During the 1960s Li Yaoxian played for the Chinese men’s volleyball team and later became a successful coach in the sport. Li was the head coach of the Hebei women’s volleyball team in 1981, training multiple future stars of the sport including Su Huijuan. After leading Hebei to a third-place finish in the National League in 1986 he was appointed as the head coach of the women’s national team the following year. Despite China winning the bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Li resigned as the team’s head coach as the result failed to meet with the high expectations placed on the team.
People's Republic of China