Top 10 Athletes of China and World in 2002 Selected by Xinhua

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 27, 2002

Top 10 Athletes of China and World in 2002 Selected by Xinhua

Following is lists of the top 10 athletes of China and the world in 2002 selected by Xinhua News Agency.

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China's 2002 top 10 athletes

1. Yang Yang (A), won the women's 500 meters and 1,000 meters short-track speed skating titles in Salt Lake City in February, ending China's gold medal drought at the Winter Olympic Games.

2. Yao Ming, No. 1 NBA draft pick of 2002, plays for the Houston Rockets as the first non-American top pick in NBA's history.

3. Li Xiaopeng, claimed two gold medals at the 36th World Gymnastics Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, in November with a newly-invented vault routine named after him.

4. Qi Hui, world record holder in the women's 200 meters breaststroke, shattered her own world record in the 200m breaststroke in the World Cup short course series in Shanghai in December.

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5. Tao Luna, snatched two gold medals, one in world record performance, in the sport pistol at the World Cup Finals in Munich, Germany, in August. In the Busan Asian Games, she led her teammates to break the team world mark in the women's 25m sport pistol.

6. Tan Xue, bagged China's first individual fencing world titleby winning the women's saber competition in Lisbon in August.

7. Wu Meijin, swept three titles in the men's 56-kilogram classat the World Men's Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw, Poland, in November.

8. Wu Peng, 15, a surprised triple gold medalist in the men's 200 meters butterfly, 400m individual medley and 200m backstroke in the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, in October.

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9. Zhang Yining, won the women's singles in the ITTF Pro Tour Finals and the world top ranking.

10. Liu Xiang, broke the world youth record in the men's 110 meters hurdles at an IAAF Grand Prix in July.

Top 10 athletes in the world

1. Ronaldo (Brazil), soccer

2. Ian Thorpe (Australia), swimming

3. Tim Montgomery (United States), athletics

4. Yang Yang (A) (China), short track speed skating

5. Serena Williams (United States), tennis

6. Michael Schumacher (Germany), Formula One

7. Paula Radcliffe (Britain), athletics

8. Lleyton Hewitt (Australia), tennis

9. Li Xiaopeng (China), gymnastics

10. Lance Armstrong (United States), cycling

Top 10 2002 stories in world sports

1. Brazil won its fifth World Cup;

2. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea competed in the Busan Asian Games, making its first appearance in a multi-sport event held in South Korea. China topped the gold medal tally;

3. Chinese basketball center Yao Ming joined the NBA Houston Rockets as the first draft pick;

4. American Tim Montgomery set the world 100 meters record;

5. The International Olympic Committee postponed a vote on exclusion of baseball, softball and modern pentathlon from the Olympic Games;

6. Salt Lake Olympics figure skating scandal broke out;

7. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was re-elected;

8. Michael Schumacher won his fifth Formula One title;

9. Clubs moved close to bankruptcy in Italy, England and Germany, as they succumbed to mounting wage bills and the loss of TV revenue;

10. Williams sisters dominated the women's tennis and Lleyton Hewitt topped the men's.

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