Donghua Li

Donghua Li ( born December 10, 1967 in Chengdu ) is a Swiss gymnast of Chinese origin. After he was taken in 1989 with his then- wife Swiss in Switzerland, he took provisional only participate in national championships. Five years later he received the Swiss nationality and was thus entitled to start an international for Switzerland.

For Switzerland, in 1996 he took part in the Olympic Games in Atlanta and reached in his best discipline on pommel horse Olympic gold medal. In the same year he retired from professional racing.

Donghua Li has a daughter (* 1996) from his first marriage and a son (* 2012) with his new partner.

Career Highlights

Particular success

  • Multiple Swiss all-around champion and equipment
  • Tier 1 Federal gymnast days Solothurn 1994
  • Swiss Federal Gymnastics Festival winner 1996 Bern
  • Sportsman of the Year 1995/96
  • Several podium places to intern countries battles / tournaments

Major stations of life

1974:

  • Beginning of a regulated gymnastics training ( in a regional boarding school )

1978:

  • Inclusion in the provincial cadres of Sichuan.

1983:

  • Admission to the Chinese national team in Beijing.

1984:

  • Serious accident in the horse jump: loss of the spleen and left kidney.

1986:

  • Accident during the floor exercises: both Achilles tendons torn.

1987:

  • First sporting highlight: Chinese champion on pommel horse.

1988:

  • Eight months before the Olympics (Seoul): fall from bars, compression of the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebra. Olympic adee! But he meets in June in Beijing Esperanza Friedli.
  • December 12: Marriage in Chengdu

1989:

  • March 9: Entry of the Li family to Switzerland.
  • November: first appearance as a gymnast in Switzerland: Third rank of SM on pommel horse.

1990:

  • Due in part of short-term regulation changes will Donghua Li from the Swiss Association until 1993 the title " Swiss champion " not granted. Donghua is at this time, although winner 7x to SM, but never champion (4x horse, rings 2x, 1x all-around ).

1991:

  • At the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Festival 1991 domestic Lucerne deserved victory Turnfest him is not granted by the judges.

1994:

  • MARCH 29: Swiss passport in the name Donghua Li is issued.
  • April bronze medal at the horse at the World Championships in Brisbane, Australia.
  • November: Swiss champion in the all around and on the pommel horse.

1995:

  • August: Swiss champion in the all around and on the horse.
  • October 9: Donghua Li is in Sabae, Japan, world champion on pommel horse.

1996: The most successful year: (all international success on the horse)

Anton Heida Josef Wilhelm Konrad Frey Paavo Aaltonen Boris Shakhlin Eugen Ekman Miroslav Cerar Li Ning Peter Vidmar Lubomir Geraskov Teng Haibin Xiao Qin
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