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A brilliant life
began to look back on the glorious life of Li Ning, a legendary figure. From an ordinary boy born in the countryside of Liuzhou, Guangxi, to an international gymnastics superstar known as the "Prince of Gymnastics", to a business tycoon with a net worth of tens of billions, Li Ning has written a wonderful chapter of life with his tenacious struggle.
In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, he won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal, and the reputation of "three golds, two silvers and one bronze" will forever carry the history of the altar.
After retiring, Li Ning did not stop there. In 1990, he resolutely embarked on another thorny business journey, and created his own personal brand "Li Ning" with his indomitable will.
Although he encountered many difficulties in the early years, with losses of up to 3.1 billion yuan in successive years, he never gave up. Finally, under the opportunity of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Li Ning brand re-led the coquettish and became the proud representative of China's national brand.
Kick off the prelude
In 1989, the injury-ridden Li Ning tearfully announced his retirement, ending his glorious career. At the 1988 Beijing Olympics, he was hit hard by injuries and failed to win any medals in the individual finals after a series of missed falls in the preliminaries.
This made the gymnast, who had won three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, extremely sad, and in the face of doubts and criticism from the outside world, he chose to suffer silently alone.
After careful consideration, Li Ning resolutely withdrew from the gymnastics arena. This legendary figure, who was once praised as the "Prince of Gymnastics" and swept the World Cup, embarked on a new journey in life.
And at this low moment, by his side is his childhood sweetheart's best friend and lover Chen Yongyan.
Chen Yongyan is also an outstanding gymnast, and Li Ning has won the reputation of "gymnastics double pride". Over the years, although the two have been on the same team, they have been apart, but the secret feelings in their hearts have long been planted.
After the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, Li Ning finally mustered up the courage to ask Chen Yongyan if she had a heart, but Chen Yongyan replied shyly, "Far away, close in front of you", and handed him a note to show her love indirectly.
Since then, their relationship has continued silently.
At the trough moment of Li Ning's retirement in 1989, Chen Yongyan gave him great support and encouragement, she said, "You seem to like challenges very much, why don't you try business?" With the support and encouragement of his wife, Li Ning bid farewell to his status as an athlete and bravely embarked on a new journey in life.
Losses for several years
In 1990, with the encouragement and support of his wife Chen Yongyan, Li Ning founded a sports brand company named after himself - Li Ning Company. This is the first sports brand in China to be built in the true sense of the name of an individual, creating a precedent for a national brand.
At the beginning, with Li Ning's huge influence and prestige in the gymnastics world, the brand immediately occupied a place in the market.
However, the good times were short-lived. In the first few years of listing, the operating conditions of the Li Ning brand fell into difficulties, and the losses were as high as a staggering 3.1 billion yuan year after year. Seeing that the prospect of the brand was bleak, Li Ning fell into unprecedented confusion and confusion, and wanted to give up for a while.
Just when he was physically and mentally exhausted and depressed, his wife Chen Yongyan once again connected with him, gave him endless encouragement and strength, and persuaded him to stick to his faith and move forward bravely.
Back many years ago, they were childhood sweethearts' "gymnastics duo", and they have long had secret feelings for each other. In 1982, when Li Ning won the all-around gymnastics championship at the New Delhi Asian Games, he finally mustered up the courage to ask Chen Yongyan if she had a sweetheart, but she didn't expect her to say shyly that "far away in the sky, close in front of you", and handed him a note, indirectly expressing her heart.
From that moment on, the affection between them continued implicitly.
Many years later, when the young Li Ning was full of enthusiasm and ambition to start a business, Chen Yongyan did not hesitate to become his solid backing and supported his decision with actions.
Whenever Li Ning encountered difficulties and was depressed, she always gave encouragement and strength by her side, and became his most solid support.
Regain the glory and light the torch pro-light
Just when the Li Ning brand encountered Waterloo and the prospect fell into fog, the arrival of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opened an opportunity for him to take off again. This is destined to be a crucial year for the development of the Li Ning brand, and he has seized this golden opportunity.
At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, the first torchbearer, Xu Haifeng, was supposed to light the cauldron himself. However, due to Xu Haifeng's excessive weight, he could not complete the need to perform stunts in the air for a long time, so he had to give up regretfully.
This opportunity fell on Li Ning temporarily. Although Li Ning was hesitant when he first learned about this mission because of his fear of the sky, when he remembered all the honors he had won for the motherland, there was always a burning belief in his heart to work hard for this great motherland.
So, Li Ning tried his best and practiced tirelessly, he temporarily put aside the fear of high altitudes, practiced repeatedly and seriously, and finally regained the aura of the "Prince of Gymnastics".
When the eyes of the world focused on him, Li Ning slowly rose to the air with the torch in his hand, and the film and television special effects added an incomparable shock to him.
At this moment, it seems to relive the glorious figure of the young Li Ning winning three gold medals in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
This shocking feat not only allowed Li Ning, who knew his destiny to regain the aura of the former gymnastics superstar, but also ushered in a new take-off point for his brand career. After the end of the Olympic Games, Li Ning's performance soared, and its revenue continued to rise, gradually consolidating its leading position as a domestic sports brand.
At this moment, it officially opened a new chapter in the re-take-off of Li Ning's life and career.
Looking back at Li Ning when he was young, it was the wise and talented coach who took a fancy to his extraordinary gymnastics talent and strongly recommended him to join the national team, thus opening the starting point of Li Ning's brilliant gymnastics career.
Now this former "Prince of Gymnastics" has regained his shine and finally stood at the forefront of the business journey.
Affectionate
When the precious youth was gradually moving away, Li Ning and his wife Chen Yongyan came to the last journey of their lives. The group photo that caused heated discussions among netizens in 2024 vividly captured the completely different faces of the two in their later years.
The 67-year-old Chen Yongyan still has a gentle temperament and is still beautiful, while Li Ning, who is the same age, has white hair and a vicissitudes of life, and is embarrassed.
This stark contrast actually reflects the different encounters of the two in their later lives. Chen Yongyan has chosen to retire since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and has lived a life of peace and security, serving her family and taking care of her children.
As a good wife and mother, she spent the second half of her life in a quiet and gentle way, so she can maintain this elegant and chic temperament that is over the age of old.
Li Ning, on the other hand, fought alone through trials and hardships, worked tirelessly to realize the ideal of the brand's career, and worked hard day and night, so that he unconsciously wasted his youth.
From the establishment of Li Ning Company in 1990 to the turning point of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and then to today's net worth of 10 billion yuan, Li Ning has worked hard to achieve today's achievements with almost all his efforts.
Looking back on the years that have passed, isn't it precisely because of a period of marital friendship that has been continued from the period of "gymnastics double pride"? After the New Delhi Asian Games in 1982, Li Ning finally mustered up the courage to ask Chen Yongyan if she had a sweetheart, but she did not expect her to shyly say that "far away in the sky, close in front of you" and handed him a note to indirectly confess her love.
Since then, the relationship between the two has continued in this way.
Later, in 1989, when Li Ning was at a low point in retirement, it was Chen Yongyan who gave him encouragement and support and persuaded him to pursue his career dream. It can be said that it is with the company of Chen Yongyan, a virtuous helper, that Li Ning can devote himself to the entrepreneurial path of his career, and finally realize the transformation from a gymnastics prince to a business giant.
Now, although the years have left traces of vicissitudes on his face, the love between them is still the same, and they are always together.