Source:REUTERS/Arko Datta
[Saba Sports News] Zhou Haodong, the world badminton champion, recently held his wedding in Ningbo, Zhejiang, officially marrying his girlfriend of ten years, Liu Siqi. Badminton Olympic champions Zheng Siwei, Huang Yaqiong, and Wang Yilu attended the ceremony to offer their congratulations. Former head coach of China’s national badminton team Li Yongbo, Olympic champions Chen Long, Fu Haifeng, and Zhang Nan, among others, sent their blessings via video. The wedding became a grand gathering of big names from the badminton world — clearly Zhou Haodong is well liked. According to available information, Zhou’s wife Liu Siqi used to be a national-level athlete in Chinese rhythmic gymnastics and was once called a “gymnastics goddess” by fans; she is now a physical-education teacher at Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University. The two met and fell in love when they were teenagers and endured a decade-long long-distance relationship. It must be said that their love is very deep and they overcame many difficulties — otherwise Zhou Haodong would not have shed tears at the wedding.
The editor believes that calling Liu Siqi a “gymnastics goddess” is an informal, subjective compliment. While it reflects her athletic background and public image, Liu Siqi is not an internationally renowned gymnast, and there are no records of her competing at the highest-level FIG international events such as the Olympics, World Championships, or World Cup series.