Li-Ning to clothe four national teams

While Nike will outfit the bulk of China's Olympic athletes, local sporting apparel giant Li-Ning will provide gear for four major Chinese teams, including table tennis, diving, gymnastics and shooting.

Li-Ning has provided clothing for Chinese athletes at Olympic awards ceremonies since the Barcelona Games in 1992, so the new sponsorship deal is a positive step forward for the company.

The company will emphasize new technologies and fashion in designing the outfits. A team of more than 100 people took two years to research and develop the outfits in Beijing, Hong Kong and the US.