The 2010 CCTV Sports Personality of the Year awards were launched on Thursday in the Chinese capital city, with Winter Olympics champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo and Wang Meng leading the first-round nominees.

Shen and Zhao claimed the first figure skating gold medal for China, while Wang grabbed three gold medals in women's short track speed skating events.

Regarded as China's "Sports Oscars", the ceremony honors the most outstanding groups or individuals in sports for the year.

This year's awards, the 10th edition of the event, have 11 categories, including Best Male Athlete of the Year, Best Female Athlete of the Year, Best Team of the Year, Best Coach of the Year and Best Non-Olympic Athlete of the Year.

More than 100 athletes have been nominated in the first round. Besides the winter sports athletes who won glory for China at the Vancouver Olympics in February, the list also includes badminton world champion Li Dan and the synchronized swimming pair of Jiang Tingting and Jiang Wenwen. The list will be added to after the Guangzhou Asian Games.

The final list, which will have five candidates for each award, will be announced in the middle of December and the winners will be selected and announced at the beginning of next year.

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