People's Republic of China (CHN)

Although the current National Olympic Committee (NOC) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1979, the first Chinese Olympic Committee was formed in 1910 and recognized in 1922. China competed at the Olympic Games of 1932, 1936, and 1948. In September 1949, Chinese Communists assumed control of the government, and many of the former rulers escaped to the island province of Taiwan, including many former members of the Chinese Olympic Committee (possibly as many as 19 of 26). Due to visa problems, only one athlete from the Chinese mainland could compete at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. Thus, began a 40-year political problem for the IOC: the question of the “two Chinas”.

In May 1954, at the 50th IOC session in Athens, the IOC voted by 23-21 to recognize both the NOC in Beijing (then Peking) (as the “Olympic Committee of the Chinese Republic”, later in 1957 as the “Olympic Committee of the People’s Democratic Republic of China”) and the NOC in Taipei (as the “Chinese Olympic Committee”).

Both Chinas were invited to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. The NOC in Beijing accepted the invitation on 20 November, which led the NOC in Taipei to reject the invitation. However, the NOC in Taipei changed its decision and elected to compete, which caused the NOC in Beijing to withdraw in protest. At Melbourne, no athletes from the NOC in Beijing competed, while 21 athletes from the NOC in Taipei competed under the banner of the Republic of China. The NOC in Beijing withdrew from the IOC on 19 August 1958, in protest of the IOC’s continued recognition of the NOC in Taiwan.

A request to be recognized again was submitted in 1975. The IOC requested the All-China Sports Federation to send its rules for inspection, a standard procedure. The All-China Sports Federation took two years to comply, but its application was eventually approved on 25 November 1979.

In the interim, the IOC sent a three-member contingent, led by New Zealander Lance Cross, to inspect sporting facilities in the People’s Republic of China. Cross reported to the IOC at its 81st Session in Montevideo in April 1979. The IOC made the following recommendations at this Session: “In the Olympic spirit, and in accordance with the Olympic Charter, the IOC resolves: 1) to recognize the Chinese Olympic Committee located in Peking [Beijing], and 2) to maintain recognition of the Chinese Olympic Committee located in Taipei. All matters pertaining to names, anthems, flags and constitutions will be the subject of studies and agreements which will have to be completed as soon as possible.” The full Session approved this motion by 36-30. The IOC Executive Board modified this slightly, changing part two to read “to maintain recognition of the Olympic Committee located in Taipei… “

China returned to the Olympic fold in 1980 at Lake Placid. It did not compete at Moskva 1980, effectively joining the USA-led boycott, but it has competed at all other Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games since 1984. Chinese athletes have won 712 Olympic medals, 284 of them gold (all since 1984), with 77 medals and 22 golds at the Winter Olympics.

Chinese athletes excel in diving, weightlifting, table tennis, artistic gymnastics, and shooting. The most successful Chinese athlete has been female diver Wu Minxia, who won five gold, one silver, and one bronze between 2004 and 2016. Three other Chinese athletes have won five gold medals: gymnast Zou Kai, diver Chen Ruolin, and Ma Long in table tennis. Minxia is equaled in total number of medals by artistic swimmer Huang Xuechen, but the latter’s medals are all silver or bronze.

The most successful Chinese Winter Olympian is short tracker Wang Meng, who won four gold, one silver, and one bronze from 2006 to 2010. Short-track speed skating has been China’s best sport at the Olympic Winter Games, with 37 medals and 12 gold medals. Meng is followed on the gold medal count by another short-track speedskater, Zhou Yang, won two golds in 2010, and a third gold in 2014.

The People’s Republic of China hosted the Games of the XXIXth Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 and the 24th Olympic Winter Games in 2022, also in Beijing. In 1985 the NOC was awarded with the Olympic Cup.