Li Donghua: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Swiss gymnast (born 1967)}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Li (surname 李)|Li (李)]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox gymnast
{{Infobox gymnast
|name= Donghua Li
|name= Li Donghua<br>李东华
|image= Donghua Li 2008.jpg
|image= Donghua Li 2013.JPG
|imagesize=
|imagesize=
|caption= Donghua Li in 2008
|caption= Donghua Li in 2013
|fullname= Donghua Li
|fullname= Li Donghua
|nickname=
|nickname=
|country= {{CHE}}
|country= Switzerland
|formercountry= {{CHN}}
|formercountry=China
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1967|12|10}}
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1967|12|10}}
|birth_place= [[Chengdu]], [[China]]
|birth_place= [[Chengdu]], [[China]]
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{{MedalGold|[[1996 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1996 Copenhagen]]|[[Pommel Horse]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1996 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1996 Copenhagen]]|[[Pommel Horse]]}}
}}
}}
{{Chinese|title=Li Donghua
{{chinese name|Li}}
|s=李东华
|t=李東華
|p=Lǐ Dōnghuá
|order=st}}
'''Li Donghua''' (born 10 December 1967) is a gymnast who represented his adopted country of Switzerland at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in Atlanta, where he won the gold medal on the [[pommel horse]].


==Career==
'''Donghua Li''' (Chinese: 李东华, Pinyin: Lǐ Dōng Huá, born December 10, 1967 in [[Chengdu]], [[China]]) is a [[Swiss]] gymnast from [[China]]. Donghua was a successful gymnast from China. He met a Swiss girl named Esperanza Friedli (m. 1988-div.2004)<ref name=":0" /> while recovering from a neck injury in 1987. The two fell in love, got married, and moved to Switzerland soon after. Donghua eventually became a Swiss citizen and began competing for the country internationally. He won the gold medal on the [[Pommel Horse]] in the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] for Switzerland. After his friendly divorce with Esperanza Friedli and married married Qiang Huang<ref name=":1" />. He has two children.
Li began his gymnastics career competing for China, and won a national title on the pommel horse in 1987. However, a neck injury prevented him from making the Chinese team for the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]].


⚫
While recovering from his injury, Li met Esperanza Friedli, a Swiss national who was backpacking in China. When he told his coaches he was to marry her, they told him to cut off the relationship or he would not be able to compete. He refused, and the couple left China for [[Lucerne]].<ref>Clarey, C. "Love Conquers All, Eventually". New York Times, April 14, 1996.</ref>
==From China to Switzerland==
⚫
He won the Chinese national gymnastic championships on the Pommel Horse in 1987. However, a neck injury prevented him from making the 1988 Olympic team, and while injured he developed a relationship with Esperanza Friedli, a Swiss national who was backpacking in China. When he told his coaches he was to marry her, they told him to cut off his relationship or he would not be able to compete. He refused, and left for [[Lucerne]] with Esperanza.<ref>Clarey, C. "Love Conquers All, Eventually". New York Times, April 14, 1996.</ref>


Li went on to win the Swiss national title on pommel horse from 1989 to 1992, and the all-around national title in 1993. However, because he was not a Swiss national during that time, those results were not official. In 1994, he became a Swiss citizen and began competing for the country internationally.
==Olympics and World Championships==
He subsequently had to wait 5 years before acquiring Swiss citizenship. In the meantime, he won the Swiss national championships in the Pommel Horse from 1989 to 1992, and won the overall title in 1993. However, because he was not a Swiss national during that time, those results were not official. When he was granted Swiss citizenship in 1994, he won bronze in the [[1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Championship]] in Pommel Horse. The next year, he won gold in the same event. Finally, in 1996, at the age of 28, he won both the European Gymnastic Championship and the Summer Olympics in Pommel Horse.


At the [[1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship]], Li won a bronze medal on pommel horse. The next year, he won gold on the same event. In 1996, at the age of 28, he won both the European and Olympic pommel horse titles. Li was the first Olympic medalist for Switzerland in gymnastics since 1952.
⚫
==References<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.blick.ch/people-tv/schweiz/donghua-li-und-seine-qian-das-baby-ist-da-id1890310.html|title=Donghua Li und seine Qian: Das Baby ist da! - Blick|last=Häfliger|first=Von André|website=www.blick.ch|access-date=2016-05-30}}</ref>==

<references/>
== Personal life ==
Li and Friedli were married in 1988 and divorced in 2004.<ref name=":0" /> Li later married Qiang Huang.<ref name=":1" /> He has two children.

