Male gymnast Lou Yun was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang in 1964. He entered Zhejiang Provincial Sports School from Hangzhou Sports School in 1973 and was selected to the national gymnastics training team in 1977.

With gold medals won in vault at the World Gymnastics Championships and Asian Games, he was renowned as the “king of vaulting” in the realm of gymnastics internationally. At the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, he clinched the championships in both gymnastics men’s team and men’s vault. In 1983, at the 22nd World Gymnastics Championships, he won the gold medals in men’s team and parallel bars. He was also the champion in men’s vault and runner-up in floor exercise at the 1984 Olympics.

He won the championships in gymnastics men’s team and men’s vault, and the third place in men’s all-around, parallel bars, and rings at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.