Athletes

Yao Ming (September 12, 1980 -) is a Chinese entrepreneur, politician and retired basketball player. He was born in Xuhui District, Shanghai, and his ancestral home is Wujiang, Jiangsu Province. He once played for the Shanghai Sharks Basketball Club of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was nicknamed the "Little Giant" and the "Moving Great Wall" and was a long-term main player of the Chinese National Basketball Team from the late 1990s to the beginning of the 21st century. After retiring, he once served as the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky (English: Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky, March 17, 1997 -) is an American female swimmer. She has won 9 Olympic gold medals and 23 World Championship gold medals, making her the most female swimmer. Ledecky won a total of 9 gold medals and 14 medals in four Olympic Games. She is the most decorated American female athlete and female swimmer in Olympic history. She is also the female athlete with the most gold medals (tied with Larissa Latnina) and the athlete with the fifth most medals. Ledecky holds a record of 18 gold medals in individual events at the World Aquatics Championships. She has broken world records 17 times. She is the world record holder in the women's 800m freestyle (long pool) and 1500m (long pool and short pool). She is also the former world record holder in the women's freestyle 400m short pool and 800m short pool. She is widely regarded as the best female swimmer in history. In 2012, at the age of 15, she won the 800-meter freestyle gold medal at the London Olympics as a dark horse. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Ledecky won 4 gold medals and 1 silver, setting two world records and becoming the first swimmer since Debbie Meyer in 1968 to win Olympic gold medals in the 200, 400 and 800 meters freestyle at the same time. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Ledecky became the most decorated female athlete in U.S. history. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, Ledecky once again defended the women's 800-meter freestyle gold medal, becoming the first swimmer to win seven consecutive championships in the same event. In 2024, Ledecky was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden.

Wilfredo Daniel Caballero Lazcano (Spanish: Wilfredo Daniel Caballero Lazcano, September 28, 1981 -) is a retired Argentine male professional football player who serves as a goalkeeper. He is currently the assistant coach of the Premier League team Chelsea.

Wilton Norman Chamberlain (English: Wilton Norman Chamberlain, /ˈtʃeɪmbərlɪn/; August 21, 1936 - October 12, 1999), a former professional basketball player and legendary center in the American NBA League, is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in history, and is known as the "Basketball Emperor" by the world. From 1959 to 1973, he played for the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors), the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Chamberlain was a mythical player in NBA history. He had absolute dominance in his era. His hands were extremely huge and he often used his own "Big Dipper Finger Roll", which was only popularized by George Gervin in the 1980s. His main rival was Bill Russell. In 142 career games against Russell, Chamberlain had the advantage in statistics (averaging 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds per game, while Russell's data was 14.5 points and 23.7 rebounds). There are many rules in the NBA that were established because of Chamberlain's dominance. His most important statistical milestones are 100 points in a single game, 55 rebounds in a single game, and an average of 50.4 points per game in a single season.

Son Heung-min (Korean: Son Heung-min/son Heung-min, Romanized: Son Heung-min, born July 8, 1992), is a South Korean professional football player who currently plays for Los Angeles FC in the Major League Soccer League. He is also the captain of the Korean national football team, serving as a forward and winger. In the Asian football circle, Son Heung-min is known as "Asia's No. 1 Brother". While playing for the Premier League team Tottenham, he won the Premier League Golden Boot Award with 23 goals in the 21-22 season. He was the first Asian player to become a top scorer in the five major European leagues. He is also the first Asian player to score 100 goals in the Premier League, and the first Asian player to captain a European team to win a major European championship (2024–25 Europa League).

Son Ki-jeong (Korean: Son Ki-jeong/Sun Ki-jeong; August 29, 1912 - November 15, 2002) was a male marathon runner during the Japanese occupation of Korea. He was the champion of the men's marathon event at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. He was the first Korean peninsula athlete to win gold medals and medals in the Olympic Games. He served as the chairman of the Track and Field Federation and the president of the Korean Sports Association after the independence of South Korea. Since Korea was occupied by Japan at the time, Son Kizhen could only participate in the Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation in Germany, and competed with the Japanese pronunciation of his name, Son Kitei. However, when awarding medals at the Berlin Olympics, he deliberately used the laurel tree presented by the conference to cover the Japanese flag on the front of his sportswear, and deliberately lowered his head when the national flag was raised. After returning to North Korea, he was monitored by the Special High Police Division and a bronze helmet, a prize for the champion, was seized.