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
⚫
<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VlFWBQAAQBAJ|title=Love and Marriage in Globalizing China|last=Pan|first=Wang|date=2014-11-13|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317688846|language=en}}</ref>
⚫
<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.blick.ch/people-tv/schweiz/donghua-li-und-seine-qian-das-baby-ist-da-id1890310.html|title=Donghua Li und seine Qian: Das Baby ist da! - Blick|last=Häfliger|first=Von André|website=www.blick.ch|access-date=2016-05-30}}</ref>
}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Fig|id=160|name=Donghua Li}}
* {{FIG|bio=22806|lic=160|name=LI Donghua}}
*[http://www.donghua-li.com/ Official Homepage (German)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070827220153/http://www.donghua-li.com/ Official Homepage (German)]
*[http://www.gymn-forum.net/bios/men/li_donghua.html List of competitive results at Gymn Forum]
*[http://www.gymn-forum.net/bios/men/li_donghua.html List of competitive results at Gymn Forum]
*[http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/NYT-1996_LiDonghua.html Love Conquers All, Eventually]
*[http://www.gymn-forum.net/Articles/NYT-1996_LiDonghua.html Love Conquers All, Eventually]
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{{Succession box|before={{Flagicon|SUI}} [[Tony Rominger]]|title=[[Swiss Sportspersonality of the year|Swiss Sportsman of the Year]]|years=1995 &ndash; 1996|after= {{Flagicon|SUI}} [[Michael von Grünigen]]}}
{{Succession box|before={{Flagicon|SUI}} [[Tony Rominger]]|title=[[Swiss Sportspersonality of the year|Swiss Sportsman of the Year]]|years=1995 &ndash; 1996|after= {{Flagicon|SUI}} [[Michael von Grünigen]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-end}}

⚫
<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VlFWBQAAQBAJ|title=Love and Marriage in Globalizing China|last=Pan|first=Wang|date=2014-11-13|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317688846|language=en}}</ref>{{Portal|Gymnastics}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Pommel Horse Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Pommel Horse Men}}
{{European Champions Artistic Gymnastics Pommel Horse}}
{{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsMen’sPommelHorse}}
{{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsMen’sPommelHorse}}


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[[Category:Chinese male artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Chinese male artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Swiss male artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Swiss male artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Olympic gymnasts of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Olympic gymnasts for Switzerland]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Switzerland]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Switzerland]]
[[Category:World champion gymnasts]]
[[Category:World champion gymnasts]]
[[Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]]
[[Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Chengdu]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Chengdu]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Sichuan]]
[[Category:Gymnasts from Sichuan]]
[[Category:Chinese emigrants to Switzerland]]
[[Category:Chinese emigrants to Switzerland]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swiss sportspeople of Chinese descent]]

Latest revision as of 18:44, 2 July 2023

In this Chinese name, the family name is Li (李).
Li Donghua
李东华
Donghua Li in 2013
Personal information
Full nameLi Donghua
Country representedSwitzerland
Former countries representedChina
Born (1967-12-10) December 10, 1967 (age 56)
Chengdu, China
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Medal record
Representing  Switzerland
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Pommel Horse
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Sabae Pommel Horse
Silver medal – second place 1996 San Juan Pommel Horse
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Brisbane Pommel Horse
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 Copenhagen Pommel Horse
Li Donghua
Simplified Chinese李东华
Traditional Chinese李東華

Li Donghua (born 10 December 1967) is a gymnast who represented his adopted country of Switzerland at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he won the gold medal on the pommel horse.

Career[edit]

Li began his gymnastics career competing for China, and won a national title on the pommel horse in 1987. However, a neck injury prevented him from making the Chinese team for the 1988 Olympics.

While recovering from his injury, Li met Esperanza Friedli, a Swiss national who was backpacking in China. When he told his coaches he was to marry her, they told him to cut off the relationship or he would not be able to compete. He refused, and the couple left China for Lucerne.[1]

Li went on to win the Swiss national title on pommel horse from 1989 to 1992, and the all-around national title in 1993. However, because he was not a Swiss national during that time, those results were not official. In 1994, he became a Swiss citizen and began competing for the country internationally.

At the 1994 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, Li won a bronze medal on pommel horse. The next year, he won gold on the same event. In 1996, at the age of 28, he won both the European and Olympic pommel horse titles. Li was the first Olympic medalist for Switzerland in gymnastics since 1952.

Personal life[edit]

Li and Friedli were married in 1988 and divorced in 2004.[2] Li later married Qiang Huang.[3] He has two children.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Clarey, C. "Love Conquers All, Eventually". New York Times, April 14, 1996.
  2. ^ Pan, Wang (2014-11-13). Love and Marriage in Globalizing China. Routledge. ISBN 9781317688846.
  3. ^ Häfliger, Von André. "Donghua Li und seine Qian: Das Baby ist da! - Blick". www.blick.ch. Retrieved 2016-05-30.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donghua Li.
Awards
Preceded by Swiss Sportsman of the Year
1995 – 1996 		Succeeded by
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