Over one century has witnessed the inception and growth of modern Olympic Games. With the changing times, China’ attitudes towards this world-wide physical activity have shifted from the utter ignorance to active participation. Furthermore, China has obtained the holding right of 2008 Olympic Games. It is an endless process, full of twists and turns, during which china underwent the hardships and setbacks, and also tasted its joy.

China’s interaction with Olympic Games has originally dated back to 1894. At that time, china’s Qing government ever received the invitation from the Greek prince and the initiator of modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, representing the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C). Nevertheless, the fatuous and self-indulgent Qing government gave no reply to them because of complete ignorance of “sports”. In 1924 China National Sports Federation established, after that China successively joined in the following 8 International Sports Federation: track and field, swimming, gymnastics, tennis, weight lifting, boxing, football, and basketball. In the 8th Olympic Games, three Chinese athletes participated in the performance competition. China started to formally participate in Olympic Games from the year 1931, when China National Sports Association was acknowledged as China Olympic Committee by I.O.C.

In 1932, the 10th Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles ,U.S.A. Under the high public pressure, Kuomintang government decided that Liu Changchun and Yu Xiwei represented China to go in for Olympic Games. Liu Changchun, Shen Siliang, Song Junfu and the Chinese oversea students and Chinese Americans Liu Xuesong, Shen Guoquan, and Tuo Ping consisted of China’s delegation. Yu Xiwei didn’t attend due to the Japanese obstructions. Liu Changchun won the 5th and 6th places in the 100-metre and 200-metre preliminary races. He was the first Chinese athlete of attending the Olympics and was remembered by Chinese Olympic history.

In 1945, when the 50th I.O. conference of I.O.C. was held in Athens, China was acknowledged as the legal member of I.O.C. by I.O.C. by 23-to-21 voting resolution. However, under the manipulation of the minority in the charge of the American Bradach as the chairman of I.O.C, Tai Wan’s Olympic “Chinese Olympic Committee” remained to be on the list of the members admitted by I.O.C. They attempted to break up China. Therefore, on August 19, 1958 China Olympic Committee declared to break off the relation with I.O.C.. From 1956 to 1979, China Olympic Committee didn’t send athletes to attend I.O.G.. But Chinese Taibei athlete Yang Chuanguang won the silver medal in the decathlon competition in 1960 Roman Olympic Games. He was the first Chinese athlete who won the Olympic medal. In 1968, when Olympic Games were held in Mexico, Ji Zheng, a female athlete from Taibei, won the copper medal in 80-metre hurdle race. She was the first Chinese female athlete who won the Olympic medal.

In the following two decades, China couldn’t attend many international sports games. The first breakthrough occurred in the summer of 1962, when the 4th Asian Sports Games were held in Indonesia. Tai Wan was refused to attend as the name of “Chinese Olympic Committee”. The second breakthrough was the well-known “ping-pang diplomatic”, which yielded the great achievements. China’s legal seat in U.N has been resumed since 1972. In 1979, the executive committee of I.O.C. made the resolution to resume the legal seat of People’s Republic of China in I.O.C. in Nagoya of Japan.

In February, 1980, Chinese sports delegation, after resumed the legal seat in I.O.C., for the first time attended the 13th winter Olympic Games. In 1984, the 23rd Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles of U.S.A. Since the beginning of China’s participation in Olympic Games, it was the first time that China had been sent so large-scale delegation to participate the great event in the field of sports. On the 1st day of games, Xu Haifeng, the shooting player won the championship in the male shooting race, which broke up the zero record of golden medal in China’s Olympic history. In the year 2002 winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, Chinese athlete Yang Yang broke through the zero record of golden medal in Winter Olympic Games. Looking back the stories of Chinese athletes, we find that the significant breakthroughs and great achievements can best prove China’s power and high level in athletic sports. The vicissitudes from “East Asian Sick Person” to world championship have witnessed the fact that the world-shaking changes have taken place in the field of China’s sports.