NBA star Yao Ming and champion hurdler Liu Xiang are the two of the most prominent sports stars in China. The two are also the darlings in the eyes of various adverting agents from home and abroad aiming to reach China's increasingly confident and brand-conscious consumers. Therefore, a large chunk of their income is from brand endorsement.
According to the latest Forbes ranking, the 20 highest-paid Olympians earned 448 million US dollars collectively over the past 12 months. They are almost entirely made up of basketball stars and tennis pros, except Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
Professor Liu Qingzao, from the Shanghai Physical Culture Institute, explains why the above sports categories are the most favored by
