Five Chinese athletes ranked the ESPN World Fame 100 List

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This year, ESPN World Fame 100 list released on May 24 has included five Chinese players among the ranking of world's most famous athletes, based on a formula in terms of search scoring, social media following and endorsement fame.

Top-ranked has continuously been Portuguese footballer Christiano Ronaldo for a third straight years, followed by American basketball player Lebron James and Ronaldo's Argentine rival Lionel Messi.

Another interesting fact about the ESPN list is it involves 12 female athletes and only four female inside the top 50. Also, nominated players are mostly from the fields of tennis, swimming, and football, and the only driver on the list is four-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton who ranks 68th.

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang reacts after the men's 200m freestyle heat at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 7, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

Among the five Chinese players, the highest ranked is swimmer Sun Yang, aged 26, ranked 17th with 32 million followers on social media. He is also praised for his full-year accomplishments with 15 gold medals snatched up during competing in four major domestic and international events in 2017.

Specifically, Sun has proved to be the undoubted king of freestyle since he has so far won gold in 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m events. According to commentator Kevin Wang, Sun is regarded as the most influential flag-bearer of Chinese sports and the only athlete to be named on the 2017 Forbes China Celebrity List.

"I'd always like to think that I'm still young. I am willing to earn merits and write history for myself through working hard and overcoming struggles," said Sun.

Table tennis player Zhang Jike is in competition in China's 13th National Games on September 3, 2017. /VCG Photo

The second Chinese athlete is Zhang Jike, aged 30, ranked 78th with 8 million followers on social media. Zhang is the third player to take all the Grand Slam honors after his predecessors Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui in the history of China table tennis.

Even though he was forced to withdraw from several events last year because of injuries, Zhang was still nominated the most influential table tennis player of the year. "In turning 30, I think I need to give myself some time to plan for my future. Continue playing or to have a career change is a serious question," Zhang said.

Ma Long plays in action of the men's semifinal between China and Sweden during the World Team Table Tennis Championships on May 5, 2018. /VCG Photo

Another from table tennis is Ma Long, ranked 84th. He is also 30 years old and has 3.2 million followers.

Last year, Ma won men's singles titles at four major events, including the highly touted World Championships and National Games. Inspired by his continuous dominance in the field, Ma was named among the top 10 of China's most influential athletes.

Ning Zetao (L2) talks with a girl at a charity event in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province on September 12, 2017. /VCG Photo

The fourth is 25-year-old swimmer Ning Zetao, ranked 86th, whose highlight performance was at last year's National Games where he won the men's 50m and 100m freestyle events.

Ning remained humble and sincerely as he "thanked everyone who encouraged him to get back to the swimming pool."

Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui being interviewed after a competition. /VCG Photo

The last Chinese player standing out on the list is female swimmer Fu Yuanhui, ranked 89th. The 22-year-old became an Internet sensation after she talked about her below-expectation performance and period at the Rio Olympics. Her boldness and honesty has managed to attract 7.7 million followers on social media.