Li Xiaopeng

Li Xiaopeng was born on July 27, 1981, in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. His father is Li Zhenyu and his mother is Pan Jianguo. His mother was skilled at cartwheels when she was young. Both parents worked in sports-related fields, and the family’s athletic environment had an important influence on his sporting career.

From childhood Li showed liveliness and athletic talent. At age 5 he was sent to the Helong Sports School in Changsha to study gymnastics and receive professional training. At 6 he entered the Changsha Sports School in Hunan Province and trained under coach Qiu Qi. In 1988 he joined the Hunan provincial team’s amateur class, and the following year officially became a member of the Hunan provincial team under the guidance of Yi Shuji. His early honors include winning the men’s floor exercise at the 1994 National Youth Gymnastics Championships. In February 1996, at just 15, he was successfully selected for the Chinese national gymnastics team.

Li achieved notable success as a junior. In 1997, while participating in the Spring Festival Gala, he changed his original name from Li Peng to Li Xiaopeng. That year he and his teammates won the men’s team title at the 33rd World Gymnastics Championships, and he won the men’s floor exercise at the National Games. In 1998 he won a series of major domestic and international competitions, including the World Cup Finals, the National Gymnastics Championships, and team and individual titles at the Bangkok Asian Games.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Li, as a key member of China’s men’s gymnastics team, helped China win the men’s team gold and also took the individual gold on parallel bars. He continued to perform at a high level internationally: at the 2002 Busan Asian Games he again won multiple team and individual titles. In 2003, at the 37th World Gymnastics Championships, he helped China reclaim the team title and took gold in both vault and parallel bars.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics Li competed in the men’s team event, but due to team errors they finished fifth; he took bronze in the parallel bars. Injuries became a significant challenge in his career. In 2005 old injuries flared up and he often competed while injured, yet still claimed several titles. After surgery in 2006 he won multiple World Cup events and reached new heights in his career.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Li again triumphed, winning gold in the men’s team event and gold on parallel bars, bringing his athletic career to a fitting close. In 2009 he formally announced his retirement, and in 2010 he held a retirement ceremony to say goodbye. After retiring he entered the business world, becoming a director at Feifan China Sports, promoting sports culture and the entertainment industry. In 2014 he became chairman of Feifan Lingyue Sports Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd. In 2019, in recognition of his outstanding sporting achievements, Li was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

In his personal life, Li married former gymnast Li Anqi in 2010 in California, USA. They have a daughter, Li Xinqi (nicknamed Aoli), and a son (nicknamed Oreo), and enjoy a happy family life. He is also active in public welfare, participating in multiple charitable projects and playing a positive role in sports and social public affairs.