Lining: From 106 Gold Medals To 1 Billion 600 Million Worth.

"I am an entrepreneur with 14 years of business history. Please stop treating me as a star icon."

Lining, the gymnast prince who won 106 gold medals in the past, stood back at the stage again. When he said that it was in June 2004, Lining Sports Products Co., Ltd. was listed in Hongkong.

Standing on the stage is no longer the young boy with a charming smile, but a middle-aged man who is strong and short, with white hair on his temples and a face full of vicissitudes.

"I am a businessman now," he explained again and again.

Lining's stock (2331.HK) was officially listed on the main board of Hongkong in June 28, 2004. As the first domestic sporting goods brand listed in Hongkong, the opening price increased by 8% on the opening day. The number of public offering in Hongkong was 132.2 times the total number of tentatively issued shares, and the international placement also had an over subscription of about 11 times, and Lining shares were sought after by the capital market.

As chairman of the Li Ning Co, Lining and his family control 46.294% of the company's stock, a total of 456484000 shares, at a paction price of HK $3.675, Lining is worth up to 1 billion 677 million.

Lining retired from the 1988 to 2004 when Lining (company) went public, and in the past 16 years, he was in a swing.

Lining himself, from the former Prince of gymnastics to the fortune star who has been highly sought after in the capital market, is not a big change. And the success of this pformation is only a handful of Li Ningyi in China's numerous world champions.

How did he do it?

What pains and pains, happiness or sadness has he experienced?

How far is the journey from a good athlete to a successful businessman?

The first part: Transformation: leaving the arena, entering the mall, whose magic?

106 gold medal won't come easily. In 1963, Lining was born in a teacher's family in Liuzhou, Guangxi. He started gymnastics at the age of 7 and entered the national gymnastics team at the age of 17.

In 1981, Lining, 18, won three championships in men's floor exercise, pommel horse and rings in the World University Games. Since then, he began to create an unprecedented era of Lining's gymnastics.

In the sixth World Cup Gymnastics Competition in 1982, Lining alone won 6 men's 7 gold medals, creating the myth of World Gymnastics history. Lining, 19, was praised as the gymnast prince by the world. In 1984, in the 23 Losangeles Olympic Games, Lining won 3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze and nearly 1/5 of the total medal of the Chinese delegation. He also became the athlete who won the most medals in the Olympic Games. In 1986, he won the Seventh World Cup gymnastics men's individual all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse three champion.

From 1970, he entered gymnastic school and began to learn gymnastics to retire in 1988. During his 18 years' sports career in Lining, he won 106 gold medals in major gymnastic competitions at home and abroad, including 92 national championships and 14 World Championships.

The International Gymnastics Federation named Lining parallel bars, pommel horse Lining, Lining 1 and Lining 2 with his actions.

In 1999, Lining was selected as the best player in the world in twentieth Century. His name and 25 sports stars, including Ali, Bailey and Jordan, reached the summit of sports in the century.

It's a brilliant Lining era.

Before 1988, Lining was full of glory and glory. He is the star idol of the whole nation. Flowers, applause, glare, and five star red flag, national anthem, and of course sweat and injury training.

In 1988, Lining's gymnastics road was rewritten.

In that year's Seoul Olympic Games, Lining accidentally lost in the last match and fell off the ring.

Although he walked down the field as usual with a smile, but returned to the capital airport, Li Ningjin, who lost the gold medal, could not help but feel sad and lonely.

Then Lining announced his retirement. That year, he was 26 years old.

In the growth of Lining, Li Jingwei, the founder of Jianlibao group, is a figure that can not be ignored.

If Lining was lucky enough to be recognized by the national gymnastics team coach Zhang Jian at the age of 17, he chose Lining to the national team and sent Lining to the Olympic podium. Zhang Jian was the noble of Lining's life, and after he left the army, he was also the most important coach in his life.

