Xinhua News Agency Reviews China's Top 10 Athletes of 2025: Sun Yingsha and Chen Yuxi Selected, Fan Zhendong and Quan Hongchan Missing

On December 27th Beijing time, exciting news arrived as the Xinhua Sports Department revealed the freshly selected Top 10 Chinese Athletes of 2025. The list features 10 athletes spanning multiple sports such as badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, weightlifting, athletics, diving, snowboarding, shooting, swimming, and para-swimming, reflecting a broad and balanced representation. Notably, Sun Yingsha and Chen Yuxi made the list, while Fan Zhendong and Quan Hongchan unfortunately did not. See the detailed list below!

In table tennis, one of our favorite sports, Sun Yingsha, ranked world number one, demonstrated dominance this season with consistent results abroad, securing multiple tour titles. Most importantly, she claimed the highly prestigious World Championship and World Cup singles titles. Although she lost to Wang Manyu at the National Games and missed the championship, this does not overshadow her achievements. Sun Yingsha’s inclusion among the top 10 athletes is well deserved!

In diving, with Quan Hongchan unable to compete due to physical development issues, Chen Yuxi maintained her steady form by winning three gold medals at the Singapore World Championships, including the highly significant women’s 10m platform title. She also dominated the same event at the National Games, earning her a spot on the best athlete list, whereas Quan Hongchan’s results were disappointing.

Quan Hongchan’s exclusion is quite understandable since she has rarely appeared in competitions after the Paris Olympics, and the changes in her physique have been significant, making her results less convincing without participation. On the other hand, Fan Zhendong’s omission is somewhat surprising. He won the most challenging National Games title by defeating world number one Wang Chuqin and world number two Lin Shidong. Could it be because he withdrew from the International Table Tennis Federation rankings? This remains a puzzling mystery!

In other sports, Shi Yuqi reclaimed the Men’s Singles World Championship title for China after 10 years, a hard-earned victory that restored national pride. Qin Haiyang secured two golds and a bronze at the Singapore World Championships, powerfully announcing his comeback and proving his lasting prowess. Veteran Chinese track and field star Gong Lijiao continues to impress with her persistence on the field. At just 21, Su Yiming has shown strong winning potential in snowboarding, already capturing two titles this season and being a gold medal hopeful for us at the Milan Winter Olympics!

Written by/Titan Sports Fiction