To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the implementation of the Reform and Opening up policy in China, the Central Committee of the CPC decided to cite 100 people for making great contributions to their careers. Three were chosen from the sports world--Xu Haifeng, Lang Ping and Yao Ming.
Xu Haifeng, China's first Olympic gold medalist
Xu Haifeng wins China's first Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. /VCG Photo
Born in 1957, Xu is a former shooting athlete of Team China, specializing in the 50-meter pistol event. In 1984, Xu participated in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and won the first gold medal for his country while his teammate Wang Yifu took bronze.
Since then, Xu began his gold-collecting journey by taking three gold medals at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, four gold medals at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, title of the 1991 World Air Pistol Championship and five gold medals at the 1991 Asian Championships.
In 1995, Xu retired to become the coach of the Chinese women's shooting team. He was appointed the Deputy Director of Chinese Cycling and Fencing Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China in 2003 and officially retired in 2017.
Lang Ping, inheritor of 'Chinese women's volleyball spirit'
Lang Ping led the Chinese women's volleyball national team to victory at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. /VCG Photo
Born in 1960, Lang Ping is a former national volleyball player and current women's head coach of Team China. In the 1980s, Lang, as a member of the Chinese national team, helped build the significant "five-straight-championship" career (including FIVB World Cup, World Championship and Summer Olympics) of the Chinese women's volleyball team.
In 1995 Lang became head coach of the Chinese women's volleyball national team. She saved the team with her efforts by helping China collect two silver medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 1998 World Championship in Tokyo.
In 2013, Lang again took over as head coach of Team China. One year later, her team took silver at the 2014 Women's World Championship in Italy. Then at the 2015 Women's World Cup, Lang won her first world championship as coach, which was also Team China's first world title in 11 years. In 2016 at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Team China won the first Olympic gold medal in Lang's coaching career.
Yao Ming, China's basketball giant
Yao Ming (C) with members of Team China after they bag all four basketball gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games /VCG Photo
Born in 1980, Yao Ming is a former professional Chinese basketball player. In 2002, he was selected by NBA's Houston Rockets with the first pick in the Draft, the highest overall pick for any Asian basketball player. During his time in the league, Yao was voted into NBA All-Star team eight times and led the Rockets into the Western Conference semi-finals in 2009.
As a pillar of the Chinese men's basketball team, Yao played three Summer Olympics respectively in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and he helped his country enter the quarter-finals twice (in 2004 and 2008). In 2008 in Beijing, Yao put down an average of 19 points (the second highest of the tournament), 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Having retired in 2011, Yao was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and had his No.11 jersey retired by the Rockets in 2017. With basketball being part of his life, Yao became President of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in 2017 and started to implement his plan for reform. After Team China bagged all four gold medals in basketball at the 2018 Asian Games, Yao's name was in the air while he himself was being tossed up by Chinese players while they celebrated.