Sun Yang (December 1, 1991 -), Han nationality, is from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and his ancestral home is Shouxian County, Huainan, Anhui. He was a Chinese male swimmer and captain of the Chinese national swimming team. At the 2012 London Olympics, Sun Yang broke the Olympic record and won the 400-meter freestyle championship. This was China's first gold medal in men's swimming at the Olympics. And on August 4, 2012, he won the 1500-meter freestyle championship with a world record. On August 6, 2015, he won the 800-meter freestyle championship at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. This was also his third consecutive 800-meter world championship title. On August 8, 2016, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, he reversed course and won the 200-meter freestyle championship. This was his third gold medal in the Olympics. At the 2017 World Swimming Championships, he won the men's 400-meter freestyle final, achieving three consecutive championships in this event at the World Championships. On July 26, he won the men's 200-meter freestyle gold medal with a time of 1 minute, 44 seconds and 39 seconds. This was also his first 200-meter gold medal at the World Championships. At this point, Sun Yang has also become the first Grand Slam player in the world to win gold medals in all the middle and long distances of 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meters. In May 2014, Sun Yang was found to have taken the stimulant trimetazidine and was banned from competition for three months by the China Anti-Doping Center (CHINADA). In 2018, a controversy arose when inspectors from the International Doping Testing Management Company (IDTM) conducted an out-of-competition anti-doping test on Sun Yang. IDTM reported that "Sun Yang violently resisted the test." Sun Yang stated that the inspectors had multiple violations during the inspection and that he "had fully cooperated with the inspection." On January 3, 2019, the FINA Anti-Doping Committee (FINA DP) ruled that the doping test conducted by IDTM was invalid and Sun Yang had no violations. On February 28, 2020, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the ruling of FINA DP and determined that the reasons for Sun Yang's actions such as damaging the sample container were unconvincing. Sun Yang was sentenced to "interference in doping control" and banned from competition for 8 years; but on the other hand, because there was no evidence of taking banned drugs, his previous results and medals are still valid. Sun Yang subsequently appealed to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. In December 2020, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court supported Sun Yang's appeal, revoked the CAS's eight-year ban, and sent the case back for retrial. In June 2021, after the second hearing of CAS

Meng Ye (January 30, 1988 -), born in Beijing, is a Chinese football player who serves as a midfielder. When Meng Ye was in the third year of junior high school in Beijing Bayi Middle School, he was selected by China Educational Television's "Road to Gold Medal" program and sent to Spanish Football League Atletico Madrid Club for three months of trial training, which attracted the attention of the Chinese media; he subsequently had trial training with Sheffield United in the English Championship and Porto in the Portuguese Super League. From 2006 to 2007, Chengdu Sheffield United included him in the club's roster for the Chinese League One. However, Meng Ye later ended his career and entered Beijing University of Technology, where he represented the school in futsal matches.

Sun Yue (March 31, 1973 -), the former main attacker of the Chinese women's volleyball team, nicknamed "Little Tiger", specializes in the fourth position. He is 186 centimeters tall, weighs 72 kilograms, and has a spike height of 314 centimeters.

Sun Yingsha (November 4, 2000 -) is a Chinese female table tennis player from Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. Her ancestral home is Gucheng County, Hebei Province.

Anton Schall (German: Anton Schall, June 22, 1907 - August 5, 1947) was an Austrian former men's football player who played as a forward. He represented the Austrian national team in the 1934 FIFA World Cup, where the team finished fourth.

Antony Matheus dos Santos (Portuguese: Antony Matheus dos Santos; February 24, 2000 -), referred to as Antony (Portuguese: Antony), is a Brazilian male professional football player who plays as a right winger and currently plays for the La Liga team Real Betis.

Antonio José Puerta Pérez (November 26, 1984 - August 28, 2007) was a deceased Spanish professional football player and member of the national team. He played for Sevilla during his lifetime and played as a left midfielder and can also play as a left back. In 2007, at the age of 22, he suffered a heart attack on the field and died three days later, shocking the world of football.

Anna Gasser (German: Anna Gasser, August 16, 1991 -), Austrian female snowboarder. She represented Austria in snowboarding competitions at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, winning two gold medals.

