Thursday, January 1, 2009
12:28 PM
BRIGHTEST STAR OF ALL: LI JIAWEI!

Based on the letters received from readers over their choice for Today’s Athlete of the Year, Table Tennis Star Li Jiawei beat Paralympics Gold Medalist Yip Pin Xiu, Colleagues Feng Tianwei and Wang Yue Gu to clinch the title.

Jiawei had a fruitful 2008. Li, together with Tianwei and Yue Gu, ended Singapore's 48 years of Medal drought, by winning the 2nd Olympic Silver Medal for Singapore. Also, Jiawei is the one and only paddler who is not wearing the China Colours in the Semi Finals of the Women's Singles event in Beijing.

Throughout the Beijing Olympics, Jiawei had to bear great pressure, not only as a Captain, but the hopes of all Singaporean. But there is no doubt that under tremendous pressure, Li helped deliver Olympic glory.

In addition, Jiawei shone brightly in other competitions as well. Pior to the Beijing Olympic Games, she beat World Champion and China's Guo Yue in the finals of the World Team Table Tennis Championship against China.

In April, Jiawei is the biggest winner in the ITTF Pro Tour Chile Open by winning the Women's Singles title. One month after, Jiawei caused a major upset by defeating China's Wang Nan in the Quarter Finals of the China Open. In the last Pro Tour before the Olympic Games, Jiawei partnered Sun Bei Bei to win the Women's Doubles Title on home soil. The doubles pair has also achieve many Silver Medals in Kuwait, Brazil and Chile Open.

More recently, Li broke new grounds in the ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals, where she once again partnered Sun Bei Bei to win the Women’s Doubles Title in Macau. The best result our paddler ever attained in this prestigious event is in 2005, where Jiawei clinched 2nd in the Women's Singles.

She is Today’s Athlete of the Year 2008. The greatest year in Singapore sport.

Note: Feng Tianwei and Wang Yue Gu managed to achieve the 3rd and 5th position on the list.




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