal winner D'Amato and bronze medal winner bit down on their medals, apparently unfamiliar with the tradition. She then mimicked their gestures, bringing her medal to her lips, without actually biting it. The interaction spawned several memes.


Zhou Yaqin appeared in an Issue of a Chinese Magazine.

Qiu Qiyuan also appeared on this Issue

 

[Bob]

I really loved the photos of her helping in her parents restuarant after the Olympics.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Huang Qiushuang now coaching gymnastics at Shenzhen Sport School

 

[Snowfan]

Ah cute

 

[Bob]

oh cute photo right there

 

[Iminhanoi]

After retiring from gymnastics, Mo Huilan pursued her education at Renmin University of China in Beijing and subsequently began a career as a sports and commentator. She has also tried her hand at modeling and has a contract with the Li Ning company. She portrayed former teammate Sang Lan in a television miniseries.

By 2009, Mo Huilan also joined some car racings and golf competitions.

In 2019 she established the Jumping Sugar International Club and coaches cheerleading here.

 

[Iminhanoi]

After retiring from gymnastics, Kui Yuanyuan was invited to coach the Malaysian national gymnastics women's team. She went to Malaysia in 2013 and coached for two years. She successfully helped the Malaysian WAG team to won gold medal at Southeast Asian Games 2015.

But then she chose to returned to China and joined racing competitions (she already began to contact racing in 2010). On January 18, 2016, she finally won the medal in the N2 group of the China Rally Championship in Jixi.

It is unclear whether she is a professional racing driver or not.

 

[Iminhanoi]

He Kexin: He Kexin has won UB gold medal at Chinese National Gymnastics Championships 2007 with very high scores.

Li Shanshan: by 2005, 2006 and 2007, she has been rising star of Chinese WAG. She has established herself as a balance beam specialist and won many national titles: She won the gold medal with team Guangdong at Chinese National Games 2005; and won gold medal in balance beam events at Chinese National Gymnastics Championships 2006 and 2007.

Yang Yilin: she won all around at Chinese National Championships 2007

Cheng Fei:

By the age of five, Cheng Fei won her first competitive medal at a local competition. The 7-year-old Cheng was sent to Wuhan, where she joined the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education and officially entered the national sports program. Her first coach, Yao Juying remembered her as being uniquely 'hard-working' and extraordinarily focused. At ten, she was invited to join the Hubei provincial team. In late 2001, at the age of 13, she was accepted to the Chinese National Team.

She competed with the Chinese team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and although the team did not medal, she performed very well, scoring 9.475 on vault and 9.662 on floor.

In 2005 Cheng Fei made history at the 2005 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne, Australia, for being the first gymnast ever to successfully perform one of the most difficult vaults ever attempted by a woman. The vault later named after her “the Cheng”. She won gold medal at vault final in that tournament. Of course, she can’t be replaced in the Chinese WAG team.







Jiang Yuyuan:

She was once selected by the Guangxi Provincial Team to participate in a three-month training camp but her parents received a call from the Provincial Team asking them to bring Jiang home less than two months after the training began. Her coach at that time insisted that Jiang had talent and persuaded Jiang's parents to leave Jiang under her care and she would train Jiang personally. But it would be a dead end for a gymnast's career in China if one could not join the Provincial Team, so when opportunity came, Jiang was transferred from Guangxi to join the Zhejiang Provincial Team.

Jiang captured glory in the 2002 Provincial Gymnastics Championships for the Zhejiang Provincial Team by winning the all-around competition and, in so doing, caught the attention of the National Team coaches.

Jiang joined the National Team 2 in 2004, and was selected from a list of 300 hopefuls of Team 2 to join the National Team 1 in 2006.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Deng Linlin: it is unclear how the national coaches discovered her, she has been in national team since 2004.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Zhou Yaqin:

She won balance beam event in Gymnastics Competition of Chinese National Games 2021; and won floor event at Chinese National Gymnastics Championships 2023. The medals helps her to be accepted for Chinese WAG team at Olympic 2024


Guan Chenchen:

She won gold medal at balance beam event in Chinese National Championships 2020, with a score of 14.933. She also helped the Zhejiang team to earned bronze in the team competition.

 

[Iminhanoi]

I really loved the photos of her helping in her parents restuarant after the Olympics.

She looks cute in these photos.

 

[Iminhanoi]

National Games of China is the highest-level comprehensive multi-sport event (similar to Olympic) of China. It is hosted by the General Administration of Sport of China. The games is held every four years, first held in 1959. The 2025 event will be held from November 09, 2025 to November 21, 2025.

Like Summer Olympics and Asian Games, Gymnastics events have been contested at Chinese National Games.

The Chinese National Games is one of most prestigious competitions for Chinese gymnasts. Winning medals in The Chinese National Games are always deemed greater accomplishment than winning medals in Chinese National Gymnastics Championships. The value of The Chinese National Games’ medals can compare to Asian Games’ medals.



Very few Chinese female gymnasts have won both Olympic and Chinese National Games (Cheng Fei, Deng Linlin, He Kexin, Li Shanshan).

 

[Iminhanoi]

The legendary Cheng Fei is one of very few female gymnasts have won both Olympic and Chinese National Games

In 2005 Chinese National Games, she won vault. She made two perfect vaults, scored 9.835 and 9.588




The legendary He Kexin is one of very few female gymnasts have won both Olympic and Chinese National Games

In 2009 Chinese National Games, she won ub, scored 15.95




Legendary Deng Linlin have won individual all around at 2009 Chinese National Games , making her one of very few female gymnasts have won individual gold in both Olympic and National Games (along with He Kexin)

 

[Iminhanoi]

Li Shanshan have won gold in both Olympic and Chinese National Games.

In 2005 Chinese National Games, she won gold with Guangdong team. During the team final she competed in floor exercise (scored 9.3) and vault (scored 9.167)

Li Shanshan also helped her team Guangdong to took silver medal at 2009 Chinese National Games. She competed for balance beam and floor exercise. She done very well but her team lost the gold to Shanghai team.





Li Shanshan also qualified for Balance Beam event final in 2009 National Games, but she fell during the event final, placed 7th.

 

[Passion]

I really miss crushed velvet leos.