Ma Long, Zhu Ting named best Chinese athletes of 2016
The Chinese women's national volleyball team dominated the 2016 CCTV Personality of the Year night on Sunday, winning four awards in China's top sports awards.
The team won the best team award and judging committee award for their phenomenal win at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, while coach Lang Ping was named the best coach.
"It was a little torturous at the Olympics," Lang joked about her team's inconsistent performance at the beginning in Rio. "I hope my players won't torture me anymore."
She added the team's win against hosts and defending champions Brazil in the quarterfinals boosted the team's confidence, which led them to the gold.
Speculation spread over whether Lang would extend her contract after the Games. Her contract with the national team expired in September, and Lang has yet to decide whether to continue her tenure over health reasons. The "Iron Hammer" is expected to undergo a major surgery in the U.S. next week.
Outside spiker Zhu Ting won the best female athlete prize. The 22-year-old transferred to Turkish club Vakifbank Spor Kulubu after the Rio Games, and helped the team to the bronze at the club world championships.
Table tennis star Ma Long was chosen the best male -athlete after winning gold in the men's singles in Rio.
Though he failed to be awarded, star male swimmer Sun Yang led the audience in a song to express their wishes to athletes who enter a "new chapter in their lives" after retiring in 2016. Online sensation swimmer Fu Yuanhui made a talk show debut at the ceremony.
Divers Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao won the best pair award. The duo grabbed the women's synchronized three-meter springboard gold at the Rio Games.
Their award came after teammate Ren Xi won the best rookie award, the first award for the diving "Dream Team" after being nominated for years. At the age of 15, Ren won gold in the women's 10-meter platform at the Games.
The paralympian award went to fencer Rong Jing, the Chinese Paralympian team's flag-bearer at the Rio Games and winner of three gold medals there.
Boxer Zou Shiming received the best non-Olympic athlete award, outshining Go player Ke Jie and chess master Hou -Yifan. The former Olympic gold -medalist won the WBO super lightweight title in -November last year.
Cyclists Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won the best breakthrough award for winning the gold in the women's team sprint at the Rio
Olympics, ending the dominance of Western athletes in the sport.
The ceremony turned emotional during a tribute to -China's trailblazing sailor Guo Chuan, who went missing during a cross-Pacific sailing journey from the U.S. in October.
