Sports
In the early years of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao
Zedong said, ``In the past, China was called `the sick man of East Asia'.
Our economy and culture were seen as backward. The Chinese people were
seen as unfit and they were weak at sports and athletics.'' It was with
the realization of China's relatively poor position that the new nation
began to build its sports culture. Of course, a vigorous sports industry
requires a vigorous national economy. Therefore, Chinese sports have
experienced their greatest period of development since reforms were
initiated in 1978. During this period of macroeconomic reforms and the
opening of the Chinese economy, Chinese sports at all levels have been
granted a broader arena in which to display their full potential. During
the past two decades, China has produced 1,113 champions who have broken
world records some 750 times in such international competitions as the
Olympic Games, world championships in a variety of sports, and world cup
games.
The International Olympic Committee(IOC) passed the Nagoya
Resolution in 1979, which enabled the athletes sponsored by the People's
Republic of China to represent the Chinese nation in Olympic events and
for the mainland representatives to join the IOC. This re-opened the door
for mainland athletes to excel on the international stage. That same
year, Wu Shude claimed China's first gold medal in an international event
by lifting 110 kilograms. Also that year, Ma Yanhong won the high-bar and
low-bar titles in the World Gymnastics Championships, becoming the first
in a long line of Chinese world gymnastics champions.
Since 1980s, Chinese athletes have had more chances to compete with
world-class athletes and have presented courageous performances. Chinese
athletes have claimed world records and world championships a combined
270 times in dozens of events, most notably table tennis, women's
volleyball, men's gymnastics, field and track, badminton, rhythmic
gymnastics, diving, and weight lifting. On nine different occasions, the
Chinese athletes or teams realized a world-first performance. For
instance, the Chinese table tennis team claimed all the gold medals in
the 36th World Championships, a first-ever in the 55 years of these
competitions. The Chinese women's volleyball team has won the world
championship time after time, suggesting volleyball levels in China have
reached a breakthrough for the sport internationally. The men's
gymnastics team took the team championships at the World Gymnastics
Championships, and the women's speed walking team has repeatedly set
records while grabbing championships. These accomplishments reflect the
vast potential of all Chinese athletes to reach the highest levels of
sports competition. At the close of 1982, China emerged victorious in the
Ninth Asian Games with 153 medals, including 61 gold medals.
The rise of China's ports performances in international competitions
has given overseas Chinese a sense that the motherland is being
revitalized. A Chinese-language newspaper in North America reported,
``Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, with an
increasingly prosperous economy and rising living standards, China's
sports have developed vigorously, and the quality of the athletes has
continuously been on the rise. For three decades, Chinese athletes have
gained satisfactory results in international competitions in the events
of field and track, ball sports, gymnastics, swimming, diving, shooting,
and others. They have put an end to the humiliation felt by Chinese
people in the past. We should be inspired by the spirit of the Chinese
women's volleyball team, and make more efforts to develop the country and
win the country greater victories and higher honors.''
On July 28, 1984, Xu Haifeng claimed a gold medal in target shooting
at the 23rd Olympic Games, the first for China. Also during the 23rd
Games, the Chinese women's volleyball team claimed the championship,
their third championship in international games. During the 16 days of
competitions, Chinese athletes claimed a total of 15 gold medals.
On June 10 of that year, Zhu Jianhua cleared 2.39 meters, setting
the world record in the high-jump for the third time.
Chinese divers claimed three world championships at the Second
Diving World Cup held in 1981, and China went on to win a combined 10
gold medals at the 5th and 7th World Diving Championships. Divers claimed
a total of nine gold medals in the 23rd-26th Olympic Games.
China became a member of the World Badminton Federation in 1981.
Since that time, Chinese athletes have won four Thomas Cups, six Uber
Cups, and two Sudirman Cups. International badminton has entered the Age
of Chinese Badminton.
Following on the ground-breaking, championship performance of Ma
Haiyan, Li Ning became the all-round gymnastics champion, the floor
exercise champion, and champion in the pommel horse, rings, vaulting, and
horizontal bar. This gave rise to epoch-making influences in the
international gymnastic field, and ever since Li Ning has been known as
the "prince of gymnastics". In 1983, during the 22nd World Gymnastics
Championships, the Chinese men claimed the team title, which had been
dominated in the past by the Soviet Union. Many unique technical
exercises named after Chinese gymnasts have been recorded in the history
books of the International Gymnastics Federation, such as the Yuejiu
Airspring, Mo's Airspring, and the Yangbo Jump.
In 1988, the records of the International Swimming Federation
included for the first time a Chinese athlete, Yang Wenyi. At the Asian
Swimming Championships that year, Yang broke the world record in the
50-meter free style event. At Olympic Games that year, the swimming team
won, for the first time in the Olympic Games, three silver medals and one
bronze medal. At the 25th and 26th Olympic Games, China's team gained a
combined 10 gold medals. In 1994 at the 7th World Swimming Championships,
Chinese athletes took away 12 gold medals, ranking first in this regard
and thus attracting world attention.
