Top 10 Chinese athletes of 2021
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E-mail Xinhua, December 29, 2021
1. Yang Qian (female, shooting)
Yang Qian claimed the first gold of the Tokyo Olympics with victory in the women's 10m air rifle. She also paired with Yang Haoran to win gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. The 21-year-old became the country's first-ever double Olympic gold medalist born after 2000.
2. Su Bingtian (male, athletics)
Su Bingtian set a new Asian record in the men's 100-meter dash with a time of 9.83 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics semifinals to become the first Chinese sprinter to qualify for the final of the event. The 32-year-old also led the Chinese men's 4x100m relay team to finish fourth. He was then crowned the fastest man at the National Games in 9.95 seconds.
3. Shi Tingmao (female, diving)
Shi Tingmao, 30, swept four Olympic gold medals in both individual and synchronized 3m springboard events at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. She was named the Best Female Diver of the Year 2021 at the FINA World Aquatics Gala.
4. Ma Long (male, table tennis)
Ma Long retained his Olympic crown in the men's singles table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics. He also led China's men's team to win the Olympic title, making himself the most decorated table tennis player ever with 26 world and Olympic titles.
5. Gong Lijiao (female, athletics)
Four-time Olympian Gong Lijiao set her personal best in the women's shot put final at Tokyo 2020, winning an elusive Olympic gold medal in 20.58m. The victory marked China's first Olympic gold in field events.
6. Gu Ailing (female, freestyle skiing)
In March, Gu Ailing shone at the FIS Freeski World Championships, as she clinched two gold medals and a bronze. In December, the 18-year-old claimed her first Freeski big air World Cup title by stomping a right double cork 1440, which made her the first woman to land the trick in any freeski competition.
7. Lyu Xiaojun (male, weightlifting)
Lyu Xiaojun, 37, became the oldest man to win an Olympic gold medal in weightlifting with victory in the men's 81-kilogram category at Tokyo 2020. It was Lyu's third Olympic medal after gold (2012) and silver (2016) in the 77kg category, making him the first Chinese weightlifter to rack up more than two Olympic medals.
8. Zhang Yufei (female, swimming)
One of the breakthrough swimming stars at the Tokyo Olympics, Zhang won gold in the women's 200-meter butterfly with a dominating victory and helped China claim the title in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. She also won silver in the 100m butterfly and mixed 4x100m medley relay in Tokyo.
9. Wang Shun (male, swimming)
Wang Shun set an Asian record to win gold in the men's 200m individual medley at the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old also impressed at the 14th Chinese National Games, triumphing in six disciplines to lift his gold total to 15 from three editions of the quadrennial event.
10. Chen Yufei (female, badminton)
Chen Yufei, 23, was crowned the Olympic women's singles champion at Tokyo 2020 after defeating Chinese Taipei's world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying 2-1 in the final. She also successfully defended her National Games title.
