Liang Chow

{{short description|Chinese artistic gymnast and gymnastics coach}}

{{Infobox gymnast

| name = Liang Chow

| image = Norah Flatley + Liang Chow 2014.JPG

| caption = Chow with athlete Norah Flatley at the 2014 City of Jesolo Trophy

| fullname =

| altname = Qiao Liang

| nickname =

| country = {{CHN}} (as head coach of the national female team)

| formercountry = {{CHN}} (as gymnast)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|01|01}}

| birth_place = Beijing, China

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| discipline = MAG

| level =

| natlteam =

| club =

| gym =

| collegeteam =

| headcoach =

| assistcoach =

| formercoach =

| choreographer =

| music =

| eponymousskills =

| show-medals = yes

{{MedalCountry | {{CHN}} }}

| medaltemplates =

}}

Liang Chow (also known as Qiao Liang; {{lang-zh |s = 乔良 |t = 喬良 |p = Qiáo Liáng }}) (born January 1, 1968) is a Chinese-American former artistic gymnast. He is the founder, owner, and head coach of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa.{{cite web |url = http://chowsgym.com/ |title = Chow's Gymnastics - Des Moines, IA |website = chowsgym.com |access-date = 22 August 2016 }} He is notable for being the coach of 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson and 2012 Olympic individual all-around champion Gabby Douglas.{{cite news |last = Emmert |first = Mark |title = Olympics: Gabby Douglas finds coach Liang Chow at the right time |url = http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/viewart/20120731/SPORTS/307310035/Olympics-Gabby-Douglas-finds-coach-Liang-Chow-at-the-right-time |newspaper = Poughkeepsie Journal |date = Jul 31, 2012 }} He coached senior US gymnasts Norah Flatley and Rachel Gowey and junior US gymnast Victoria Nguyen.{{cite web |url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2014/08/20/gymnastics-rachel-gowey-injured-chow/14345777/ |title = Broken ankle takes Rachel Gowey out of worlds, nationals |website = usatoday.com |access-date = 22 August 2016 }}{{cite web |last1=Armour |first1=Nancy |title=Liang Chow's gym might be next USA Olympic dynasty |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2014/08/23/gymnastics-liang-chow-rachel-gowey-norah-flatley-gabby-douglas/14507499/ |website=USA Today |access-date=8 May 2025 |date=23 August 2014}}

Biography

Growing up in Beijing, Chow was tapped by a district club at the age of 5 to train in gymnastics. He was on China's national gymnastics team for more than a decade, winning numerous national and international medals.{{cite news|last=Park|first=Alice|title=Liang Chow's Gymnastics Coaching Journey: From Beijing to West Des Moines|url=https://olympics.time.com/2012/07/26/liang-chows-gymnastics-coaching-journey-from-beijing-to-west-des-moines/|access-date=4 August 2012|newspaper=TIME|date=26 July 2012}} However, he never competed in the Olympic Games; in 1988 he was too young to make the Chinese team, and before 1992 he suffered a back injury and retired from competition.{{cite news|last=Emmert|first=Mark|title=Liang Chow stresses fun as he molds world's top gymnasts|url=http://dmjuice.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120730/SPORTS/307300060|access-date=4 August 2012|newspaper=Des Moines Register|date=30 July 2012}} {{dead link|date=August 2021}} (archive unavailable)

He moved to the United States in 1991 on the suggestion of his aunt, who was working on her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. He accepted an English scholarship and a position as an assistant coach for the University of Iowa's men's gymnastics program. Afterwards he accepted a coaching job for the women's program. Following his experience working with female gymnasts, Chow decided to open his own gym to train gymnasts at a younger age, when they would be more flexible and open to learning new skills. He and his wife moved to West Des Moines and opened Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute on August 23, 1998. He expanded his operation to an {{convert|11|acre}}, two-gym facility by 2003. In June 2008, a flood destroyed the facilities.

Chow was the personal coach of Shawn Johnson since 1998. He began working with Gabby Douglas in 2010. He is known for his fatherly affection toward his proteges. He was named the coach of the Chinese women's national gymnastics team in June 2018.{{cite news |title=Qiao Liang named as head coach of Chinese women's gymnastics team |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/28/c_137287808.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715101542/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/28/c_137287808.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |access-date=21 July 2021 |work=Xinhuanet |agency=Xinhua |date=28 June 2018}}