From swimmers Tao Li and Yip Pin Xiu's feats in the pool, to Jasmine Yeong-Nathan lighting up the lanes at the AMF Bowling World Cup, we had plenty of other reasons to cheer.

Other stand-out performances from Singapore athletes include golfer Lam Chih Bing making the cut at the British Open and the footballers playing in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time.

That is why we have decided to start the annual Straits Times Athlete of the Year award, which will honour an athlete or team who inspired us the most.

The shorlisted sportspersons are:

1) Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei.
The paddlers' team silver at the Beijing Games ended Singapore's 48-year Olympic drought.

2) National football team
Played in the third round of the World Cup Asian Zone qualifiers for the first time.

3) Jasmine Yeong-Nathan
Became Singapore's first AMF Bowling World Cup champion.

4) Swimmer Tao Li
Set the Asian 100m butterfly record (57.54sec) and became Singapore's first Olympic 'A' finalist.

5) Disabled swimmer Yip Pin Xiu
Won the women's 50m backstroke S3 in Beijing for Singapore's first Paralympics gold.

6) Lam Chih Bing
First Singapore golfer to make the cut at a Major - July's British Open.

Cast your vote, and see if it tallies with The Straits Times Sports Desk when the results are announced on Jan 30.

Click here to vote.

Read the full story here.