Li Jingwei is an orphan born in Sanshui City, Guangdong.

Li Jingwei was a basketball enthusiast from childhood. He served as deputy director of the Sports Committee of Sanshui County in Guangdong for 13 years, and later served as director of Sanshui brewery.

In 1984, Li Jingwei saw a sports drink formula, and Jianlibao was born.

Since the development and production of Jianlibao in 1984, under the planning and operation of Li Jingwei, it has been designated as the national training team to designate drinks. In the same year Losangeles Olympic Games, it was designated as the designated beverage for Chinese athletes.

It was because of this opportunity that Lining and Li Jingwei met each other.

Li Jingwei liked the simplicity and ingenuity of Lining. Lining admired Li Jingwei's business vision and the rich experience of running the company. Two Li soon became an old friend.

In the [Page]1988 defeat in Seoul, Lining fell from the flowers and applause to the ground, and the public opinion was changed from the original praise to the blame.

The society at that time was far less open and tolerant than today, and the whole nation placed great trust in the world champion. It is difficult for the Chinese to accept the prince's mistake with a tolerant attitude.

With heavy pressure, Lining silently savor the warmth and warmth of human feelings. At this time, Li Jingwei gave timely understanding and encouragement.

On the day when Lining returned from the Seoul Olympics, at the capital airport, Lining avoided a busy media reporter and walked alone in the remote passageway. When he came to greet him with flowers, only Li Jingwei and Lining took the flowers in Li Jingwei's hands. In December 16, 1988, Lining held a grand farewell party in the stadium.

Two Li's friendship can be seen from this.

After Lining retired, he did not know where to go.

At this time, the road before Lining and many retired athletes are not coaches or government officials: the Guangxi Sports Committee invited him to be deputy director of the Guangxi Sports Committee, and he was hired by some overseas country as coach of the national team. Even the performing arts community invited Lining to join.

When Lining was at a loss, Li Jingwei appeared again: I think you should put your eyes on the long term and think more deeply. After jumping out of the army, athletes are not going abroad to be officials, redesigning a road and making it a model.

Li Jingwei later said in his memory: at that time, Lining thought of setting up a gymnastic school in Shenzhen.

I said, only by sponsoring, we must have the backing of the economy, so that is a stable and long-term way of thinking. So I suggest whether he should rely on the economy to develop sports.

Lining became a special assistant to the general manager. For Li Jingwei's suggestion, Lining deliberate for a long time.

At that time, the boom of nationwide business was rising, and from the nature of Lining, who was 26 years old, he hoped to experience a richer life in a big society. After all, he entered the sports school from the age of 7, and the youth of the 17 years spent on the parallel bars.

He felt that he was young, and he should learn more knowledge and have a richer life experience.

Li Jingwei invited Lining to join Jianlibao, and promoted Lining's personal star effect to enhance Jianlibao and produce Lining sports products with the strength of Jianlibao.

In 1989, Jianlibao, like zhongzhongtian, is the only domestic sports drink that can compete with foreign brands such as Coca-Cola. It is also the designated beverage of Chinese athletes. It has the name of China's magic water, and its annual sales volume is nearly 50 tons.

Li Jingwei's hospitality, the brand of Jianlibao, the potential of China's sports industry and the vision that Li Jingwei described at that time really touched Lining deeply.

In April 21, 1989, Guangdong Jianlibao Group Co., Ltd. held a ceremonious engagement ceremony. Li Jingwei delivered a letter of red letter to the assistant general manager of Guangdong Jianlibao Group Co., Ltd., solemnly to Lining.

In front of dozens of reporters who came all the way from all over the place, under the glowing lights, Lining had an unbearable excitement: the reason why I joined in Jianlibao business was that I wanted to develop a new sports industry with boundless potential for China's retired athletes.

Perhaps, such a thing does not seem to be very important today, but at that time, we need not only vision but also courage.

