Zhu Ting makes it to Top 10 of Chinese sports stars commercial value rankings

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PRNewswire released the latest rankings of "Stars Allianz 5A Index-Chinese Sports Stars Commercial Value Index" on Thursday. The captain of the China women's volleyball national team, 24-year-old Zhu Ting ranked No.5 on the list of the "Top 100 Chinese Sports Stars' Commercial Value Comprehensive Index Rankings" as the only female athlete who made it into the Top 10.

Having helped her country win the championship of the 2015 FIVB Volleyball World Cup and gold medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games, Zhu Ting has been praised as the "MVP collector" of international volleyball events. In 2017, she signed a new contract with VakifBank Istanbul that will pay her about 1.58 million US dollars a year, becoming the world's best paid female volleyball player.

China's Zhu Ting (C) poses on the podium after the women's Gold Medal volleyball match at Maracanazinho Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 20, 2016, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. /VCG Photo

In 2016, Zhu Ting went overseas and joined Turkey's VakifBank Istanbul. In April, 2017, she helped the club win the trophy for the 2016-17 CEV Champions League by defeating the host team Imoco Volley Conegliano with 3-0. Zhu scored 22 points in the final and became MVP of the tournament.

At the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship in May, the VakifBank Istanbul again entered the final and beat Brazil's Rexona-Sesc Rio with a straight 3-0 to win the title. Zhu scored 19 points in the match, was awarded the Best Outside Spiker and became the first Asian player to receive the MVP of the tournament.

Zhu Ting receives awards after the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship Final match between Vakifbank Istanbul 3-0 Rexona-Sesc Rio in Kobe, Japan. /VCG photo

Having been traveling around the world to play different games all year round, Zhu has rarely returned home but missed her family in central China's Henan Province. When she went home in January, 2016, she was extremely happy and joked that since she's the tallest member of the family, it's her job to pick all the corns down from the roof.

On the "Top 100 Chinese Sports Stars' Commercial Value Comprehensive Index Rankings" list, Zhu ranked No.5 with 82.22 points. The first four were Olympic gold winner Sun Yang (87.23 points), reigning Asian champion of the 100-meter race Su Bingtian (84.45 points), "Super Dan" Lin Dan from badminton (83.56) and two-time CBA MVP, Ding Yanyuhang (82.83 points).