At the mention of the year 1990, Chinese people will immediately be
reminded of the Asian Games in Beijing. At this comprehensive
international games hosted by China for the first time, Chinese athletes
displayed their strengths and advantages and took away nearly 60 percent
of the gold medals. The successes in hosting these games demonstrated the
national comprehensive strength of China.
In 1993, and on the same pitches that had hosted the Beijing Asian
Games, six athletes, including Wang Junxia and Qu Yunxia, broke the world
records for women's 10,000-meter, 3,000-meter and 1,500-meter races. They
were historical breakthroughs for China's track and field.
In 1995, the State Council promulgated the National Program for
Physical Fitness, in an effort to promote the popularity of exercise. As
a solution to the shortage of exercise space felt by urban residents, the
State Sports Administration devoted 60 percent of the proceeds from a
sports lottery to the National Program for Physical Fitness, which used
the funds to construct public exercise fields in 51 cities. The
administration added 30 million yuan to the input from local governments,
bringing the development fund used in some 240 cities to over 100 million
yuan.
Sports and exercises facilities in the urban areas are very active.
There are currently 3,584 community-level sports organizations in China.
These community groups have established centers for morning and evening
exercises. The number of local residents taking part in these activities
increases year after year. Individuals flock to gymnasiums, tennis
courts, swimming pools, and golf courses and groups organize hiking trips
in the suburbs, river rafting, or mountain climbing. Groups of exercisers
are commonly seen in parks and open spaces in apartment compounds and
along the busy urban streets. The physical qualities of the Chinese
people have obviously been improved, and their average life expectancy
now surpasses 70 years, giving China a boost on the longevity list of
countries.
A national standard for sports and exercises is practiced among
teenagers. In recent years, more than 100 million students have met the
standard each year, and over 500,000 schools practice the State standard.
They send over 10,000 student athletes to all-levels of sports schools
and provide a reserve force of more than 1,000 for national teams. There
are currently 360,000 students in sports schools at all levels, which
produce an annual group of 100,000 trained athletes each year.
Enormous attention is also paid to sports and exercise in the
countryside and the autonomous ethnic areas. Some 468 counties have been
selected as doing excellent work in this regard, making up 21 percent of
the total number of counties in China. The recognition of such counties
has enhanced the drive to foster educational and coaching staffs in these
areas. Some 532 sports facilities have been constructed at the county
level since the program was initiated. Rural sports associations have
sprung up throughout the countryside, and nearly 50 percent of the rural
villages and towns have at least a part-time sport and exercise director
among the government cadre. The sporting events organized in the areas
that include large concentrations of the minority populations include
traditional events. For instance, the Gaoshans enjoy a traditional sport
known as rod ball. The Bai ethnic minority participate in a sport that
involves jumping over flowerpots. The Lagu compete in top spinning. The
Miao excel in a traditional style of archery. The Manchu spin tops on
ice. The Oroqen take part in harness racing. The Dongs compete for
firecrackers. And on the Tibetan Plateau, known as the Roof of the World
and home to several ethnic groups, locals enjoy horseracing, riding, and
yak racing. Traditionally, each July, August and September and on
holidays, each county in the Tibet Autonomous Region will hold sports
competitions in these events. The traditional sports of Wushu, Qigong,
and Chinese-style wrestling have also entered a renaissance and have
attracted many international fans, who have come to China to study.
In 1979, the People's Republic of China was granted the right to
China's seat on the IOC. Since that time, sports exchanges between China
and the world have become increasingly frequent, and relations between
China and the IOC have become increasingly close. In recognition of
China's active participation in international sports, of its selfless
assistance to the developing countries in constructing sports facilities,
and for its efforts in enhancing the world-wide development of the
Olympic Games, the IOC awarded China the Olympic Cup.
Since its founding, the PRC has sent nearly 2,700 coaches abroad and
has assisted in the construction of 27 sports fields, 15 gymnasiums, four
swimming pools and 12 athlete dormitories in 38 countries in Africa, Asia
and Latin America. These are recognized as bridges of friendship, linking
the peoples of different countries.
With the rising reputation and status of China in international
sports, China formed the China Olympic Committee in 1981. In the
beginning of the 1990s, COC President He Zhenliang was elected vice
president of the IOC at the 95th IOC Conference. China is a member of 80
international sports organizations and 40 Asian sports organizations.
There are some 200 Chinese administrators and technical workers in these
organizations. For this reason, the IOC has awarded sports leaders in
China with an
Olympic Gold Order and a dozen Olympic Silver Orders. ��
World records broken by Chinese athletes
In 1987, 24 world records were broken;
In 1988, 32 world records were broken;
In 1989, 34 world records were created;
In 1990, 14 world records were created;
In 1991, 31 world records were created;
In 1992, 42 world records were created;
In 1993, 57 world records were created;
In 1994, 41 world records were created;
In 1995, 13 world records were created;
In 1996, 22 world records were created;
In 1997, 29 world records were created;
In 1998, 31 world records were created.
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