中国奥运 "教父" (zhongguo aoyun jiaofu): Chinese Olympics 'Godfather'

He Zhenliang, who is known for his irreplaceable role in China's successful bid in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, died of illness on Jan 4, 2015 in Beijing at the age of 85. He was remembered for his significant contribution to China's Olympic efforts and was called Chinese Olympics "Godfather".

He Zhenliang was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Since the 1950s He had been a bridge connecting China to the international sports mainstream. In 1955 he became an international communication official of the National Sports Commission. In the 1960s, he worked as a senior official of several domestic sport organizations, such as the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the All-China Sports Federation.

He was elected to the International Olympic Committee in 1981 and was elected vice-president of the IOC in 1989. He was a junior bid-committee executive on Beijing's two bids for the Summer Olympic Games in 1993 and 2001, and eventually assisted Beijing winning the bid to be host city of the 2008 Olympic Games.

China's sports community is mourning the passing of this important sports official, and major sports figures in China expressed their condolences to his family after hearing of his death. He is also remembered by ordinary Chinese people as the ambassador and pioneer of China's Olympic efforts internationally.