As far back as 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens. Although invited, China did not participate until the 10th Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles, but without significant accomplishment.

Politics in 1949, with the establishment of the Nationalist government in Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China on the mainland, changed the air as both tried to send official Chinese teams to the Olympic Games. The two-Chinas dispute caused both China and Taiwan to withdraw. In 1956, China boycotted the Olympic Games in the Australian city of Melbourne after Taiwan sent a team of 21 athletes. Two years later, the Chinese Olympic Committee severed all relations with the International Olympic Committee.

It took much debating and voting for the International Olympic Committee to reach the decision of allowing China’s return to the Committee. At an executive council meeting in Montevideo in 1979, the International Olympic Committee decided to let the People’s Republic of China join as the “Chinese Olympic Committee” and call its Taiwan counterpart the “Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee”. The date was 26 November 1979.

China’s enthusiasm and performance in the Olympic Games became more prominent and dominating over time.

At the 23rd Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, China competed against Taiwan for the first time. China finished eighth in the medals tally with 15 gold, eight silver and nine bronze medals. China’s first Olympic gold medal went to Haifeng Xu, who won the men’s free pistol event. Gymnast Li Ning alone also won three gold medals.

China’s rank dropped to 11 in the Seoul Games in 1988, with five gold medals, 11 silver and 12 bronze medals.

In 1992, at the 25th Olympics held in Barcelona and at the Atlanta Games four years later, China ranked fourth, winning 16 gold medals both times. Fu Mingxia became the youngest Olympic champion at the age of 14.

Chinese athletes did their best at the most recent 2000 Sydney Olympics. China came third, with the most medals won at the Games. It brought home 28 gold medals, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals.

China has definitely come a long way. Since rejoining in 1979, it has won 80 gold medals. Now, Beijing has won the 2008 Olympics bid, and China will continue to sharpen its strengths in gymnastics, diving, table tennis and badminton, while exploring less familiar sports and broadening its vision of the Olympics.

“Sport must be amateur or it is not sport. Sports played professionally are entertainment.”
--- Avery Brundage (1887 - 1975), former president of the U.S. Olympic Committee and former president of the International Olympic Committee.

“I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.”
--- Earl Warren (1891–1974), former Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court.

“I spend so much time on skating, and I gave up so many hobbies for this. . . , the Olympics are in four years’ time. And I am old.”
--- Ye Qiaobo, first Chinese athlete to win a Winter Olympics medal, having just won two silvers, in tears, expressing her her disappointment and frustration at not winning a gold. She was 27 years old.

“Hong Kong's athletes are not trash!”
--- Lee Lai Shan, windsurfer, scorer of the first gold medal of Hong Kong, speaking after her victoroy at the 1996 Atlanta Games.