Li Xiaoshuang (2)

cctv.com 09-08-2004 10:45

One year after the Li brothers were selected for the national team, Li Xiaoshuang won the gold medal in floor exercise at the 1990 Asian Games. He won a string of international titles over the following few years. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, he took the individual all-round title as many people predicted. He and his brother, Li Dashuang, had always trained together as equals. This time, Li Xiaoshuang's successes were not shared by his brother as they usually were.

Both seriously injured in 1997, Li Dashuang and Li Xiaoshuang retired from gymnastics permanently. Together, they opened the Li Xiaoshuang Sports Wares Company in Beijing, and shared the responsibilty according to their different interests. Besides being a businessman, Li Xiaoshuang entered the entertainment industry as he had long dreamed. With the help of his predecessor Li Ning, Li Xiaoshuang developed his interest in singing and released his first album. Both twins are married and lead busy and happy lives.

Li Xiaoshuang is a good athlete in the gymnasium and a good husband at home. His wife, Zhang Beining, was a singer who had been an opera actress in Jiangxi province. Their love story was well known among their friends. Zhang Beining once told the media that Li Xiaoshuang was the best gift God could give her. Now they have settled home in the suburb of Beijing. After 18 years training away from home, Li Xiaoshuang finally leads a normal family life. But his involvement with gymnastics is not over.

Although he is now retired, Li Xiaoshuang is still concerned about the development of gymnastics in China. In 2001, Li Xiaoshuang became a second grade international gymnastics judge. The next year, his company invested 8 million RMB to found a gymnastics school in his hometown in Hunan province. The Li brothers are committed to creating a better environment for the next generation of gymnasts.

Editor:Xiang Jing  Source:CCTV.com