BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- As the sporting calendar draws to a close, Xinhua News Agency has selected the top 10 Chinese athletes for 2025:
1. Shi Yuqi (male, badminton)
Shi claimed the men's singles title at the 2025 BWF World Championships, ending a decade-long title drought for China in the event. He also became the first Chinese player in the BWF World Tour era to sweep the four Super 1000 events. Shi helped China secure a fourth consecutive Sudirman Cup, and led Jiangsu to its sixth National Games men's team title. The 29-year-old was awarded the BWF Men's Singles Player of the Year.
2. Gong Lijiao (female, athletics)
36-year-old Gong overcame lingering injuries to win the women's shot put title in her National Games farewell, achieving an unprecedented fifth consecutive National Games crown in athletics. Over a 25-year career, Gong has completed a career Grand Slam, winning titles at the Olympic Games, World Championships and National Games.
3. Liu Huanhua (male, weightlifting)
Liu lifted a total of 414kg to win the men's 102kg title at the 15th National Games, beating the previous world record of 413kg that he had set and establishing a new national record. With the victory, he completed a full set of gold medals from the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, Asian Games and National Games, becoming the first Chinese male heavyweight lifter to achieve a career Grand Slam.
4. Sun Yingsha (female, table tennis)
Sun retained her women's singles titles at this year's World Championships and World Cup. Partnering with Wang Chuqin, she also completed a third consecutive mixed doubles world title. Meanwhile, Sun has remained as the year-end world No. 1 in women's singles for four consecutive years.
5. Chen Yuxi (female, diving)
Chen won three gold medals at the World Championships in women's 10m platform, women's synchronized 10m platform and mixed team. Her victory in the individual platform marked her fourth world title in the event, making her the first diver in history to achieve the feat. She also secured a fourth consecutive synchronized world title, second only to the five-title record held by compatriot Chen Ruolin. Chen added two gold medals in the women's individual and synchronized 10m platform at the National Games. She was named the 2025 Female Diving Athlete of the Year by World Aquatics.
6. Su Yiming (male, snowboarding)
After recovering from injuries, Su returned in strong form during the Olympic season. He claimed back-to-back victories at the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Ski Big Air World Cup, which earned him the overall Big Air World Cup title for the 2025-26 season.
7. Zou Jingyuan (male, gymnastics)
Zou continued his dominance on the parallel bars, becoming the first four-time winner in the event at the World Championships before completing a third consecutive National Games title. At the 15th National Games, he also clinched gold medal in the all-around event, which consisted of pommel horse, rings and parallel bars.
8. Hu Kai (male, shooting)
Hu collected nine gold medals on the international stage in 2025, including sweeping all men's 10m air pistol titles at the ISSF World Cup series from April to December. He also won the mixed team title at the World Championships and was named the ISSF Pistol Men's Athlete of the Year.
9. Qin Haiyang (male, swimming)
After setbacks at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Qin rebounded strongly at the World Championships, winning gold medals in the men's 100m and 200m breaststroke and a bronze in the 50m breaststroke, becoming the only Asian swimmer to claim gold at this year's championships.
10. Jiang Yuyan (female, para swimming)
At China's 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, Jiang won gold in all nine events she competed. She helped Zhejiang break the national record in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay (34-point classification) with a time of 4:08.06. In April, Jiang was named the winner of the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award. ■
