JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH: BRINGING CHINESE OLYMPICS TO WORLD
(Xinhua file photo)
At the awards ceremony for the women's singles table tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), gently patted the face of Chinese athlete Deng Yaping. This warm scene was immortalized on TV.
This Spaniard is considered to have contributed the most to the Olympics after Pierre de Coubertin. After visiting China for the first time in 1978, he selflessly lobbied and played a pivotal role in China's return to the Olympics.
In 1979, China regained a formal seat in the IOC. In the following decades, Samaranch lent support and witnessed many important developments in China's sports.
On the evening of July 13, 2001, as he opened an envelope in Moscow and announced "Beijing," China burst into jubilant elation.
"Papa Sa" said that he had received many honorary degrees and titles around the world, but the one he cherished the most is the 'good friend of the Chinese people.'
