Meng Lili

Meng Lili ( Chinese  孟麗麗  /  孟丽丽 , Pinyin Mèng Lìlì ; born December 28, 1979 in Xintai, Tai'an, Shandong ) is a former Chinese wrestler . In 2001 and 2005 she became world champion in the weight class up to 62 and 67 kg body weight. She has been working as a trainer since the end of her career.

Career

Meng Lili only started wrestling at the age of 16 in 1995. She was a member of the Shandong Wrestling Club and was trained by Sun Shuling.

Due to the fact that she only started wrestling at the age of 16, she has not yet seen any international appearances as a junior. She made her first start at an international championship in 1999 at the Asian Women's Championship in Tashkent. She came in 3rd place in the weight class up to 62 kg. In the same year she started at the World Championships in Boden / Hildersborg, Sweden. She defeated Natalja Iwanowa, Russia, Lene Aanes , Norway, Marisa Azzolini, Brazil, Unise Hurtado, Venezuela and Lotta Andersson from Sweden in the same weight class and was in the final battle against Ayako Shōda from Japan, against whom she lost just on points. She became runner-up world champion.

In 2000, Mang Lili took 2nd place at the Asian Championships in Seoul, where she again lost to Ayako Shoda in the final. In 2001 she also reached 2nd place at the East Asian Games in Osaka in the weight class up to 62 kg. In Osaka she lost the final against Rena Iwama from Japan. At the world championship of that year in Sofia she achieved her first big success, because she became world champion there with victories over Sara McMann , United States, Rena Iwama, Olga Chilko , Belarus, Stéphanie Groß , Germany and Diletta Giampiccolo , Italy.

From 2002 Meng Lili grew up in her own country in Xu Haiyan an equal competitor who was often used in the following years at the international championships instead of her. It was like that at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships . In 2004 Meng Lili prevailed again in China in the weight class up to 63 kg. She qualified at a tournament in Tunis with a 1st place ahead of Sara Eriksson , Sweden, Natalja Iwanowa, Tajikistan and Stephanie Groß for the Olympic Games in Athens . In Athens she lost her first fight against Sara McMann. According to the regulations of that time, she could only fight for 9th place with a victory over Viola Yanik from Canada.

At the Asian Championships in 2005 in Wuhan, she lost in the weight class up to 63 kg against Kaori Icho from Japan and took 3rd place behind this and Geetika Jachar from India. At the 2005 World Championships , she rose to the weight class up to 67 kg, where she won her second world title with victories over Jelena Perepelkina , Russia, Masira Admiraal, Netherlands, Gelegdschamtsyn Narantschimeg , Mongolia and Martine Dugrenier , Canada.

In 2006 and 2007 and at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Xu Haiyan was used in their weight class. Meng Lili was at the 2008 World Championships in Tokyo and won a bronze medal there with victories over Gloria Zavela Lugo, Venezuela, a defeat against Mio Nishimaki , Japan and victories over Paulina Grabowska, Poland and Olesja Samula, Azerbaijan.

In 2009 Meng Lili ended her international wrestling career.

International success

year	space	competition	Weight class	Results
1999	3.	Asian Championship in Tashkent	up to 62 kg	behind Ari Suzuki, Japan and Olesja Nasarenko, Turkmenistan
1999	2.	World Cup in Boden / Hildersborg	up to 62 kg	after victories over Natalja Iwanowa, Russia, Lene Aanes, Norway, Marisa Azzolini, Brazil, Unise Hurtado, Venezuela and Lotta Andersson, Sweden and a defeat against Ayako Shoda, Japan
2000	2.	Asian Cup in Seoul	up to 62 kg	behind Ayako Shoda, in front of Seo Mi-suk, South Korea
2001	2.	East Asia Games in Osaka	up to 62 kg	behind Rena Iwama, Japan, in front of Huang Yu-Ning, Taiwan
2001	1.	World Cup in Sofia	up to 62 kg	after victories over Sara McMann, USA, Rena Iwama, Olga Chilko, Belarus, Stephanie Groß, Germany and Diletta Giampiccolo, Italy
2002	2.	World Cup in Cairo	up to 63 kg	behind Kaori Icho, Japan, in front of Viola Yanik, Canada and Lyubow Michailowna Wolossowa , Russia
2004	1.	Olympic qualification tournament in Tunis	up to 63 kg	before Sara Eriksson, Sweden, Natalja Iwanowa, Tajikistan and Stephanie Groß
2004	9.	OS in Athens	up to 63 kg	after a loss to Sara McMann and a victory over Viola Yanik
2005	3.	Asian Championship in Wuhan	up to 63 kg	behind Kaori Icho and Geetika Jachar, India
2005	1.	World Cup in Budapest	up to 67 kg	after victories over Jelena Perepelkina, Russia, Masira Admiraal, Netherlands, Gelegdschamtsyn Narantschimeg , Mongolia and Martine Dugrenier, Canada
2008	3.	World Cup in Tokyo	up to 63 kg	after a victory over Gloria Zavela Lugo, Venezuela, a defeat against Mio Nishimaki, Japan and victories over Paulina grabowska, Poland and Olesja Samula, Azerbaijan
2009	3.	World Cup in Taiyuan / China	up to 63 kg	behind Justine Bouchard, Canada and Alla Cherkassova, Ukraine

Explanations

• all free style competitions
• OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship

swell

• Trade journal Der Ringer
• Foeldeak Wrestling Database website

Web links

• Meng Lili in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Meng is the family name here, Lili is the first name.