China’s association with the Olympic movement progressed slowly in the early years. The first Chinese member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Wang Zhengting, was elected in 1922 at the 21st IOC Session Meeting in Paris. It was not until 1932, however, that China actually sent a delegation to the Olympics, the Games of the X Olympiad, held in Los Angeles. Three months before those Games, Chinese newspapers suddenly reported that the puppet state of Manchukuo (Manchuguo), created by the Japanese in China’s Northeast (Manchuria), was planning to send two athletes. People throughout China expressed their anger and resentment over this. Under fire from the public, China’s Nationalist government quickly decided to send a delegation, which included only one athlete, runner Liu Changchun, to the Games. Although Liu failed to qualify in the 100-metre event after his long ocean journey, he became the first Chinese athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, and thus the 1932 Los Angeles Games became the first Olympics for China.
Beijing-Olympics-slogan-next-to-the-Badaling-section-of-theBeijing Olympics slogan next to the Badaling section of the Great Wall.[Credits : © Jack Cronkhite/Shutterstock.com]
Official-mascots-of-the-Beijing-2008-Olympic-GamesOfficial mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.[Credits : © Zhu Difeng/Shutterstock.com]
Xu-Haifeng-Chinas-first-gold-medalist-lighting-the-Olympic-torchXu Haifeng, China’s first gold medalist, lighting the Olympic torch during the 1996 torch relay in …[Credits : John G. Mabanglo—AFP/Getty Images]
Beijing-Olympics-2008-emblemBeijing Olympics 2008 emblem.[Credits : Burson-Marsteller Beijing/PRNewsFoto/AP Images]
Mao-ZedongMao Zedong.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Opening-ceremonies-Los-Angeles-Olympics-1984Opening ceremonies, Los Angeles Olympics, 1984.[Credits : Steve Powell—Allsport/Getty Images]
The-Olympic-flag-unfurling-below-the-Parthenon-in-Athens-AugThe Olympic flag unfurling below the Parthenon in Athens, Aug. 12, 2003.[Credits : © Reuters/Corbis]
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