Li Lingwei 李玲蔚 |
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Personal information | |
Country | China |
Born |
Lishui, Zhejiang, China |
January 7, 1964
Li Lingwei (Chinese: 李玲蔚, born January 7, 1964) is a Chinese badminton player of the 1980s who ranks among the greatest in the history of the women's game.
A brilliant all-around player whose court coverage and net play were particularly impressive, she maintained an overall edge on her teammate, rival, and sometimes doubles partner Han Aiping. 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 retired in 1989, and was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.
Li Lingwei never competed in the Olympics because badminton did not become an Olympic sport until 1992. 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. 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".