10 Sporting Heroes Who Ruled 2012

7. Tao Zheng

The Chinese dominated both the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, with so many sporting heroes over a wide spectrum of sports and disciplines. However, the victory of Tao Zheng is probably the most prominent in my mind. Despite only being able to use his legs for power, Zheng was able to walk away from the Paralympics with 4 medals, consisting of 2 bronzes, a silver, and both a gold medal and world record in the 100 metre backstroke S6 final. Whenever one watches the Paralympics you can't help but be inspired by how the athletes have overcome adversity to become champions in their own right. And this image of Zheng celebrating his victory epitomises the Paralympic ethos perhaps better than any it produced this year. Standout Moment of 2012: Winning the 100 metre backstroke S6 final in a world record time of 1:13.56.