Zhang Jike (張繼科)

Sport: Table tennis

Age: 25

2012 earnings: 13 million (US$2.08 million)

2011 ranking: N/A

As a top table tennis player, Zhang Jike rose to fame in 2008 when he won the men's singles title during the Chinese National Championships after beating three Olympic champions -- Ma Lin, Wang Liqin and Wang Hao. Zhang was born in February of 1988 in Qingdao, and became a national team member in January 2003.

In May 2011, Zhang defeated defending champion Wang Hao and went on to win the singles title in the World Table Tennis Championships. Half a year later, he became the Men's Table Tennis World Cup champion in Paris. During the London 2012 Olympics, Zhang won gold in both the singles and team events, making him the fourth male player in the history of the sport to achieve a career grand slam.