China
and the Olympic Games
Before 1949, China participated
in the Olympic Games in 1932, 1936 and 1948, but failed to win any
medals.
After 1949, the former All-China
Sports Association was reorganized to become the All-China Federation
of Sports (Chinese Olympic Committee) to promote the Olympic games
and the ideals they embody within the boundaries of China. The present
chairman of the committee is Wu Shaozu.
On October 25, 1979, the Executive
Committee of the International Olympic Committee held a meeting
in Nagoya, Japan at which China resumed its legitimate membership
on the International Olympic Committee.
He Zhenliang was elected a member
of the International Olympic Committee in 1981, a member of the
Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee in 1985
and vice-chairman of the International Olympic Committee in 1989.
These events showed that cooperation between China and the International
Olympic Committee had entered a new stage.
In 1984, a Chinese sports delegation
composed of 353 members participated in the 23rd Olympic Games,
held in Los Angeles. Chinese athletes won 15 gold , 8 silver and
9 bronze medals in the 16 events they participated in. It was the
first time for China to win gold medals in the Olympic Games, and
the country ranked fourth in the number of gold medals. At the 25th
and 26th Olympic Games, Chinese athletes won 16 gold medals each
time, ranking the fourth.
Great efforts have been made by
the Chinese government to promote international sports exchanges.
At present, some 30,000 Chinese participate in more than 2,000 international
competitions and exchanges each year. At the same time, China has
successfully held the 11th Asian Games, 3rd Asian Winter Games,
1st East Asian Games, 6th Far East and South Pacific Games for the
Disabled and other international sports competitions. Besides, China
has provided active support to the member countries of the International
Olympic Committee. More than 50 stadiums and gymnasiums have been
built by China for more than 30 countries and regions. In 1999,
China applied to the International Olympic Committee to hold the
2008 Olympic Games.
In
February 2000, the Beijing Commission for Bidding for the 2008 Olympic
Games held its second plenary session in the Chinese capital. The
session decided on the emblem and slogan for the commission. The emblem
was jointly created by leading artists Chen Shaohua, Han Meilin and
Jin Daiqiang, and the slogan is ??New Beijing, Great Olympics.??
