A year ago, they won glory for China. So what are these gold medalists doing now?

何雯娜 He Wenna, 20 – Trampoline
Women’s Trampoline

This bouncy star has been inundated with sponsorship offers because of her gold medal and, more importantly, her looks. She has shied away from the entertainment business but she is said to have earned RMB 20 million from endorsements in 2008. Currently training for next year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, her next goal is to marry a “talented gentleman” by 21 and have a baby as soon as possible. She added that she wants to “leave the kid to her parents to look after so she can go out to have fun.”

郭晶晶 Guo Jingjing, 28 – Diving
Women’s 3m Synchronized Springboard
(with Wu Minxia)
Women’s 3m Springboard

Guo’s still diving for Hebei and China, both in singles competitions and with Wu Minxia. Next up is the FINA World Championships in Rome this month. She’s also been studying Business Management at Renmin University. Guo made headlines when snapped with Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, grandson of Hong Kong tycoon Henry Fok. The two are now engaged, with rumors abounding that Guo received an apartment worth RMB 30 million from her fiancé.

杜丽 Du Li, 27 – Shooting
Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions

Still shooting, Du won a place for Shandong in the upcoming National Games in October. The Beijing Olympics were good to her; she fell in love with teammate Pang Wei, himself a gold medalist (Men’s 10m Air Pistol). He cheered up Du after her disappointing fifth-place performance in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol, and she won her own gold medal a few days later. The two have filled many column inches since they announced their relationship this January.

冼东妹 Xian Dongmei, 34 – Judo
Women’s 52kg

The only gold medal-winning mother in Team China. In 2007, after giving birth to a daughter, Xian resisted the urge to retire, instead taking only four months off before resuming training for the Beijing Olympics. She has now retired as champion and is a full-time mother to her child.

仲满 Zhong Man, 26 – Fencing
Men’s Saber

After the Olympics, where he won China’s first-ever fencing gold, Zhong married a university teacher whom he’d met in a restaurant. The wedding took place on September 19, making him the first of the 2008 champions to marry. Zhong is in training for the upcoming National Games, but he recently told Sina.com that he and his wife are planning to start a family this year as well.

邹凯 Zou Kai, 21 – Artistic Gymnastics
Men’s Horizontal Bar

The Sichuanese gymnast was rewarded with a 190sqm apartment by his hometown government for his exploits. Zou donated RMB 1 million to charities in the earthquake zone and also offered up his gold medal for auction to raise more money for charity.

杨威 Yang Wei, 29 – Artistic Gymnastics
Men’s Individual All-Around

Yang retired after the Olympics and recently took up the role of assistant coach for China’s gymnasts. Yang says that since the Games he’s taken part in too many social events to have time to practice. He’s also been busy with his pregnant wife, Yang Yun, a gymnast who retired after the Sydney Olympics. The two had been dating since 2000 and married last November.

张小平 Zhang Xiaoping, 27 – Boxing
Light Heavyweight

Zhang won the final gold medal for China at the Beijing Olympics. He was awarded RMB 1 million by the central and local governments, as well as a 90sqm apartment. He still lives on the grassland of Inner Mongolia and considers himself “one of the poorest Chinese gold medalists.”

邹市明 Zou Shiming, 28 – Boxing
Light Flyweight

Sina.com reported that legendary promoter Don King offered Zou USD 1 million to go professional. However, the government refused to allow Zou to join the ranks of the International Boxing Association, which suggests that he is seen as indispensable for the 2012 Games. Zou has remained tight-lipped on his feelings but will be boxing for China for the foreseeable future.

刘翔 Liu Xiang, 26 – Athletics
110m hurdles
Injured in qualifying heats

Before the Beijing Games, Liu Xiang was the poster boy of Chinese athletics, a hero of the 2004 Athens Games and one of the most marketable figures in China, advertising everything from Coca-Cola to milk. At the Beijing Games, he shattered the nation's dreams when he limped away from qualifying, succumbing to a longstanding injury. Now: Dead to us.