Name: Cheng Fei

Sport: Gymnastics

Date of Birth: May 29, 1988

Home: Hubei Province

Height: 1.41 meters

Weight: 32 kg

Experience

1995: student in Hubei Huangshi Amateur Sport School

1997: student in Affiliated School of Competitive Sports of Wuhan Institute of P.E.

1999: member of Hubei Gymnastics Team

2001: member of National Gymnastics Team

Major achievements

2003 Japan Junior Gymnastics Competition: horse-vaulting champion

2003 Asian Gymnastics Championship: team title, horse-vaulting and free exercise champion

2004 National Gymnastics Championship: balance beam and free exercise champion

2005 World Gymnastics Championship: horse-vaulting champion

2006 World Gymnastics Championship: team title, horse-vaulting and free exercise champion

Cheng Fei is the first gymnast to ever land a laid out Khorkina: a round-off, half turn onto the vault, then a 540-degree twist in the laid out position.

She completed the move in the 38th World Gymnastics Championship in Melbourne. The International Gymnastics Federation named it "the Cheng."

In 2005, Cheng won her first gold medal in horse-vaulting for the national team.

In 2006 in Copenhagen, Cheng successfully defended her horse-vaulting championship. She also won the free exercise event and helped the Chinese team win the gold medal.

It is not easy to get inside the complicated mind of Cheng Fei. Even Liu Qunlin, her coach, said that she has known Cheng Fei for many years but "cannot fully understand what the girl thinks."

Instead of taking an interest in things other women her age enjoy, such as fashion, she spends most of her spare time reading classic books.

(China.org.cn June 16, 2008)