Ning Zetao, Li Na named China's CCTV Sports Personality of Year 2014

Retired tennis star Li Na receives the award of Best Female Athletes of the Year at the annual CCTV Sports Awards in Beijing, on Feb 1, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

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Li claimed both the Best Female Athlete of the Year and the Sports Special Contribution, for serving as a great milestone for the development of Chinese tennis.

Li Na won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier in 2014 and ranked world No 2, the highest ranking that an Asian player, male or female, has ever achieved, but she retired from tennis at the age of 32, citing injuries as reasons to force her out.

Female skater Zhang Hong, who claimed China's first ever Olympic speed skating gold after winning the women's 1000m title with a large margin at the Sochi Winter Olympics, won the honor of Best Breakthrough of the Year, while the quartet of Chen Shiwei, Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian and Zhang Peimeng, who broke the Asian record and won the men's 4x100m relay at the Asian Games, won the Best Relay/Pair of the Year.

The volleyball legend Jenny Lang Ping and her Chinese national women's volleyball team became the biggest winners here for the silver medal at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in 2014. Jenny claimed the Best Coach of the Year, the women's volleyball team won the Best Team of the Year, and the 18-year-old young star Yuan Xinyue received the Best Rookie as well.

Chen Penbin, who became the first Chinese to claim an international ultra-marathon title and also the first runner to compete in all seven continents, claimed the Non-Olympic Athlete of the Year.

Winners of China CCTV Sports Personality Awards of Year 2014

Best Male Athlete: Ning Zetao, Swimming; Best Female Athlete: Li Na, Tennis; Best Pair: Chen Shiwei/Xie Zhenye/Su Bingtian/Zhang Peimeng, Athletics; Best Team: Women's volleyball team; Best Coach: Lang Ping, Women's volleyball; Best Rookie: Yuan Xinyue, Volleyball; Breakthrough: Zhang Hong, Speed Skating; Best Sportsmanship: Dai Jianrong, Teacher of special children; Best Disable athlete: Women's Wheelchair basketball team; Best Non-Olympic athlete: Chen Penbin, ultra marathon; Sports Special Contribution: Li Na, Tennis