As the sporting year draws to a close, here is Xinhua News Agency's selection of the world's top 10 athletes in 2024:

1. Max Verstappen (Netherlands, Formula One)

In the 2024 season, Verstappen had 14 podium finishes out of 24 Grands Prix, including nine victories, amassing 437 points to secure his fourth consecutive World Drivers' Championship title.

2. Beatrice Chebet (Kenya, athletics)

Chebet broke the women's 10,000m world record with 28 minutes and 54.14 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in May, becoming the first female to finish 10,000m within 29 minutes on a track. She won gold medals in 5,000m and 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

3. Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba, wrestling)

At the Paris Olympics, six-time Olympian Lopez defeated Chile's Yasmani Acosta Fernandez 6-0 in the men's Greco-Roman wrestling 130kg final, becoming the first male wrestler to take five Olympic gold medals in a row in the same event.

4. Simone Biles (United States, gymnastics)

Withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics, Biles was back to the top at the Paris Olympics, racking up three gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and team events, plus one silver medal in floor exercise.

5. Arisa Trew (Australia, skateboarding)

Trew captured the women's vert and park gold medals at the 2024 X Games in June, becoming the first female skateboarder to defend both titles at the annual tournament. She also secured gold in the women's park event at the Paris Olympics in August and vert event at the World Skateboarding Championship in September. Moreover, she was honored with the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year in 2024.

6. Armand Duplantis (Sweden, athletics)

Duplantis broke the men's pole vault world record three times in 2024. At the Diamond League in Xiamen in April, he raised his own record to 6.24 meters, and improved it by one centimeter for the Olympic gold in Paris. Duplantis' new mark of 6.26m at the Silesia Diamond League Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in August was the 10th time he has broken the world record.

7. Zheng Qinwen (China, tennis)

Zheng became the first Asian player to win an Olympic singles gold at the Paris Olympics. She finished runner-up at the Australian Open for her best Grand Slam result. The 22-year-old was also a finalist at the WTA Wuhan Open and WTA Finals. In the WTA 2024 Fan Awards, Zheng became the winner of Fan Favorite Singles and WTA 250 Best Moment.

8. Novak Djokovic (Serbia, tennis)

Djokovic, a five-time Olympian, won the men's singles gold at the Paris Olympics, becoming Serbia's first Olympic tennis champion and completing his Career Golden Slam of all four major titles and Olympic gold medal. In April, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the fifth time. At the French Open in June, he achieved his 370th Grand Slam match win, becoming the first player to reach this milestone.

9. Leon Marchand (France, swimming)

Marchand won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, in the men's 200m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, while breaking the Olympic record four times. After the Olympics, the 22-year-old Frenchman continued to excel by claiming nine gold medals at the World Cups.

10. Vinicius Junior (Brazil, football)

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was awarded The Best FIFA Men's Player 2024 in December, becoming the first winner born after 2000. The Brazilian scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, helping Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles in the 2023-24 season. He was also named the Champions League Player of the Season, and selected in the Champions League Team of the Season.