Sports

GOLDEN MEMORIES

Xinhua News Agency selects the top 10 athletes from a thrilling year of sports action

China Daily | Updated: 2024-01-01 00:00

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Qin Haiyang (China, swimming) Qin broke the world record in the 200m breaststroke and became the first swimmer to sweep 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke titles at a single world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. He was named Best Male Swimmer of the Year by World Aquatics. The 24-year-old also claimed the men's MVP award at the Hangzhou Asian Games thanks to his five-medal haul.

Simone Biles (United States, gymnastics) After overcoming mental health challenges during the Tokyo Olympics, Biles made a triumphant return in 2023 by winning her sixth all-around title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. With her 34th medal at the Olympics and world championships, the 26-year-old became the most-decorated gymnast of all time, surpassing Belarusian legend Vitaly Scherbo.

Novak Djokovic (Serbia, tennis) Djokovic claimed a 24th Grand Slam title by winning his fourth US Open in 2023, surpassing Serena Williams' 23 to become the player with the most major singles championships in the Open era. Having also won the Australian Open and the French Open, Djokovic became the first man to win three Grand Slams singles titles in a season four times.

Faith Kipyegon (Kenya, athletics) The 29-year-old Kipyegon set world records in 1,500m, 5,000m and the mile in 2023. The two-time Olympic champion also won two gold medals at the Budapest worlds, storming to her third world title in the women's 1,500m.

Max Verstappen (Netherlands, Formula 1) Verstappen won a record 19 of the 22 grands prix on the 2023 calendar, finishing with a historic 575 points for his third consecutive world championship title, cementing his status as one of F1's all-time greats.

Aitana Bonmati (Spain, soccer) Bonmati played a pivotal role in Spain's historic victory at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and received the Golden Ball award. She also helped Barcelona win the UEFA Women's Champions League for a second time. In October, she was awarded the Ballon d'Or Feminin for her outstanding performances this year.

Nikola Jokic (Serbia, basketball) Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA title while also earning himself the NBA Finals MVP award. Jokic was simply unplayable during the 2022-23 season, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game, but still missed out on the regular-season MVP award to Joel Embiid.

Kaylee McKeown (Australia, swimming) The Australian was simply sensational at the Fukuoka world championships, winning golds in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke. The 22-year-old also set world records in the 50m and 100m at the World Cup in Budapest, becoming the first female swimmer to simultaneously hold the world record in all distances in backstroke.

Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya, athletics) Kiptum became the first man to run an official marathon in under 2 hours, 1 minute in October when he won in Chicago in 2:00:35. That time broke the previous world record of 2:01:09, set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022. The rising Kenyan star also won the London Marathon in April and was one of the six recipients of World Athletics' World Athlete of the Year award.

Mikaela Shiffrin (United States, skiing) Alpine skiing legend Shiffrin concluded her 2022-23 FIS World Cup campaign with 88 titles in total, breaking the all-time record of 86 wins set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark. She also set a world record for the most women's World Cup giant slalom victories with 21, and became the first female skier in FIS history to finish with 138 World Cup podiums.

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