Ning Zetao Latest News: Prominent Swimmer Named In China’s Top Athlete List

by Phenny Palec / Jan 08, 2016 07:58 PM EST

Gold medalist Zetao Ning of China poses during the medal ceremony for the Men's 100m Freestyle on day thirteen of the 16th FINA World Championships at the Kazan Arena.

Latest news on Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao was recently named as one of China's top athletes of 2015. He rose to mainstream prominence following his performance at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships held in Russia where he won the gold medal for the 100-meter freestyle discipline.

The top 10 list where Zetao was included is an annual inventory compiled by Chinese news outlet Xinhua News Agency. The 22-year-old athlete was added in it following his recent success in the sports of swimming.

The official Ning Zetao Weibo account was flooded with congratulatory address and compliments following the latest news that the young athlete was named as a top sportsperson of the year.

According to CRI, Ning was named in the list along with prominent Chinese female volleyball player Zhu Ting.

Ning Zetao was born in the capital Henan's capital city, Zhengzhou. As an only child, he served four years in the air force reserve before deciding to work for a state broadcasting outlet. He started swimming at the young age of eight.

His love for swimming was discovered when his parents took him for a swimming lesson in order to help him to overcome his fear of water as well as to improve his own physical health. His childhood coach, Guo Hongyan, noticed his dedication to the sport demonstrated by his grasp of swimming techniques and strokes.

While serving for the PLA Navy division, Ning Zetao was accepted into the swimming team. He initially trained for the 400-meter and 200-meter individual medley race. Unfortunately, he suffered from a recurring knee injury which forced him to switch from individual medley to sprint freestyle.

At 16 years old, he competed for his first National games where he placed eighth at the 200-meter medley. Ning had his first sprint freestyle competition during the 2011 Chinese National Swimming Championships where he competed in the 100-meter freestyle course and which he finished in fourth place.

Ning Zetao's rise to stardom started when he won the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle during the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea. The latest news of him bagging top athlete recognition is only a testament to his rising power.