Li Lingwei

Li Lingwei (, born January 4, 1964) is a Chinese badminton player of the 1980s.

Born in Lishui, Zhejiang, China, on January 4, 1964, Li Lingwei weighed only 4 lb at birth.

Worried about Li’s health, her mother encouraged her to participate in non-contact sports such as badminton but Li indiscriminately loved sports.

During her childhood, Li impressed everyone with sporting results such as finishing in first place in the 400-meter run.

In 1975 the 11-year-old Li Lingwei was selected to the Zhejiang Provincial Badminton Team; five years later in 1980, she won the National Youth Badminton singles competition and the adult group's doubles championship.

After that, she was selected to the national badminton team.

In the national team she learned both physical and mental skills under coach Chen Fushou.

They dominated international women's badminton during most of the 1980s, each winning the then biennial IBF World Championships (now known as BWF World Championships) twice, and winning the IBF World doubles, together, in 1985.

They also led Chinese teams that perennially won the biennial Uber Cup (women's world team) competitions.

She entered the 1981 Alba Quartz Badminton World Cup at 17 years of age, reaching her first international final.

A brilliant all-around player whose court coverage and net play were particularly impressive, she maintained a narrow won/lost edge on her teammate, rival, and sometimes doubles partner Han Aiping.

Li won the singles crown at the IBF World Championships in 1983 and 1989.

Li was also part of the pioneer team which won the first Uber Cup for China in 1984.

From 1984 to 1987 Li won four consecutive crowns at the Badminton World Cups in the women's singles event plus three titles in the women's doubles event in 1983, 1986 and 1987.

She won Silver at the 1987 World Championships and a Bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships.

Li won over 40 open international titles around the world.

Besides the three World Championship gold medals her major results included four gold medals in the World Grand Prix Finals, two All England Singles titles, and one All England Women’s Doubles title.

She retired in 1989, and was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

After retiring in 1989, Li entered the University of Hangzhou to transfer her skills from playing to coaching.

In 1991 Li Ling Wei returned to China's national badminton team, serving as assistant coach of the national team and, starting in December 1994, as head coach of the women's team.

Li never competed in the Olympics because badminton did not become an Olympic sport until 1992.

She coached the Chinese women's badminton team that won the 1998 Uber Cup Championship.

Over the course of her coaching career, Li cultivated top players such as Ye Zhaoying, Gong Zhichao, Gong Ruina and Dai Yun to follow in her footsteps.

Li is a strong advocate of women’s rights and has been heavily involved in improving women’s participation and fair representation in world sports bodies such as the BWF and the IOC.

Li has stated that, “as women, we have to work harder because we have so many roles to play – mother, daughter or wife – so most of us are in a very challenging situation.

We have to work harder than men, otherwise we can’t achieve our goals.” She believed that in comparison to other sports, “badminton is achieving a lot of positive goals, in women’s participation for example, and with equal prize money.

On May 12, 2002, when she was Chinese Badminton Association Vice-President, Li was elected as IBF member of Council, becoming one of only three women in the council.

During her tenure she was also admitted to a doctoral degree at Beijing Sport University, specializing in sociology.

In 2003 Li was elected as a member of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and became the only member of the CPPCC National Committee to have been a badminton player.

In the same year she was transferred to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee's Sports Department as a second-level project expert, and then transferred to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee's International Liaison Department.

However, she was chosen as one of the five retired athletes to carry the Olympic flag during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

And it is the same with participation at events." She became the Vice-Chair of the Women’s Commission of the BWF in 2009. Li has also been serving as the Deputy Chair of the International Relations Commission of the BWF. Despite being heavily involved with multiple associations, Li still found the time to work as the Deputy Director in the International Relations Department for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee (BOCOG) from 2003 to 2008.

In December 2010 Li became the deputy director of the Network Management Center of the State Sports General Administration of China, replacing the retired Gao Shenyang.

She was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2012, and in December 2016, she was elected Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Li is heavily involved in improving women’s participation and fair representation in sport.

After the 2012 Beijing Olympic Games she was promoted to the deputy director of the China National Sports General Administration Table Tennis Badminton Management Center, and returned to the Chinese badminton team again after 10 years.

In July 2012, she was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee, receiving 83 votes out of 94.

IOC president Jacques Rogge presented her with an "IOC gold medal".

In March 2015 Li served as the director of the tennis sports management center and secretary of the party committee, from the official to the main hall level.

On December 28, 2016, Li was elected as vice chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee in the Plenary Session of this organisation.