Li Ting (diver)

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|4|1}}

| birth_place = Lingui, Guangxi, China

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Li Ting ({{zh|c=李婷|p=Lǐ Tíng|t=李婷|j=Lei5 Ting4}}; born April 1, 1987) is a Chinese diver. She competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, earning a gold medal in the women's 10 meter synchronized platform diving along with her team partner Lao Lishi.

Early life

Li was born on 1 April 1987 along with her twin sister Li Rao (李嬈) in Lingui County in Guilin to a family of Dong ethnic minority. Both the sisters fell in love with diving after witnessing their elder sister train in diving in Lingui.{{cite web|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/chinese-diver-li-ting-inducted-international-swimming-hall-fame|title=Chinese Diver, Li Ting, To Be Inducted Into the International Swimming Hall of Fame|newspaper=Swimming World|first=Meg|last=Keller-Marvin|date=2019-03-13|access-date=2024-11-03}}{{cite web|url=https://sports.cctv.com/special/2010yayun/20090622/107700.shtml|title=李婷|newspaper=CCTV|date=2009-06-22|access-date=2024-11-03}}

Sports career

In 1993, Li Ting and Li Rao, who were five years old, began to receive diving training at Chengguan No. 2 Primary School in Lingui County. In 1994, after their athletic prowess in diving was recognized, they were sent for formal training to the Guangxi Diving School in Guilin and became members of the provincial squad a year later. They were selected for the Chinese national squad in 1999.

In the 2000 National Diving Championships, she and Li Rao won the women's 10-meter platform championship. In 2001, the sisters teamed up to represent Guangxi in the 9th National Games in Guangzhou and won bronze medal in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform event. On the same year, the sisters won gold medals in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform championships in Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://wuhan.news.fang.com/2008-07-28/1957802_all.htm|title=中国跳水孪生姐妹花李娆和李婷：痛并绽放着|author=Xinhua|newspaper=Fang.com|date=2008-07-28|access-date=2024-11-03}} In 2002, at the 14th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, she won the gold medal with Duan Qing in the 10-metre synchro event.{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/392377/stars-their-eyes|title=Stars in their eyes|first=Jonathan|last=Powell|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=2002-09-25|access-date=2024-11-03}}

In 2003, Li Ting and Lao Lishi won the women's synchronized 10-meter platform championship at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain. A year later, the two teamed up again to win a gold medal for China in the synchronized 10 metre platform event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.{{cite web|url= https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/17/content_366065_2.htm|title=China grabs another five golds|newspaper=China Daily|date=2004-08-17|author=Xinhua|access-date=2024-11-04}} In the same year, they also won the women's synchronized 10-meter platform championship at the 14th Diving World Cup in Athens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/united-states-wins-two-swimming-golds/article_ce070269-0b36-5bff-a584-2b6a535cd751.html|title=United States wins two swimming golds|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Rutland Herald|date=2004-08-17|access-date=2024-11-04}}

In 2005, after the 2004 Summer Olympics, Li switched to the 3-meter springboard event and replaced Wu Minxia, forming a partnership with Guo Jingjing. At the 10th National Games in Nanjing, China, she finished second in the double 3-meter springboard event, finishing behind Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia. At the 2005 Summer Universiade held in İzmir, Turkey, Li won gold medals in the 10 m platform event, and platform and springboard synchro events. On the same year, Li and Guo won the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard championships at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Canada and the United States but finished second in the German FINA Diving Grand Prix. In 2006, Li and Guo won gold medal in the synchronized 3-meter springboard event at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar and on the same year, she won the 3-metre synchro springboard championship at the 15th Diving World Cup in Changshu, China.{{cite web|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2006-12/12/content_756387.htm|title=Guo rules women's 3m synchro diving|newspaper=China Daily|author=Xinhua|date=2006-12-12|access-date=2024-11-04}} In terms of individual events, Li Ting ranked second behind Guo Jingjing three times in the international FINA Grand Prix events. It was only in the absence of Guo Jingjing in the 2005 FINA Grand Prix in the United States that she defeated Wu Minxia and won her first international championship in the individual event.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-04-22/14262883538.shtml|title=中国女子跳板显现新变化李婷吴敏霞直逼郭晶晶|newspaper=Sina Sports|access-date=2024-11-04|date=2007-04-22|archive-date= October 21, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201021061323/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-04-22/14262883538.shtml|url-status= dead}} However, in the FINA Diving Grand Prix finals held at the end of 2006, Li and Guo unexpectedly failed and only finished third. At the same time, Wu Minxia defeated Guo Jingjing four times in individual events. Such excellent results helped Wu regain her position as a partner with Guo Jingjing and the duo continued to win in all subsequent competitions. Li Ting had no choice but to switch to individual events, which were not her strong point, and partnered with newcomer He Zi.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2008-01-10/15513409260.shtml|title=昔日五环英雄直面窘境彭勃李婷08奥运恐难展身手|newspaper=Sina Sports|access-date=2024-11-04|archive-date=May 17, 2021|date=2008-01-10|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210517235649/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2008-01-10/15513409260.shtml|url-status= dead}}

