Cheng Jinguan

Cheng Jinguan, a native of Anhui, was called “Southern Cheng of Northern Liu” referring to Liu Changchun, the best Chinese sprinter of the 1930s and the country’s first Olympian. Born into a wealthy family, he attended English Medhurst College in Shanghai. Already well known in sports circles after placing second in the 200 m hurdles at the 1930 national championships, he then enrolled in the Department of Economics of the Soochow University. Cheng was a member of the Jiangsu branch of the All-China Sports Federation and vice chairman of the Suzhou Athletics Association. He represented China in the Far East Games in 1930 and 1934. In 1934, he ran 10.6 seconds in the 100 m during an unofficial competition, one tenth faster than Liu’s national record. In the Chinese trials, he failed to qualify in the dash and entered the 400 m hurdles instead. In this event, he immediately broke the national record with a time of 58.3 and qualified. Additional support by his classmate Chiang Wei-kuo, the adopted son of Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek and funds from the former Minister of Education allowed Cheng to join the Chinese team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. There, he competed in the 100 and 200 m dash and in 4 x 100 m relay but failed to advance to the second round in either event. While in Berlin, he acquired an eye disease and had to be hospitalized. His active career was stopped by the second Sino-Japanese War.

After the war, Cheng returned from Honkong to settle in Suzhou and teach physical education at the schools of the local railway corporation for almost three decades. In 1994, Cheng Jinguan was invited to Taipeh, Taiwan to meet his former classmate and later general Chiang.

Personal Bests: 100 – unknown; 200 – unknown.