Sang Lan (Simplified Chinese: 桑兰) (born June 11, 1981, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China) is a former Chinese gymnast, television personality and student. Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ningbo (Simplified Chinese: 宁波; Traditional Chinese: 寧波; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ning-po; literally Tranquil Waves) is a seaport sub-provincial city in northeastern Zhejiang province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Zhejiang (Chinese: 浙江; pinyin: Zhèjiāng; Wade-Giles: Che-chiang; Postal System Pinyin: Chehkiang or Chekiang) is a eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics or rhythmic gymnastics. ...

Sang achieved excellence in gymnastics at a young age, winning the all-around and every single event final at the 1991 Zhejiang Province Championships. By 1995 she was competing nationally. Sang was one of China's strongest vaulters, placing second on the event at the 1995 Chinese Nationals. While she never represented China at the Olympics or World Gymnastics Championships, she did compete at the 1996 and 1997 American Cup meets and was selected for the 1998 Goodwill Games team. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The World Gymnastics Championships are held every year. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Goodwill Games were an international athletics competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympics of the 1980s. ...

In New York at the Goodwill Games, during warmups for the vault event final, Sang fell while she was performing a timer (a simple vault, used by the athlete to familiarize herself with the apparatus and warm up). She could not raise herself from the mat and was taken to the hospital. Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi  (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

Tests indicated that she had fractured and dislocated her C6 and C7 vertebrae and injured her spinal cord. The result of the injury was paralysis from the mid-chest down.

Sang remained in New York City for almost a year, rehabilitating at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation affiliated with Mt. Sinai Hospital. Many celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Christopher Reeve visited and offered their support; she was also invited to participate in the New Year's Eve festivities in Times Square as an honored guest. Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... Leonardo DiCaprio during press conference on The Beach, 2000 Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor well known for roles in blockbuster movies like Titanic (1997) and The Aviator (2004), and was famed for his far reaching global celebrity influence dubbed as Leo... Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer renowned for his film portrayal of Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent in four films from 1978-1987. ...

Since returning to China, Sang has become a celebrity and an advocate for the disabled. A television miniseries about her life was produced in the late 1990s; she was portrayed by her former gymnastics teammate Mo Huilan. Sang also hosts her own show, Sang Lan Olympics 2008. on STAR TV, a Mandarin-language television channel. She was an ambassador for Beijing's successful 2008 Olympics bid and has been selected as an Olympic relay torchbearer. Mo Huilan (born 1979) is a Chinese gymnast who competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. ... For the Turkish television channel, see Star TV. STAR (Satellite Television for Asian Region) is an Asian TV service owned by the News Corporation. ... Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: Běifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ...

Sang is currently a student at Peking University. She has continued a rigorous physical therapy regime and has regained some use of her arms and hands. She has also expressed an interest in returning to competitive sports and wishes to represent China as a ping-pong player at the 2008 Paralympic Games. Regional competition level table tennis, showing table, net, and player getting ready to return the ball with a winning backhand topspin stroke. ... Silver 2004 The Paralympic Games are an elite multi-sport event for athletes with a disability. ...

External links and sources

• "Sang Lan's schooling on wheelchair" China Daily, November 27, 2003
• "Smiling Sang Lan". Xinhua News Agency, August 29, 2003
• "Sang takes up new sport." International Gymnast magazine, October 25, 2000