Zhou Yang, speed skater

   2010 earning:  7.2 million yuan  (US$1.1 million)

Born in 1991, Zhou Yang is a famous female short-track speed skater and the youngest Winter Olympics gold medalist. In the 2008 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Zhou won the gold medal in the women's 3, 000-meter super final.

In 2010 Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the 1, 500-meter event and became the world and Olympic record holder for this distance. Following, the victory, she added another gold medal in the 3, 000-meter relay competition.