| Bi Wenjing | |
|---|---|
 ' | |
|
Country represented |
|
|
Born |
July 28 1981 |
|
Years on National Team |
1995-1999 |
|
Coach |
Lu Shanzhen |
|
Current status |
Retired |
Bi Wenjing (Chinese: 毕文静; pinyin: Bì Wénjìng; born July 28, 1981) is a Chinese gymnast. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning a silver medal in uneven bars, and placing fourth in the team competition with the Chinese team.
Early Career[]
After being inspired by Li Ning, 5 year old Bi began trying to tumble, even in the back of her dad's truck. She was noticed there by a coach, who advised her father to sign her up for classes. Less than a year later, in 1987, she began formally practicing the sport at the Shandong Xintai Gymnastics School, where her older sister trained. By 1990, she was a member of the Shandong provincial team.
Career[]
1995[]
Bi was officially made part of the Chinese national team in January 16, 1995, and thus, began competing in international competitions. She placed 1st in the All-Around at the Canberra Cup in Australia, beating Mina Kim of the United States, 12th in the All-Around at the Golden Sands International and 9th in the All-Around at the USA-BLR-CHN tri-meet, positioning herself as a candidate for the Chinese team for the Atlanta Games
1996[]
After an excellent performance, Bi finished 3rd in the All-Around at the Chinese Championships, and was selected as a member of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games team. She finished 91st in the preliminaries for the All-Around competition, but qualified for the Uneven Bars final. She placed 4th with the team. In the Uneven Bars final, held on the day of her 15th birthday, she finished 2nd, performing a daring routine including her own named element, the Bi turn and the Mo salto.
1997[]
After the Atlanta olympics, Bi gained much more notoriety in the international circuit. She was the Uneven Bars champion at the East Asian Games and the Swiss Cup, as well as 2nd on bars and 3rd on beam at the DTB Cup. Bi was selected for the team for the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne. She finished 3rd with the team and qualified to the Uneven Bars final, where she finished 3rd.
1998[]
Bi was a competitor in the 1998 FIG World Cup circuit, finishing 1st on beam and 2nd on bars at the Sagit Cup and winning the Bars final at the French International, which made her a qualifier for the World Cup Final, held in Sabae, Japan. There, she finished 6th on beam and won the Uneven Bars final, beating Svetlana Khorkina for the title, the reigning Olympic and World champion at the time, in the process, scoring a 9.887. She was also the national Bars champion that year.
1999[]
In her final year of competition, Bi competed at the World University Games, where she placed 6th in the All-Around, 3rd in the Team final and 3rd in the beam final. She retired afterwards.
After Gymnastics[]
After she retired from the sport, Bi entered the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and began working for Li Ning after graduating. Part of her job is the company's sponsorship of the Chinese national gymnastics team. She also opened a pizzeria in her native city some time later.
Medal Count[]
| Year | Event | TF | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Atlanta Olympic Games | 4 | 2nd | ||||
| 1997 | DTB Cup | 1st | 3rd | ||||
| Swiss Cup | 1st |
Floor Music[]
1996- "Standing in Motion" by Yanni