Off the wire
• 2nd Ld: China adopts first counter-terrorism law  • Strike team sent to combat California brush fire  • China adopts law on awarding state medals, titles of honor  • China passes law amendments to boost bilingual teaching among ethnic minorities  • NBA MVP Curry shoots way to AP male athlete of year  • 1st Ld: China adopts first counter-terrorism law  • China's top legislature to convene annual session on March 5  • Lawmakers approve China's first law against domestic violence  • NBA standings  • NBA results  
You are here: 　 Home

(Sports Focus) Yearender: Chinese athletes of year voted by Xinhua

Xinhua, December 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Following are the top 10 Chinese athletes of the year of 2015 voted by Xinhua:

   1. Su Bingtian (track and field)

   Su clocked a career best of 9.99 seconds to finish third behind American Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers in the men's 100-meter race at the 2015 IAAF Diamond League Eugene meet on May 30, becoming the first Chinese to dip under the 10-second barrier in 100m. Three months later at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, the 26-year-old clocked 9.99s again to become the first Chinese to reach the men's 100m final in the worlds. He also steered the country's 4x100 meter men's relay team to a shock silver medal at the world championships behind Usain Bolt's all-conquering Jamaica.

   2. Ning Zetao (swimming)

   Ning won the men's 100-meter freestyle final in 47.84 seconds at the world championships in Kazan, Russia, on August 6. The 22-year-old became the first man from Asia to win a medal of any color in the blue-ribbion 100 free at the worlds since 1973.

   3. Zhu Ting (volleyball)

   Zhu helped the Chinese women's volleyball team win their fourth FIVB World Cup title and secure a berth at the 2016 Olympics. The 21-year-old spiker was also voted as the Most Valuable Player of the event.

   4. Liu Hong (track and field)

   Liu captured the gold medal in the women's 20km race walk at the world championships in Beijing in August. The 28-year-old also broke the world record at the Spanish leg of the 2015 IAAF Race Walking Challenge in La Coruna, Spain in June.

   5. Sun Yang (swimming)

   Sun won the men's 400m and 800m free titles at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, in August. The 24-year-old also took a silver medal in the 200m and was re-elected as the best male athlete of the event.

   6. Guo Chuan (sailing)

   Along with his crew from France, Germany and Russia, Guo Chuan completed a non-stop, non-supply voyage through the Northeast Passage of the Arctic Ocean from the Russian city of Murmansk to the Bering Straits in 13 days, which covered 3,240 nautical miles, becoming the first team to do so. 

   7. Yi Jianlian (basketball)

   Yi, a former NBA player, played a pivotal role in China's triumph in the Asian Championship in October. The 28-year-old was named the MVP of the tournament.

   8. Chen Penbin (ultra-marathon)

   The 37-year-old distance runner completed a feat of running 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days. He started the challenge in Guangzhou on April 2 and finished the 100th marathon in Beijing on July 10.

   9. Chen Long (badminton)

   Chen retained the men's singles crown at the badminton world championships after beating Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) in the final on August 16. The 26-year-old also helped China win the Sudirman Cup for the sixth straight time in May. A steady and impressive run in 2015 has enabled Chen to become the first ever player whose world ranking points reach 100,000.

   10. Zheng Zhi (soccer)

   As the captain of Guangzhou Evergrande, Zheng led his team to their second AFC Champions League title in three years and the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup. The 35-year-old midfielder was short-listed for the Asian Player of the Year award in 2015.  Endi