The 2005–06 season saw his breakthrough: he climbed his first World Cup podium with a silver medal at La Coruña, followed by a victory at Espinho and a bronze medal at the Torino World Championships.

He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was defeated in the quarter-finals by eventual gold medallist Benjamin Kleibrink.

[3] At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the gold medal in men's individual foil after defeating Egypt's Alaaeldin Abouelkassem with a score of 15-13.

[4] Along with 2013 world champion Miles Chamley-Watson of the United States, Lei was named “athlete role model” for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

[2] He was also chosen to bear the Chinese flag at the 2014 Asian Games[5] and the 2016 Summer Olympics.