Anna Kiesenhofer (German: Anna Kiesenhofer, born February 14, 1991) is an Austrian cyclist and mathematician. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. In 2021, she represented Austria at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal in the women's road race. This is also Austria's first Summer Olympic gold medal since 2004 and the first freestyle gold medal since 1896.

Anna Meares (Anna Meares, September 21, 1983 -), born in Blackwater, Queensland, is an Australian cyclist. In January 2008, Mires was participating in the world championships in Los Angeles. When he turned, he and his car fell down on the sloping track. The accident broke her neck bones, and she would have been half-paralyzed just two millimeters away. Later, she needed to use a wheelchair. After several efforts, she was successfully shortlisted for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On August 19, 2008, Mires was in the third warm-up match of the Beijing Olympics when his bicycle crossed the track and was illegally pushed by Chinese player Guo Shuang. The push almost caused Mires to overturn. Fortunately, Mires did not overturn and the bicycle swayed from side to side and continued to move forward. Guo Shuang was subsequently ruled to have entered the opponent's track and therefore blocked his opponent's path and was disqualified. Mires then unsuccessfully challenged Britain's Victoria Pendleton to win Olympic silver. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Mires pushed the bicycle of Hong Kong athlete Li Huishi during the keirin, causing it to overturn and injure her. Still, she had to take bronze in the keirin.

Anna Veith (née Fenninger, born June 18, 1989) is an Austrian alpine skier and the gold medalist in the women's super-G alpine skiing event at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She also won the women's World Cup title at the 2014 Alpine Skiing World Cup in March. Feit was born in the village of Adnet in Hallein, Salzburg, Austria. In 2011, she won the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Championships and the 2011 World Alpine Skiing Championships Super Mixed Skiing Championship for the first time. In 2014, she won her first Olympic gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, and then won the Alpine Skiing World Cup Women's Championship again in March.

Annemarie Moser-Pröll (German: Annemarie Moser-Pröll, born March 27, 1953) is an Austrian female alpine skier. She represented Austria in alpine skiing at the 1972 and 1980 Winter Olympics, winning one gold medal and two silver medals. She has won 62 World Cup championships and six Alpine Skiing World Cup overall championships.

Andrés Nicolás D'Alessandro (April 15, 1981 -) is an Argentine male football player who serves as an offensive midfielder and currently plays for the Brazilian club Internazionale Atletico. He won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2004.

Andreas Kofler (German: Andreas Kofler, born May 17, 1984), Austrian male ski jumping athlete. He represented Austria in the ski jumping competition at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, winning two gold medals and one silver medal.

Andrea Fischbacher (German: Andrea Fischbacher, October 14, 1985 -), Austrian female alpine skier. She represented Austria in alpine skiing at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal.

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish: Andrés Iniesta Luján, May 11, 1984 -) is a Spanish male professional football player. He plays as a midfielder or winger and was born in Barcelona's La Masia youth academy. After his debut, he played for the La Liga team Barcelona until May 2018, and also played for the Japanese professional team Vissel Kobe. He won a total of 35 championship trophies in his career, and became the Triple Crown twice with Barcelona in 2009 and 2015. He has played for the Spanish national football team.

Andre De Grasse (English: Andre De Grasse, November 10, 1994 -) is a Canadian male sprinter. He is the men's 100m and 200m gold medal winner at the 2015 Pan American Games and is the current Canadian national record holder in the 200m. He won two bronze medals in the men's 100m and 4×100m relay at the 2015 World Athletics Championships. In 2016, he won the bronze medal in the men's 100 meters at the Rio Olympics in 9.91 seconds, and then won the silver medal in the 200 meters in 20.02 seconds. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he won the men's 100m bronze medal in 9.89 seconds and the 200m gold medal in 19.62 seconds. Won gold medal in 4x100m relay at Paris 2024 in 37.50 seconds

Victor Ahn, formerly known as Ahn Hyun-soo, is a Russian-Korean short track speed skater and coach. He has six Winter Olympic gold medals and is the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals in the history of short track speed skating. He is also the first and only athlete to win Olympic gold medals in all events. He is also the six-time all-around king of the World Championships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2014), and the two-time World Cup champion (2003-2004 season, 2005-2006 season), the 2014 European Championship and the 2002 World Youth Championship all-around king.