Li Xiaoxia awarded as the best female athlete of London 2012

A still image grab from the video provided by ANOC shows Li Xiaoxia, right, receiving the trophy from the Vice-President of ANOC for Oceania Robin Mitchell, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov 7, 2014. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Li Xiaoxia, Olympic Gold medalist and member of China's national table tennis team, was awarded with the "Best Female Athlete of London 2012" by the Association of National Olympic Committees in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday.

At the first ANOC Gala Awards Dinner in Bangkok on Friday night, Li was awarded the honor for her match winning performance against world number one and fellow compatriot, Ding Ning.

Li, born in 1988, also won gold in the women's team table tennis but describes her performance in the London 2012 table tennis women's singles Olympic final as the very best of her career, according to ANOC.

She said: "Winning the title at London 2012 was the proudest moment in my career as an athlete, and one that I will always remember. Training and hard work are the day in, day out, realities of being an athlete – these are what make winning a gold medal such a rewarding achievement."

After receiving the trophy and certification from the Vice-President of ANOC for Oceania Robin Mitchell, Li also expressed her appreciation to ANOC and the Chinese Olympic Committee for "their never-ending support".

Kenyan 800-meter champion David Rudisha has won the award of "the Best Male Athlete of London 2012" for making a world record time of 1 minute and 40.1 seconds.

The awards of best female and male teams of London 2012 went to the Brazilian volleyball team and France handball team, respectively.