Wang Runlan

Wang Runlan was born into a wealthy family and practiced football, boxing and martial arts at school. and equipment almost every day. Since 1934 he attended the Hebei Military and Political School. Later, Wang Runlan and the other three Chinese boxers selected for participation at the 1936 Berlin Olympics were all soldiers in the army of General Shang Zhen, the sport enthusiastic commander-in-chief of the 32nd army corps and ruler of the Henan province. Early in 1936, they went to Shanghai to participate in the trials at the Shanghai Western Overseas Chinese Youth Association Gymnasium. Subsequently the Sports Association hired Australian coach Billy Tingle, who lived in China, to prepare them during a training camp in Shanghai. Wang was defeated by the experienced Dutch Wim Fock on points in the first round. Bleeding and close to be knocked out in the third round, Wang managed to stand the full three rounds.

After returning from Europe, all four Chinese boxers fought in the Sino-Japanese war and died in action. Wang Runlan was involved as the platoon leader of the 3rd Regiment of the 32nd Corps in the defense of the north shore of the Zhang River in Hebei province. After one week of fierce fighting, several Japanese tanks attacked the position again at dawn. According to Chinese reports, Wang Runlan, who was already seriously wounded, together with a few fellow soldiers attacked a Japanese tank with grenades and was killed. The fate of the four boxers was fictionalized in the 2018 movie “Chivalrous fists of steel” by director Gao Liqiang.