China's Mr. Olympics - He Zhenliang

Jan. 1, 1991 - He Zhenliang, a member of the China's International Olympics Committee, with Juan Antonio Samaranch in Beijing. (CNS/JiaGuorong)

He Zhenliang, a major contributor to China's Olympics who played a decisive role in the success of the Beijing Olympics, died on the afternoon of January 4, 2015 at the age of 85. Not only did he pass the Olympic ideal to the people of China, he brought them the Games.

He took the view that he fell into the world of sport by accident. "I had no expectation of ever being involved with the Olympics," He would say. In July 1952, he was invited to participate in the 15th Olympics in Helsinki. The 23-year-old was fascinated by the “great party”. Moreover, he was conscious of the intense political undercurrents. The football match between Yugoslavia and Hungary was extremely fierce because Yugoslavia had been expelled from the then Communist sphere. The basketball game between the U.S. and former Soviet Union was regarded as a battle between the two opposing political camps. At that time, China’s presence was more political than competitive.

It was considered of great importance to China to see the country's five-star flag raised at the Olympics. Therefore, He, as a translator, was to “complete his mission”. Little could he have imagined the enormity of that mission.