Especially for a gymnast with 106 gold medals, it takes a bit of courage and courage to go to Guangdong, such an unknown town of Sanshui.

Although the public opinion of the gymnastics prince had some criticism at that time, Lining had no hesitation.

In May 1989, Lining joined Jianlibao.

Since then, Lining has embarked on a new and arduous road.

Lining first came to Jianlibao, mainly in charge of public relations propaganda, market planning and organizing sports clothing factory.

With an instinctive instinct and the vision raised by many overseas competitions, Lining proposed a new advertising campaign with strong impact and sporty sports, and he played it himself.

This proposal, together with the advertising cost at the time of astronomical figures of 600 thousand yuan, was fully supported by Li Jingwei.

After the broadcast of CCTV's golden time, the advertisement got a huge social response. In this year, sales of Jianlibao increased by 30 million yuan.

[Page] diligent and diligent, quick thinking, simple and kindhearted, with a strong dedication.

This is Li Jingwei's evaluation of Lining in those days, and the foundation of his trust and support for Lining.

Lining is an athlete, he doesn't know the economy.

To Jianli Bao, I threw him in the swimming pool and let him learn it himself.

Lining is young, intelligent and good personality. He can learn to swim.

I'm just looking at the shore and being a lifeguard. When I can't do it, I'll stretch out my hand again.

Then I let go and look again.

Several times down, Lining would swim better than me, more than me.

After months of joining Jianlibao, Li Jingwei encouraged him to take up the clothing factory's plan.

But where does the money come from?

Although Jianlibao was famous at that time, Jianlibao's initial advertising cost was entirely supported by borrowing money, and even borrowed money to sponsor sports journalists and group to go abroad for interviews.

Without the money to open the factory, Lining and Li Jingwei decided to find some foreign manufacturers to form Sino foreign joint ventures, and foreign businessmen could help open up overseas markets.

Accompanied by Li Jingwei, Lining went out to lobby for investment.

Because of the celebrity effect of the gymnastic prince, they soon signed three cooperation intentions with foreign businessmen.

Lining himself did not expect things to go so smoothly.

Soon, Singapore KINGE Industrial Co., Ltd. went to Sanshui site inspection, the two sides signed a contract.

The Jianlibao sportswear company, a Sino Singapore joint venture, was established, mainly engaged in the production and operation of Lining's sportswear. Lining served as general manager.

After less than eight months' construction, 5000 square meters of factory buildings were completed in Sanshui City.

On the roof, a huge billboard is very striking: Lining.

A brand is definitely not enough. How can we get to know and accept this brand?

After all, he has had 17 years of career as an athlete. Lining immediately thought of the Eleventh Asian Games to be held in Beijing, and thought of the remarkable Asian Games torch relay.

However, the torch relay Office of the Asian Games issued a high price of 3 million dollars for buying the torch relay of the Asian Games, whether Lining or Jianlibao could not afford it at all.

At this time, Lining's public relations ability and celebrity effect once again played a role. He mobilized his old relationship with the National Sports Committee, and infected the leadership of the work place with a patriotic emotion. If the torch relay's right to fall into the hands of foreign companies, it would be a shame for the 1 billion 200 million Chinese.

After some negotiations, the torch relay relay of the Asian Games is finally sponsored by Jianlibao, which costs only 2 million 500 thousand yuan.

On August, 1990, in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau on the roof of the world, Lining, as an athlete's representative, dressed in snow-white Lining sportswear, solemnly received the torch of the Asian Games from the Tibetan girl Dava Ozon.

200 million people were directly involved in the process of the torch relay throughout the Asian Games. 2 billion 500 million Chinese and foreign audiences learned about Jianlibao and Lining from the news media.

From this moment on, Lining was really born.

This is not only the success of a public relations plan, but also a perfect appearance of Lining's business talent, and is the first in the history of Lining's development.

The success of the sponsorship greatly increased the strength of the new Li Ning Co and stimulated Lining.