Top sports stories in China in the past 10 years

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Published on Tuesday, 10 April 2012 11:49

By Anthony James, Staff Writer

You probably didn’t notice the ripple effect which Chinese athletes were experiencing in the last decade. The initial drop occurred in the mid-90’s: China’s strict regulations towards competitive ownership by the government were becoming more relaxed. Athlete’s who initially had little say on their training were allowed more freedom to choose their coaches and teammates. One might suggest these rules were in response to the economic and social climate, China was no longer a society that was behind the times, the booming exposure to information and sustainable income arose a new generation of smarter, opportunistic athletes. While there were plenty of Chinese athletes that succeeded before, the past ten years marked some great stories of competitive success in China for both the country and the individual.

2008 Summer Olympics
Undoubtedly, the most significant national achievement in China’s past decade was the hosting of 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The highly-anticipated celebration of competition, culture, and technology, the event was regarded as evidence that China was quickly becoming one of the most dominant economies in the world. While many critics pointed out various human rights violations committed by the Chinese government, the Olympic committee noted that hosting the Olympics would put a spotlight on social and economics issues within China and encourage collaboration and improvement in the fast-growing country.

Long before the opening ceremonies Beijing underwent huge changes to prepare for the thousands of visitors. Reuters reported an equivalent of US$40 billion was spent on the games, which made the 2008 Games the costliest Olympic event by a wide margin. World-renowned architects from around the world bid to design the Olympic venues. New technology was implemented across the city to ease traffic, pollution and provide state-of-the-art facilities for the competitors.

For the opening ceremony, notorious film director Zhang Yimou planned one of the most memorable opening ceremonies to date which included thousands of performers and giant moving set pieces. The games themselves had many highlights: U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps would take the record of most gold medals won in a single Olympics at eight, Jamaican runner Usain Bolt would gain an international prominence when he placed first in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. China would not leave without its own accomplishments. With a total of 51 gold medals, China’s athletes took first place more than any other country that year. In all, China would come in second to the United States with a total medal count of 100.

Yao Ming
Yao Ming was not the first Chinese to be drafted into the NBA. He has not won as many international medals as other noted Chinese athletes in this article. But with the unrivalled celebrity status in China and as perhaps one of the most recognizable Chinese in the world, Yao Ming was certainly on the top of China’s sports stories in the past decade.

Yao would help bring the Houston Rockets to 4 NBA playoffs and make the NBA All-Star game eight times. Off of the court, Yao would become one of the most recognizable Chinese athletes in the world, garnering thousands of new fans of the sport in China and across Asia. Yao Ming was a dominant presence on the court. At 7 feet 6 inches, he is the tallest person to have played in the NBA. Yao also successfully led the Chinese national team to a gold medal in the FIBA Asia Championship.

Some critics were unsure of how Yao would succeed in the United States when he was drafted in 2002, but he quickly proved them wrong by becoming a component to Houston’s success as a team. Yao Ming’s success as an Asian NBA player may be overshadowed by athletes to come, but he is certainly a milestone for future athletes in China.

Liu Xiang
Though not as tall as the 7-foot-6 star, Liu Xiang’s iconic dominance as a Chinese athlete puts him on par with Yao Ming. Surprising almost everybody watching the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, hurdler Liu Xiang took home first place in the 110-meter hurdles. This would be the first gold medal for China in the track and field category, and would propel Liu to folk hero status in his home country. Liu would go on to gain a sort of “triple crown” in athletic events: becoming world record holder and world champion in addition to his Olympic gold.

Liu Xiang quickly became a pop icon. His popularity landed him within a huge bidding war between advertisers. Though generally a low profile character, his face was seen across billboards and commercials across China. He became a spokesperson for international brands such as Nike, Coca Cola and Cadillac.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo
Shen Xue and and Zhao Hongbo were internationally well known in the pairs event of figure skating. Since 2001, they've placed first in the World Championship finals three times: 2002, 2003, and 2007. Their success was significant since the sport was rarely represented by an Asian pair and the Olympic pairs event was heavily dominated by Russia. In 2010, Shen and Zaho would make history by beating the favored U.S., Canadian and Russian pairs to take home China’s first figure skating gold medal in an Olympic event. Under the ISU judging system, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo have claimed a world record in the pair’s score in the short program. Both Shen and Zhao retired from skating in 2010.

Li Na
It is hard to place Li Na near the bottom of any sports list since her achievements in tennis were not only a first for China but for Asia; but since this occurred just last year it is compelling to see what the next decade has in store for her. Seeded in sixth place, Li Na came up from being an underdog to becoming the star of the French Open in the singles category by taking her first Grand Slam and becoming the first Asian athlete to take the coveted tennis title. As a sport rarely watch regularly by most Chinese, Li Na’s rocketing to celebrity status just behind Yao Ming renewed interest in tennis in a country that is more inclined to watch soccer or basketball.

Honorable Mentions
There certainly are athletes that have flown under the radar or have appeared unexpectedly that have not made this list. Speed skater Wang Meng is currently China highest medal winner in the winter Olympics and holds 2 World Championships. Wan Yue, a world renowned chess player, is ranked 11th in the world and in 2007 became the first Chinese to cross the 2700 rating. Hou Yifan set a world record of the youngest World Chess Champion in 2010. Again in 2010, Ed Wang became first full blooded Chinese to be drafted into the NFL. While there were many accomplishments in the past ten years, few stories live on their own within the decade. The anticipation of athletes such Li Na and Wang Meng may soon break headlines this year, or the next.