Li Yongbo


Li Yongbo is a retired Chinese male badminton player and the former head coach of China national [badminton team|Chinese National Badminton Team].

Career

As a player, he was a men's doubles specialist noted for his quickness, reflexes, and power. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s he shared numerous international titles with his regular partner Tian Bingyi. They were contemporaries and rivals of the famous Korean pair Park Joo-bong and Kim Moon-soo, largely dividing badminton's biggest doubles events between them for about eight seasons. Among many other tournaments around the world Li and Tian captured the World Championships in 1987 and 1989, the prestigious All-England Championships in 1987, 1988, and 1991, and the Danish Open in 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991. They also played on Chinese Thomas Cup teams that won consecutive world team titles in 1986, 1988, and 1990. Late in their partnership they won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
As the Chinese badminton women's doubles coach during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, his players were banned from competition for "tanking" their match against South Korea, who won the match but were also banned similarly. Li has admitted his role in the scandal; insiders say Li used fear tactics and intimidation to a strategic advantage in national and Olympic competition. By losing, his team would have avoided playing another Chinese team.
Following the conclusion of the Rio Olympics, where China won two gold medals, he stood down in 2017.

Achievements

Olympic Games

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1988Seoul National University Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea

World Championships

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1985Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

World Cup

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1984Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia

Asian Games

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1986Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea

IBF World Grand Prix (28 titles, 8 runners-up)

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation since from 1983 to 2006.
Men's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1984Denmark Open