There have been many well-known figures in the Chinese gymnastics world, such as Li Ning, a tycoon who has now turned to the business world, and Liu Xuan, a goddess who entered the entertainment industry after retiring, who has made great contributions to the country in gymnastics. When it comes to Chinese gymnastics, it is necessary to mention a moment that can be called a miracle.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, in the final championship battle in the gymnastics high and low bars event, an unforgettable scene was staged: a total of 6 referees on the field gave a rare 6 perfect scores to a gymnast who was originally a substitute in the mainland, and the 16-year-old athlete also won the high and low bars championship. She is a gymnast with the name of "flying swallow on the bar", Lu Li.
When he was young, he was involved in gymnastics by chance
In 1976, Lu Li was born into an ordinary family in Changsha, Hunan Province. When she was a child, Lu Li's family conditions were not particularly good, and she never wanted to become an athlete. Although thin and weak, Lu Li has been lively and active since childhood, and later at the age of 5, she was sent to the gymnastics team of the gymnastics school on the grounds that "her parents hope that she can improve her physical fitness." Lu Li has also formed an indissoluble relationship with gymnastics since then.
Lu Li's performance in the gymnastics team surprised coach Zhou Xiaolin, facing a vaulting horse more than 1 meter high, 5-year-old Lu Li easily jumped from above, and Zhou Xiaolin concluded on the spot that Lu Li was born to be a good seedling for learning gymnastics. In this way, Lu Li stayed in the gymnastics team and began to carry out professional training.
But the good times were not long, and Lu Li, who had only been training for half a year, suddenly missed one day. After communicating with Lu Li's parents, he learned that due to family reasons, Lu Li's father did not want his daughter to continue to run back and forth for training. Looking at Lu Li, who has a great love for gymnastics, Zhou Xiaolin made a decision, she let Lu Li live in her own home, take care of her daily life, and also take care of training.
Lu Li, who lived in the coach's house, has been working harder since then, and her super talent has also made her famous among the players. In 1985, Lu Li entered the Hunan Gymnastics Sports School, where she was personally taught by The famous international gymnastics referee Yan Nairan. Under more professional guidance, Lu Li's progress was extremely rapid, and she successfully entered the Hunan Provincial Gymnastics Team after 3 years.
Disease-ridden but won the Olympic championship
However, Lu Li, who was only 12 years old, did not know what would happen to her. During a routine physical examination after entering the Hunan provincial team, Lu Li was found to have severe hepatitis. This is a big taboo for athletes. But in the face of such a rare gymnastics seedling, Yan Nai murmured no way to give up. So she looked for a doctor to treat liver disease in many ways, and personally boiled Chinese medicine for Lu Li at home.
Teenage Lu Li endured the pain of the disease while training harder. Despite the enormous physical and psychological pressure, she never wanted to give up gymnastics. Since the 1989 National Youth Games, Lu Li has emerged in the gymnastics world, winning many championships, even if the athletes competing on the same stage are older than her, she is not afraid of the stage, still won the championship.
Lu Li also won the favor of the national team. However, after entering the team due to liver disease, she could only accept the individual training of Coach Xiong Jingbin. In April 1992, Lu Li represented the national team at the World Championships, where she showed the "Lu Li Action" specially designed by the coach for her, although she only won the fourth place because of the mistake, but the world knew the name of Lu Li of China.
After retiring from the army, he married the United States
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics were Lu Li's pinnacle. As a substitute, she unexpectedly qualified for the game due to an injury to her main player before the game. Lu Li in the Olympic arena still showed her unique "Lu Li action", this time she won a rare full score in the uneven bars event with a perfect performance, and won a gold medal. Just 10 minutes after winning the gold medal, the silver medal in the balance beam competition was also won by her.
At only 16 years old, Lu Li created a legend in the history of Chinese gymnastics. However, due to the perennial suffering of liver disease, Lu Li could no longer win glory for the country on the field. In 1994, at the age of 18, Lu Li regretted retiring from the army and entered Beijing Sport University and the School of International Relations of Peking University. After graduating, Lu Li went to the United States, returned to her old career in a gymnastics club in California, became a gymnastics coach, and also entered Stanford University to study English. And it was at this time that she also met her husband.
Lully's husband is the American vaulter Ken Gassenhoven, who met by chance at a charity party and came together because they had a common language. In 2003, the two entered the palace of marriage and gave birth to a lovely son a year after marriage. Lu Li also took her father to live in the United States, and the family was happy and happy.
postscript
Although she is in a foreign country, Lu Li did not change her nationality like some other athletes, and Lu Li, who has been in the United States for twenty years, is still a Chinese national, which also hit the face of those who scolded her for betraying the motherland. Now Lu Li runs a gymnastics club with her husband in the United States and continues to contribute to the gymnastics cause, and the team members she leads have won many championships. Although she was deeply tormented by illness, Lu Li has never given up, and now that she has a happy career and a family, it is also the best result of her long-term struggle against fate.