Liu Xiang, Zhang Yining voted nation's best
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-17 08:48

The Athens Olympic Games men's 110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang and China's table tennis new queen Zhang Yining were named as the best male and female athletes of the 2005 China Top Ten Benefiting Laureus Sports For Good Awards last night in Shenzhen.

China's 110m hurdles Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang reacts after he was awarded the Best Male Athlete of the 2005 China Top Ten Benefiting Laureus Sports For Good Awards Wednesday in Shenzhen, March 16, 2005. [newsphoto]

Liu, becoming the first Chinese male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in a track event, and he defeated two candidates as expected to take the top award.

Liu had swept almost all the honours in different awards since his successful Athens sojourn and he was handed the award last night by Edwin Moses, the US Olympic champion and 400m hurdles legend also the chairman of Laureus World Sports Academy.

"I don't think I will sleep tonight because I got the award from Moses, my idol," said an excited Liu.

"I started my hurdling career by learning from Moses because everyone knows he is the best hurdler of all time," he added.

Zhang, the double gold table tennis medal winner in Athens, proved she is ready to take the baton from her teammate Wang Nan, a double gold winner at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The baby-faced Beijinger won the category which also includes other two Olympic champions in Athens.

Zhu Qinan, the Athens Games men's air rifle winner, was named as the best male newcomer as Xing Huina, the surprising 10,000m winner in Athens, was named as the best female newcomer.

Chen Zhonghe who led the China's women's volleyball team to win an Olympic gold in Athens Games, was named as the best coach as his squad, winning back the Olympic title after 20 years, was named as the best team.

Luo Xuejuan, the outspoken swimmer who won China's sole swimming gold in Athens on women's 100m breaststroke, was named as the most popular athlete.

Li Ting and Sun Tiantian, the duo who upset a strong field to win a stunning tennis gold on women's doubles in Athens, won the best breakthrough award.

The disabled swimmer He Junquan, who won four gold medals from the Athens Paralympic Games, was named as the best disabled athlete while Xie Jun, the four-time chess world champion who anchored Chinese women's team to defend its world team title last year, was named as the best non-Olympic sports athlete.

Yuan Weimin, the former head of China's State General Administration of Sports, was awarded the lifetime honour.

The awards is the combination of the traditional China Top Ten Athletes Award and the global Laureus Sports Award.

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