Li Xuemei
Li Xuemei (Chinese: 李雪梅; pinyin: Lǐ Xuěméi; born February 1, 1977 in Guanghan, Sichuan) is a retired Chinese sprinter. She is the fastest Asian woman in history with a personal best time of 10.79 in the 100m and a 22.01 in the 200m, both ran during the National Games of China.
Early years
Coming from a modest family, she started practising athletics in 1988 at the Guanghan Amateur Sports School.
At the age of 18, Li easily won the 100m (11.36) and the 200m (22.93, national junior record) at the Chinese City Games, a quadrennial competition for athletes under 21.
One year later, she took part to the World Junior Championships in both events and was eliminated in the first round.
World Championships and 1997 National Games of China
In June 1997, during the Chinese Championships held in Chengdu, Li broke the Chinese record on 100m in 11.05 s and won the 200m in 22.60 s, setting a new personal best in the process. She was part of the Sichuan 4 x 100 m team which broke the Chinese record in 43.13 seconds.