In 2007, Li Ting defeated He Zi in 3-metre springboard final at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Zhuhai, China and at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand, Li won gold medal in the 3 m springboard event and silver medal in the springboard synchro event.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-04-15/20062870768.shtml|title=跳水大奖赛老将李婷三米板封后收获中国队第七金|date=2007-04-15|newspaper=Sina Sports|access-date=2024-11-04|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201021104712/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-04-15/20062870768.shtml|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/china-reigns-in-world-university-games-diving/|title=China Reigns in World University Games Diving|newspaper=Swimming World|date=2007-08-18|access-date=2024-12-27}} In the same year, she and He Zi won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard synchro at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Spain. However, this pair, who had the potential to challenge the Olympic champion duo Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia, made a rare mistake at the 2008 Summer Olympics diving trials in Foshan, China. During the trials, He Zi jumped 401B instead of 201B and was given zero points. As a result of this mistake, this put both Li and He in a very disadvantageous position in the trials and in the end, they were not selected for the national squad in the 16th Diving World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Due to her not being selected for the Olympics, she faded into obscurity.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-06-29/09263008328.shtml|title=奥运跳水选拔赛首日爆冷：李婷何姿三米板得零分|newspaper=Sina Sports|date=2007-06-29|access-date=2024-11-04|archive-date=May 17, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210517235617/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2007-06-29/09263008328.shtml|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2008-02-13/09323469317.shtml|title=跳水世界杯郭晶晶领衔梦之队奥运冠军李婷出局|newspaper=Sina Sports|date=2008-02-13|access-date=2024-11-04|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201019230459/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2008-02-13/09323469317.shtml|url-status= dead}}

Between 2008 and 2009, Li Ting was troubled by a back injury and spent most of her time recovering in Beijing. Due to stress fracture on her leg, she had to undergo surgery but the healing was slow. As a result, she retired from professional diving.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2009-05-20/10394389325.shtml|title=跳水4奥运冠军今何在李婷转跳板胡佳必将参加全运|newspaper=Sina Sports|date=2009-05-20|access-date=2024-11-04|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201019132214/http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2009-05-20/10394389325.shtml|url-status= dead}} She made a brief comeback at the 2011 National Diving Championships held in Tianjin, China, where she attained sixth position in the 1-meter springboard before fading into obscurity again.{{cite web|url=https://sports.sohu.com/20110519/n280623706.shtml|title=李婷时隔三年重返赛场最美队员自言在享受跳水|newspaper=Sports Sohu|date=2011-05-19|access-date=2024-11-04}}{{cite web|url=https://sports.sohu.com/20110520/n280626893.shtml|title=跳水奥运冠军李婷复出落选08奥运渴望继续比赛|newspaper=Sports Sohu|date=2011-05-20|access-date=2024-11-04}}

Later life

In 2006, during her diving career, she enrolled at Renmin University of China and graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Business Management. That same year, she also began studying graduate degree in Sports Management at Beijing Sport University.{{cite web|url=http://sports.enorth.com.cn/system/2012/07/22/009685549.shtml|title=李婷：去奥运会尽情展现自己得失之中学会坚韧|newspaper=Sports Enorth|date=2012-07-22|access-date=2024-11-05|archive-date=November 26, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121126110248/http://sports.enorth.com.cn/system/2012/07/22/009685549.shtml|url-status= dead}} Additionally, she joined the Chinese Communist Party and was elected as a delegate of Guangxi to attend the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012. After completion of her graduate degree, Li Ting attended University of Minnesota as a visiting scholar for nine months from 2014 to 2015. In 2019, she was enshrined into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, United States.{{cite web|url= http://www.nanning.china.com.cn/2022-10/14/content_42137300.htm|title =二十大代表风采李婷：离开了跳台却从未远离赛场|first=Xianwei|last=Lin|newspaper=nanning.china.com.cn|date=2022-10-14|access-date=2024-11-05}} In 2022, she was elected again as the delegate of Guangxi to attend the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, and on the same year, she became a member of the 11th Standing Committee of the Guangxi Youth Federation and served as the director of the Sports Committee, and was invited to attend the China-Vietnam Youth Friendship Meeting and China-Vietnam Youth Development Forum where spoke as a representative of the Chinese youth.{{cite web|url=http://photo.china.com.cn/2022-10/23/content_78481755.htm|title=二十大代表、奥运跳水冠军李婷：讲好体育强国故事，让更多的人爱上体育，爱上运动|newspaper=photo.china.com.cn|date=2022-10-23|access-date=2024-11-10}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sport.gov.cn/n14471/n14491/n14528/c24792310/content.html|title=【二十大代表风采】广西李婷：“从体育中来，还要到体育中去”|newspaper=Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sports Bureau|date=2022-10-10|access-date=2025-01-12}} In 2023, she was appointed as one of the ambassadors for the {{ill|First Student (Youth) Games|zh|中华人民共和国第一届学生（青年）运动会}} in Nanning, Guangxi.{{cite web|url=https://m.guilinlife.com/article/4y9ee88d8f99a8e221b3.html|title= 全州小伙李凌志当选学青会志愿者形象大使|newspaper=Guilin Life|date=2023-10-26|access-date=2024-12-27}}

Li served as the deputy director of the Guangxi Aquatic Sports Development Center, focusing on rebuilding and enhancing diving from both managerial and technical perspectives. Since 2022, she has been serving as the deputy director of the Guangxi Competitive Sports Department.