‘Sweet sister’ China top sprinter to attend top university despite low exam score

A top young athlete in China has been admitted to the prestigious Peking University, earning her admiration for her ability to balance academic studies and sport.

Liu Xiajun, a 20-year-old sprint athlete from China’s national team, has been dubbed “track and field sweet sister” for her good looks.

She has spent most of her time training since she achieved a record result in the 100m in her hometown of Ziyang, southwestern Sichuan province in 2018, reported the mainland news outlet The Cover.

As a result of her time spent on sport, like other athletes, Liu’s academic scores lag far behind those of elite students.

Last year, Liu was offered a place at Fudan University in Shanghai, also a top school in China. But she declined without explaining why.

Following discussions with her family, Liu decided to study for another year to prepare for this year’s national college entrance exam, also known as gaokao in China.

Her goal is to be admitted to Peking University, which is ranked higher than Fudan University, as a student with special sporting talent.

To achieve this, Liu had to score at least 460 out of 750 in the exam.