ON TOP OF THEIR GAME

1. Shi Yuqi (male, badminton)

Shi claimed the men's singles crown 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)

The 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 the event. Over a 25-year period, Gong has completed a career Grand Slam, winning titles at the Olympic Games, World Athletics 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 his own previous world record of 413kg and establishing a new national record. The victory completed a full set of gold medals from the Olympic Games, World Weightlifting Championships, World Cup, Asian Games and National Games, making him 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 ITTF World Championships and World Cup. Partnering with Wang Chuqin, she also won a third consecutive mixed doubles world title. Meanwhile, Sun has retained the year-end world No 1 spot in women's singles for the fourth consecutive year. Sun also added a National Games singles silver medal to her trophy cabinet.

5. Chen Yuxi (female, diving)

Chen won three gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships in the women's 10m platform, women's synchronized 10m platform and mixed team events. 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 Yuxi 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 injury, Su returned during the Olympic season in strong form. His back-to-back victories at the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Ski Big Air World Cup 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 Artistic Gymnastics Championships, before claiming a third consecutive National Games title. At the 15th National Games, he also clinched the gold medal in the all-around event, which consisted of pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, floor exercises, vault and high bar routines.

8. Qin Haiyang (male, swimming)

After setbacks at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Qin rebounded strongly at the World Aquatics 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.

9. 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.

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 contested. 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.