Chinese table tennis player Zhang Jike. (File Photo: China News Service/Sheng Jiapeng)
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.
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.
