SPORTS> China
Rising stars at National Games
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-29 09:03

Zhejiang, 17, athletics

The high school student defeated a strong field including the nation's No 1, Xie Limei, to win the women's long jump with a personal best of 6.74 meters. Her effort was also the best by a Chinese athlete over the past four years. Lu won the event at the World Junior Championships with a leap of 6.22m three months ago.

Guan Xinlei

Jiangsu, 18, weightlifting

Once a training partner of two-time Olympic champion Chen Yanqing, Guan proved herself on the national stage by surpassing the world records in snatch and total en route to winning the women's 63kg category. She edged world champion Ouyang Xiaofang by a lighter body weight as both lifted 265kg in a thrilling competition.

Huang Maoxing/Li Qiang

Guangdong, 19/20, canoeing

The pair defeated the world-class duo of Yang Wenjun, two-time Olympic champion in C 500m, and Zhang Zhiwu, fifth place in C 1,000m at the Beijing Olympics, twice to win the C 500m and C 1,000m at the Games. Huang and Li are seen as the most likely successors to Yang and his Olympic gold-medal winning partner, Meng Guanliang

Yang Yang

Shanghai, 14, sailing

Yang has set himself major goals after leading his home Shanghai Optimist team to victory. The Under-15 world team champion hopes to follow the path of Xu Lijia, the female champion at the 2001 and 2002 OP World Championships who went on to win the Laser Radial class single-handed dinghy event at 2006 World Championships and claim bronze at last year's Beijing Olympic Games.

Sui Lu

Shanghai, 16, gymnastics

Sui led the Shanghai team to victory in the women's team event by upsetting a Guangdong side which fielded Li Shanshan and Yang Yilin, both members of the gold-medal winning team at the Beijing Olympics last year. Sui claimed a second gold at the Games in the floor exercise. Right after the Games' competition, Sui won a bronze medal on the floor at the World Championships in London.

Zhu Shanshan

Shanxi, 19, archery

Zhu was the surprise winner in women's individual archery at the Games. The competition was troubled by big winds which forced many veterans to miss the targets including Zhang Juanjuan, the gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics. However, Zhu displayed amazing mental strength throughout the competition, a quality praised by national head coach Tian Yulin.

Li Zhesi

Liaoning, 14, swimming

Li won the women's 50m freestyle in a highly-competitive pool as she relegated 2007 world bronze medalist Zhu Yingwen and Pang Jiaying, the 2009 world bronze medalist in the 200m freestyle, to minor placings. She was also a member of China's gold-medal winning 400m medley relay team at the Rome World Championships in August.

Luo Ying

Hunan, 13, diving

Luo may not be of champion class right now but Chinese diving's national head coach, Zhou Jihong, believes she has discovered the sport's next big star. Although she finished tenth on the women's 3m springboard, largely due to a low level of difficulty, Luo displayed beautiful and polished movements and, more importantly, an unmatched maturity for her age.

Yi Siling

Guangdong, 20, shooting

Yi emerged from the shadow of two-time Olympic champion Du Li to win the women's air rifle with 504.1 points. Her performance in the 10-shot final was amazing as she scored more than 10 points with each of her shots. Training with Du in the national team as a reserve, Yi finally established fame of her own.

Li Xuemei

Hebei, 21, cycling

Li raced to an Asian record of 33.898 seconds in the women's 500m time trial to win gold at the Games. Her victory came over Guo Shuang, the Olympic bronze medalist in women's pursuit in Beijing, and Jiang Cuihua, the bronze medal winner in the time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.