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BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- More than 400 people, including athletes, officials and journalists, mourned the late senior sports reporter Gao Dianmin on Friday morning in Beijing.
Gao, 62, died of a heart attack on November 11 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, while he was attending an Olympic meeting. He had covered every edition of the Summer Olympics from 1984 to 2016 as a journalist from Xinhua News Agency, and became a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) press commission in 1996.
A memorial service was held at Babaoshan in west Beijing, and commenced at 9:30 a.m., lasting for about an hour. In a hall filled with wreaths, chrysanthemum bouquets and elegiac couplets, visitors bowed in tribute. Among the guests were former IOC vice president Kevan Gosper, IOC head of media operations, Anthony Edgar, and Olympic champions Wang Yifu and Xu Haifeng, whom Gao had interviewed more than three decades ago after the latter won China's first ever Olympic gold medal.
Before the memorial, Edgar extended condolences on behalf of IOC President Thomas Bach to Gao's family and relatives.
In a letter, Bach said: "it was with great sadness that I learned of the sudden death of Mr. Dianmin Gao."
"He dedicated his career to promote sport and he was a highly valued member of the Olympic family, from his early days as a sports reporter and later as a member of the IOC's Press Committee Working Group," Bach wrote.
"He will be remembered for his exceptional contribution to advance the role of sport in China and the world," he concluded.
Gao started his career as a reporter in 1977, and made his name in 1984 after he broke the news of China's first Olympic gold medal, which was nabbed by shooter Xu Haifeng in Los Angeles. The Chinese version was included in primary school textbooks.
Xu, 59, also attended the memorial service. "I was shocked at the news of his death," he said in grief. "I didn't believe it at first, because he was not old at all."
Xu added that the two had always been in touch with each other. "He was easygoing and warm-hearted, both before and after he achieved fame," Xu said. "Whatever happened, he never lost his calmness. He is a good example for young journalists."
Xu's former teammate Wang Yifu, who also competed in the 1984 Olympics, remembered fondly Gao's interview after the competition. "We were so young, and it was our first time to attend such a big event," he recalled. "Our conversation during the interview was inspirational, and he helped spread the Olympic spirit in China."
Apart from shooting, Gao also covered athletics and volleyball in his early years, and served on the media committees of both the International Association of Athletics Federations and the International Volleyball Federation. At Xinhua, he worked as the director of the sports department and later chief of the London Bureau.
Gosper also remembered his first conversation with Gao some 20 years ago.
"When I first met him in an Olympic press meeting in Lausanne when I was chairman, I said 'Dianmin, I'm pleased to meet you,' and he said 'please Mr. Gosper, call me Gao.' I said 'Gao, call me Kevan.' And we were friends thereafter," he recalled.
Gosper also remembered the moments when Gao was with him. "There are many occasions he would take me aside, put his hand to his mouth, whisper good advice," he said.
"He was an extraordinarily important person with our media operation," Gosper continued.
"He was very important in the lead up to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. I regard him as a very, very close friend, and a humble man but very professional. He was informative, and very good with his staff," said Gosper.
Gosper was in Australia when he heard of Gao's death. As Gao was set to resign from the IOC press commission, he was supposed to receive an Olympic five-ring trophy the next day, which was inscribed with the letters "Gao Dianmin, 20 years of outstanding service to the IOC press commission."
The trophy was later presented by Gosper to Gao's family. Gao is survived by his wife, Wang Ya, a daughter who is expecting, and a granddaughter.
In his speech at the memorial service, Gosper said: "Gao was one of Xinhua's best. He was highly professional and respected and admired team leader and executive. He was generous in spirit and always willing to go the extra distance for his friends.
"Gao was an Olympian in his heart and of enormous value to the Olympic movement."
Edgar recalled that he had always taken council of Gao as he had "advised me in how to effectively work within China, its establishment and its wonderful people."
"Gao was a very, very significant figure in being a bridge between China, the IOC and the international sporting federations," Edgar said. "Everyone liked Gao. He helped us understand China better. I think he also helped China to better understand the international sporting media."
He added that Gao was also a significant figure in Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics. "It is a great loss not just for the International Olympic Committee and its members, but also all of the international sporting federations feel they have lost their link...He was a great man."
