Under the great efforts of the country's construction, our country has long since become a true sports powerhouse. More and more athletes are investing themselves in competitions, taking it as their goal to win glory for the nation. After Xu Haifeng achieved the breakthrough of the first gold medal, even more Olympic champions have emerged.
From traditional strong events like diving and table tennis to weak events like track and field and basketball, Chinese athletes are striving to prove themselves. Their competitive spirit has attracted the attention of countless fans, making them stars in the sports world. To be honest, in contemporary Chinese sports, only three athletes can truly be called superstars.
The undisputed first is the flying man Liu Xiang. Liu Xiang is a true Chinese with yellow skin and black hair. In the field of athletics, it seems that Asians do not have much advantage and are often discriminated against by international competitors.
In international competitions, medals are almost always swept up by athletes from European and American countries, and it is rare to see Asian athletes on the podium. Especially on the Olympic stage, which is the highest level in the sports world, Asians have never won any medals.
Despite everyone's doubts, Liu Xiang fought hard on the track and field path. In May 2004, an International Association of Athletics Federations Grand Prix was held in Osaka, Japan, which was the most important match in Liu Xiang's career.
At that time, Liu Xiang competed with the American hurdle king Johnson and won the championship with a time of 13.06 seconds, creating a new record in his career. This was the first time Liu Xiang defeated the formidable opponent Johnson, giving him tremendous encouragement.
Having had the first victory, there would be a second. At the following Rome station, Liu Xiang pursued victory and narrowly missed the championship by just 1/1000th of a second. This 1/1000th of a second made Liu Xiang regretful, and he began to strengthen his training after returning home to prepare for the Athens Olympics.
This time, Liu Xiang was well prepared, not only defeating his old rival Johnson again but also winning the championship by breaking the record! He ascended to the highest podium in the 110-meter hurdles, proving China's strength to the world!
This award is extremely valuable, not only being China's first male Olympic champion in track and field but also breaking the doubts of the outside world about all Asians. With his own strength, Liu Xiang successfully washed away the prejudice from European and American countries, proving himself.
Subsequently, Liu Xiang continued to compete for the country and broke world records many times. More importantly, he also had an outstanding performance at the 11th World Athletics Championships, becoming the champion of the World Championships, the Olympic Games, and the world record holder, achieving a grand slam in the 110-meter hurdles.
Thus, Liu Xiang achieved the best results in his athletic career. Not only is he the pride of the Chinese people, but he is also the pride of Asians.
Speaking of international influence, Yao Ming can certainly occupy a place among them. Standing at 2.26 meters tall, Yao Ming's height has contributed to his basketball career. From the moment he started playing basketball, Yao Ming showed absolute dominance in this field.
After growing up, Yao Ming embarked on his professional journey. He joined the Shanghai men's basketball team and embarked on a new journey. In every game, Yao Ming treated it with full effort, except for the first season when he was inexperienced and had average results, in the following few seasons, Yao Ming had excellent performances.
Like a stabilizing force in the team, everyone felt at ease with Yao Ming around. Relying on Yao Ming's strong support, his teammates worked together to create one achievement after another.
Yao Ming's excellent basketball skills combined with his height advantage led him to make the decision to participate in the NBA draft after playing for some time in China. His height alone amazed everyone, let alone his exquisite basketball skills. Therefore, as soon as Yao Ming went, he was selected by the Houston Rockets, becoming the first Asian number one draft pick.
Despite this, the outside world still did not favor this Chinese basketball player, mostly thinking that he was just a show-off. Yao Ming did not pay attention to it and was determined to prove himself with actual actions.
In his first game, Yao Ming gave everyone a lesson, showcasing the level of Chinese athletes. He actually made 9 out of 9 shots, stunning many foreigners.
Looking at Yao Ming's career, he spent eight seasons with the Rockets alone. He was selected to the All-Star team eight times and named to the NBA's best lineup four times, demonstrating his absolute strength in basketball.
Before the Beijing Olympics, Yao Ming resolutely returned to the national team. Under his leadership, the Chinese men's basketball team made history by advancing to the quarterfinals! This was the best result for the Chinese men's basketball team in the Olympics, inseparable from Yao Ming's contributions.
After retiring, Yao Ming continued to be active in the basketball field, having served as the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and appearing before everyone in a new identity. Years of playing basketball not only earned Yao Ming many Chinese fans but also made many foreigners remember this tall figure who once played in the NBA, serving as a bridge for China's basketball exchanges with the world.
Compared to other sports, the development of tennis in China is not optimistic. It can be said that before Li Na, Chinese tennis was in a state of blankness.
At that time, Li Na absolutely represented the highest level of Chinese tennis. In the ITF International Women's Tennis Tour, Li Na won three singles championships on her own. She also cooperated with her teammates to win eight doubles championships.
However, Li Na reached the peak of her career starting from the 2011 Sydney Open. This was the ninth time Li Na had entered the Wimbledon final in her career, and her opponent this time was none other than three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters.
Li Na did not perform well at the beginning, even falling behind by five games in the first set. When the fans were about to give up hope, Li Na staged an astonishing comeback and won the match, which was the first time she won a singles championship at a top-level tour event in her career, a significant moment for her.
In the French Open women's singles competition, Li Na advanced to the final again. This time, her opponent was the defending champion, and Li Na won the championship despite everyone's doubts! This meant that Li Na had achieved a grand slam, opening a new era in Asian tennis records.
As a result, Li Na became the first Asian athlete to win a singles grand slam. Even after retiring, Li Na's legend still exists. In 2019, she became the first Asian athlete inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, creating history once again.
Looking at the careers of these three superstar athletes, they can all be described as brilliant. Achieving such results is inseparable from their individual efforts and sacrifices. Similarly, it is also closely related to the cultivation of the country. Based on this, they spare no effort in every competition, bringing more honors back to the motherland!
Through their relentless efforts, they have shown the world the style of Chinese athletes, bringing Chinese sports into a new stage of development, and are undoubtedly the promoters of the construction of China's sports industry.