# Li Ling (pole vaulter)

Li Ling (Chinese: 李玲; pinyin: Lǐ Líng; born 6 July 1989) is a Chinese athlete, who specialises in the pole vault.
She competed at the 2006 World Junior Championships, but no-heighted in the final. She achieved indoor and outdoor personal bests in 2008, clearing 4.45 metres indoors in Beijing in February and repeating the feat outdoors two months later in Hangzhou.
She represented her country at the 2008 Summer Olympics but her mark of 4.15 m in the qualifying round was not enough to progress to the final. She fared better at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, but her season's best mark of 4.40 m was ten centimetres off making the final competition.
She matched her personal best to take the gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games. The vault was one centimetre off Zhang Yingning's Asian record in the event.
On September 8, 2013, she achieved a new Asian record at the Chinese National Games in Shenyang, China with 4.65 m.
Since then Li had achieved Asian record in women's pole vault for another 3 times —— first time was 2015 Asian Athletics Championships in Wuhan which she raised her record by one centimeter to 4.66m, second time was 2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha she became the first Asian female pole vaulter to cross the height of 4.70m, last time in 2019 Diamond League Shanghai she finished second with 4.72m, a record that stands till now.
Li won the women's pole vault event at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup with mark of 4.55m, remarkably, this was the sole first-place finish for Asia-Pacific team at that tournament.
After 4 consecutive Olympics appearances, Li suddenly withdrew from 2024 Olympic Games before Team China's departure to France due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

## Career

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
| Representing China |||||
| 2006 | World Junior Championships | Beijing, China | 1st (q) | 4.00 m |
| 2007 | Asian Championships | Amman, Jordan | – | NM |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 27th (q) | 4.15 m |
| 2009 | Universiade | Belgrade, Serbia | 6th | 4.30 m |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 18th (q) | 4.40 m |
| 2009 | Asian Indoor Games | Hanoi, Vietnam | 1st | 4.45 m |
| 2009 | East Asian Games | Hong Kong, China | 2nd | 4.05 m |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 16th (q) | 4.20 m |
| 2010 | Asian Games | Guangzhou, China | 2nd | 4.30 m |
| 2011 | Asian Championships | Kobe, Japan | 2nd | 4.30 m |
| 2011 | Universiade | Shenzhen, China | – | NM |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 29th (q) | 4.25 m |
| 2012 | Asian Indoor Championships | Hangzhou, China | 1st | 4.50 m |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 30th (q) | 4.25 m |
| 2013 | Asian Championships | Pune, India | 1st | 4.54 m |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 11th | 4.45 m |
| 2014 | Continental Cup | Marrakesh, Morocco | 1st | 4.55 m |
| 2014 | Asian Games | Incheon, South Korea | 1st | 4.35 m |
| 2015 | Asian Championships | Wuhan, China | 1st | 4.66 m AR |
| 2015 | Universiade | Gwangju, South Korea | 1st | 4.45 m |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 9th | 4.60 m |
| 2016 | Asian Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 4.70 m AR |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 16th (q) | 4.55 m |
| 2017 | Asian Championships | Bhubaneswar, India | 2nd | 4.20 m |
| 2018 | Asian Games | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1st | 4.60 m |
| 2019 | Asian Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 4.61 m |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 13th | 4.50 m |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | – | NM |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 6th | 4.60 m |
| 2023 | Asian Championships | Bangkok, Thailand | 1st | 4.66 m |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 13th (q) | 4.60 m |
| 2023 | Asian Games | Hangzhou, China | 1st | 4.63 m |
| 2024 | Asian Indoor Championships | Tehran, Iran | 1st | 4.51 m |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 11th | 4.40 m |

## Personal bests

| Event | Best (m) | Venue | Date |
| Pole vault (outdoor) | 4.72 (AR) | Shanghai, China | 18 May 2019 |
| Pole vault (indoor) | 4.70 (AR) | Doha, Qatar | 19 February 2016 |
* All information taken from IAAF profile.