Swimming's Ning Zetao and race walking's Liu Hong were chosen as the 2016 Chinese Best Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively in a China's Central Television (CCTV) Sports Awards ceremony held in Beijing on Jan. 24.

The two athletes were recognized for their performances and accomplishments during the past year of competitions in all sports disciplines participated by Chinese players.

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Ning, who will turn 23 this March, won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event during the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships held in Kazan, Russia from July to August of last year.

The Zhengzhou, Henan, China native recorded a time of 47.84 seconds in the final of the said category, besting Australia's Cameron McEvoy and Argentina's Federico Grabich who had 47.95 and 48.12 to settle for the silver and bronze finishes.

Because of his win, Ning, who was also the 2014 winner of CCTV's Best Male Athlete award, became the first Asian male athlete that finished in the top three of the said world championships event ever since 1973, as per Xinhuanet.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Liu bested her own personal record by more than a minute to capture the 20-kilometer race in the Spanish Leg of the 2015 IAAF Race Walking Challenge held in La Coruna, Spain in June of last year with a time of one hour, 24 minutes, and 38 seconds, via CCTV English.

The said time is now the new world record for the Olympic 20-kilometer walk distance on the road.

The Anfu County, China native is also the gold medal winner of the same event during the 2015 World Championships in Athletics held in Beijing in August of last year with a time of one hour, 27 minutes, and 45 seconds.

She beat compatriot Lü Xiuzhi, who had the same recorded time to get the silver, and Ukraine's Lyudmyla Olyanovska with a time of one hour, 28 minutes, and 13 seconds to settle for the bronze.

Team winners in the said awarding ceremony were the Chinese men's relay squad consisting of Su Bingtian, Zhang Peimeng, Mo Youxuan, and Xie Zhenye, who received the Best Pairing award, while the Chinese women's volleyball team won the Best Team award for capturing the 2015 FIVB World Cup trophy in Japan from August to September last year.

Individual winners include Su as Best Breakthrough Athlete, basketball star Zhou Qi as Best Rookie of the Year, and Chinese volleyball team head coach Jenny Lang Ping as Best Coach and Sports Special Contribution awardee.

TagsChina sports, China sports news 2016, Ning Zetao, Liu Hong, CCTV Sports Awards