Highs and lows

Yang Yang

Age: 40

Event: Speedskating

(short track)

Retired: 2006

Current career: IOC member and co-founder of Feiyang Skating Center. From becoming China's first Winter Olympics gold medalist (women's 500m at Salt Lake City 2002) to the country's first ex-athlete International Olympic Committee member, Yang spent eight years studying management and English while expanding her network in international sports federations.

Li Ning

Age: 53

Event: Gymnastics

Retired: 1998

Current career: Founder and chairman of sportswear maker Li Ning Co Ltd.

Li, a legendary Chinese Olympian, made his name by winning three gymnastics gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He later reinvented himself to become China's first athletics entrepreneur who now runs a sports goods business empire.

Yao Ming

Age: 35

Event: Basketball

Retired: 2011

Current career: Owner of Shanghai Sharks basketball club and a member of China's top political advisory body.

Arguably the best-known athlete from China, Yao has not let his influence fade after retiring in 2011. He now runs the CBA club Shanghai Sharks, multiple businesses including a wine brand, and is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Former champions who struggled after retiring from their sports:

Ai Dongmei

Age: 35

Event: Long-distance running

Retired: 2003

Ai, who won multiple marathons including the 1999 race in Beijing, faced a tough challenge making a living after retiring due to her lack of education. She even announced the sale of dozens of her medals in 2007 when she was unemployed and needed money.

Zhang Shangwu

Age: 32

Event: Gymnastics

Retired: 2005

After winning three gold medals at the 2001 Beijing Universiade, Zhang retired without a job after a foot injury ruled him out of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Struggling to make a living, he was caught by police stealing property at a Beijing school dormitory in 2007. After being released from detention, he tried to make money by performing acrobatic tricks in the streets of the capital.

Zou Chunlan

Age: 44

Event: Weightlifting

Retired: 1993

After winning the 48kg national title by setting a domestic record in 1990, Zou retired and began working at the Jilin provincial training base as a kitchen staff member. She also worked at a local public bathhouse giving female customers rubdowns after leaving the training base in 2000.