Swimmers win Best Athletes of the Year

China's leading swimmers, Zhang Lin and Liu Zige, were named the Best Male and Female Athletes of the Year at the 2009 CCTV Sports Personality of the Year Awards ceremony on Saturday night at Peking University.

World champion Zhang (pictured) beat four other nominees, including multiple badminton world champion Lin Dan and triple gymnastics Olympic gold medalist Zou Kai to win the men's title. World record holder Liu edged diving queen Guo Jingjing and world marathon champion Bai Xue to claim the women's crown.

Regarded as China's "Sports Oscars", the awards honor the most outstanding teams and individuals in sport over the past year.

Other winners included men's race walking World Championships silver medalist Wang Hao, who won Newcomer of the Year, and men's triple jumper Li Yanxi, who broke the 28-year-old national record and was rewarded for that effort with Special Contribution of the Year.

(China Daily 01/18/2010 page24)