Wu Jiani competing bars in the 1981 USA-CHN dual meet. Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.
That straddle over to catch in Eagle grip was a first. (We called it the “Keegan” on horizontal bar at my gym after Steve Keegan who was the first male we ever saw do it.)
Trivia – Wu Jiani was also the first to compete the Yurchenko Loop (bwd handspring to back hip circle) on beam, but China did not submit the skill to FIG.
Next, Anna Li — her daughter — in 2007 competing bars for UCLA. MONSTER Tkachev!
Click PLAY or watch Anna on YouTube.
Anna was 4th AA at the NCAA Championships last year. Anna’s very ambitious to continue improving. (She won the all-around for her third consecutive meet last weekend.)
Anna’s father is the famous “Thunder Thighs Li”, first world champion on any apparatus for China in 1981. Thunder Thighs, an American citizen, is actually back in Beijing, one of the Head Coaches of the Chinese National women’s team.
Want to know more? Read Chinese Legends Make Long-Distance Marriage Work on International Gymnast magazine.
An amazing gymnastics family!
Gymnastics Coaching.com 