SKATERS from China

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Chinese Skaters of all time. This list of famous Chinese Skaters is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Chinese Skaters.

1. Zhao Hongbo (1973 - )

With an HPI of 40.83, Zhao Hongbo is the most famous Chinese Skater.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages on wikipedia.

Zhao Hongbo (simplified Chinese: 赵宏博; traditional Chinese: 趙宏博; pinyin: Zhào Hóngbó; born 22 September 1973) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With his wife Shen Xue, Zhao is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World champion (2002, 2003 & 2007), a three-time Four Continents Champion (1999, 2003 & 2007) and a six-time Grand Prix Final champion (1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2009). Shen and Zhao were the first Chinese pair team to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2002, they became the first Chinese pair skating team to win a World Championship. They are also the first Chinese pair skaters to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. In 2010, they were the first Chinese skaters to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games in any figure skating category, ending almost half a century of Russian and Soviet pair skating dominance.

2. Yang Yang (1976 - )

With an HPI of 40.53, Yang Yang is the 2nd most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Yang Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨扬; traditional Chinese: 楊揚; pinyin: Yáng Yáng; born 24 August 1976 in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China) is a retired Chinese short track speed skater. She is a two-time Olympic Champion from 2002 Winter Olympics and a six-time Overall World Champion for 1997–2002. Known as Yang Yang (A), she was formerly a member of the Chinese national short track team. Yang is one of the most accomplished short track speed skaters of all time having won 34 world titles, including six Overall World Championships. She is the first person to have won six Overall World Titles and won six consecutively. Her victory in the women's 500 m short track at the 2002 Winter Olympics made her China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medalist. She added a second gold in the women's 1000 m short track at the same Games and has also won two silver and a bronze medal. After 2003 World Championships, Yang took time off competing, but came back in 2004–2005 season in lead-up to 2006 Winter Olympics where she won the bronze medal in 1000m race. She retired soon afterwards.

3. Shen Xue (1978 - )

With an HPI of 38.58, Shen Xue is the 3rd most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Shen Xue (Chinese: 申雪; pinyin: Shēn Xuě; born 13 November 1978) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With her husband Zhao Hongbo, Shen is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World champion (2002, 2003 and 2007), a three-time Four Continents Champion (1999, 2003 & 2007), and a six-time Grand Prix Final champion (1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2009). Shen and Zhao were the first Chinese pair team to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2002, they became the first Chinese pair skating team to win a World Championship. They are also the first Chinese pair skaters to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. In 2010, they became the first Chinese skaters to win the gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games in any figure skating category, ending almost half a century of Russian and Soviet pair skating dominance.

4. Chen Lu (1976 - )

With an HPI of 38.18, Chen Lu is the 4th most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Chen Lu (simplified Chinese: 陈露; traditional Chinese: 陳露; pinyin: Chén Lù, born 24 November 1976) is a Chinese former figure skater. She is the 1994 and 1998 Olympic bronze medalist and the 1995 World Champion. Chen won the first ever Olympic medal in figure skating for China.

5. Sui Wenjing (1995 - )

With an HPI of 35.73, Sui Wenjing is the 5th most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Sui Wenjing (simplified Chinese: 隋文静; traditional Chinese: 隋文靜; pinyin: Suí Wénjìng; born 18 July 1995) is a retired Chinese pair skater. With partner Han Cong, she is the 2022 Olympic gold medalist, 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time world champion (2017, 2019), a three-time world silver medalist (2015, 2016, 2021), the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final champion, a six-time Four Continents champion (2012, 2014, 2016–2017, 2019–2020) and a two-time Chinese national champion (2010, 2011). On the junior level, she and her partner are three-time World Junior champions (2010–2012), the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final champions, and captured 5 gold medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. Sui and Han are the first pair skate team to achieve a Super Slam, having won all major competitions in both their senior and junior career. They are the only team that has landed throw quadruple salchows and quadruple twists in competition. They are the current world record holders for the pair's short program and combined total.

6. Han Cong (1992 - )

With an HPI of 34.71, Han Cong is the 6th most famous Chinese Skater.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Han Cong (pronounced "Han Tsong") (simplified Chinese: 韩聪; traditional Chinese: 韓聰; pinyin: Hán Cōng; born 6 August 1992) is a Chinese pair skater. With partner Sui Wenjing, he is the 2022 Olympic gold medalist, 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time world champion (2017, 2019), a three-time world silver medalist (2015, 2016, 2021), the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final champion, a six-time Four Continents champion (2012, 2014, 2016–2017, 2019–2020), a three-time World Junior champion (2010–2012), the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a two-time Chinese national champion (2010, 2011). Sui and Han are the first pair skate team to achieve a Super Slam, having won all major competitions in both their senior and junior career. They have landed throw quadruple salchows and quadruple twists in competition.

7. Yang Yang (1977 - )

With an HPI of 34.68, Yang Yang is the 7th most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Yang Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨阳; traditional Chinese: 楊陽; pinyin: Yáng Yáng; born 14 September 1977 in Changchun, Jilin, China) is a Chinese Olympic speed skater of Hui ethnicity. Yang competed as a short track speed skater for the Chinese national team at the 1994 Winter Olympics, the 1998 Winter Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Olympics. Born 1977, Yang is sometimes known as Yang Yang (S), to differentiate her from the speed skater named Yang Yang born in 1976 (known as "Yang Yang (A)"). By coincidence, Yang had a one-year and one month older contemporary on the Chinese short track team also named Yang Yang in English and pinyin, although with a different given name in Chinese characters. They were originally referred to as Yang Yang (L) ("大杨扬") and Yang Yang (S) ("小杨阳"), for "Large" and "Small"; Yang Yang (L) disliked the "L" designation and changed her designation to Yang Yang (A). "A" and "S" also refer to their respective months of birth: August and September respectively.

8. Pang Qing (1979 - )

With an HPI of 34.67, Pang Qing is the 8th most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Pang Qing (simplified Chinese: 庞清; traditional Chinese: 龐清; pinyin: Páng Qīng; born December 24, 1979, in Harbin, Heilongjiang) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With her husband Tong Jian, she is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, the 2006 and 2010 World Champion, a five-time Four Continents champion (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 & 2011) and the 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion.

9. Tong Jian (1979 - )

With an HPI of 33.63, Tong Jian is the 9th most famous Chinese Skater.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Tong Jian (Chinese: 佟健; pinyin: Tóng Jiàn; born August 15, 1979, in Harbin, Heilongjiang) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With his wife Pang Qing, he is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, 2006 and 2010 World Champion, a five-time Four Continents champion (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011) and the 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion.

10. Ye Qiaobo (1964 - )

With an HPI of 33.49, Ye Qiaobo is the 10th most famous Chinese Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Ye Qiaobo (born June 3, 1964) is a Chinese speed skater. She was born in Changchun, Jilin. She competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics and in the 1994 Winter Olympics. In 1992, she won the silver medal in the 500 metres event as well as in the 1000 metres competition. Her silver in the 500m is the first ever medal for a Chinese athlete at the Winter Olympics. Two years later she won the bronze medal in the 1000 metres contest and finished 13th in the 500 metres event. She was the winner for World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Women in 1992 and 1993.