Wu Dajing set a new world record in men's 500-meter short-track speed skating at the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games in South Korea

on February 22, winning China's only gold at the games and also the country's first Olympic gold in men's ice sports.

Faster Chinese Sprinters

Su Bingtian clocked 9.91 seconds in Madrid, Spain, on June 14 and in Paris, France, on June 30, tying the men's 100-meter Asian record. Xie Zhenye clocked 9.97 seconds at the Meeting de Montreuil in France in June, becoming the second Chinese man to run the 100-

meter dash under 10 seconds. Wei Yongli clocked 10.99 seconds in a 100-meter race in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 1 to become the first Chinese woman in two decades to crack 11 seconds.

First Medal at Winter Paralympics

China claimed a 6-5 win over Norway in the wheelchair curling final at the PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games in South Korea on March 17. It was the first medal for the Chinese team in Winter Paralympics.

New President of Chinese Table Tennis Association

Liu Guoliang, former head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, was elected president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association on December 1. Liu is a former world champion and an Olympic gold medalist.

New Professional League Champions

On April 22, Liaoning Flying Leopards won the Chinese Basketball Association title as the seventh champion in the league's history. Shanghai SIPG was crowned Chinese Super League champion for the first time on November 7 and put an end to the seven-year dominance by Guangzhou Evergrande.

China on Top at Asiad Again

China topped the Asian Games medal table for the 10th straight time since 1982, winning 132 gold, 92 silver and 65 bronze medals at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, held from August 18 to September 2.

Winter Olympics Entering 'Beijing Time'

After the conclusion of PyeongChang 2018 on February 25, the Olympic Winter Games entered "Beijing time" with preparation for the Beijing 2022 accelerating. On August 8, organizers launched a global competition to design the mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic winter games in 2022. On October 15, proposals for the opening ceremony were solicited.

Former Athletes Honored for Contributions

China's first Olympic gold medalist Xu Haifeng, volleyball coach Lang Ping and former NBA star Yao Ming were awarded the Reform Pioneer medal along with 97 other people for their contributions to reform and opening up on December 18.

New Football Regulations

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) introduced more exacting regulations to dampen spending by clubs, including a salary cap. The CFA also decided to set standards for national team players and announced a plan to raise the level of women's football.

10th National Fitness Day Celebrated

August 8 marked China's 10th National Fitness Day, a celebration of expanded public fitness options and the popularization of national fitness efforts. Winter sports also saw a big boost in 2018, especially in south and east China.