Song Chin Foh / 宋君复 ‘1921

1932 Los Angeles: Liu Changchun, Manchuria, and China’s First Olympic Delegation

After the September 18 Incident and the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, Japanese-backed authorities attempted to use athletes from the Northeast to represent Manchukuo on the Olympic stage. Liu refused to compete under that name and instead insisted on representing China.

As Liu’s coach and interpreter, Song helped make the trip possible not only by assisting athletic preparation but also by helping the small Chinese delegation communicate abroad.

_{1932 Olympic reception photograph. Zhang Xueliang stands at the center, and Liu Changchun is second from the left. Hao Gengsheng stood second from right with Song Chin Foh at far left, Liu Changchun at second from left.}

*_{Song before departing for the Olympics.}*

*_{On July 8, Chinese athlete Liu Changchun and coach Song Chin Foh departed for the United States aboard the SS President Wilson to participate in the Olympic Games.}*

*_{The Nationalist Government sent off the Chinese delegation to the 1936 Olympic Games. Shandong University Archive.}*

*_{Entry of the Chinese delegation at the tenth Olympic Games in Los Angeles, July 30, 1932.}*

*_{Entry of the Chinese delegation at the 10th Olympic Games in Los Angeles, July 30, 1932.}*

_{In August 1932, Hao Gengsheng became the head of the Physical Education Department at National Qingdao University, his wife Gao Zi was appointed professor of physical education there, and Song Chin Foh also served as a professor of physical education at the university.}

_{Song and Liu before the Tenth Olympic Games, 1932, Song on the right and Liu on the left. The photograph connects Song’s Springfield-trained background in physical education to China’s first Olympic participation.}

*_{Song on the right and Liu in the center, during their participation in the Los Angeles Olympic Games.}*

_{Rare footage from the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics shows Liu Changchun, China’s first Olympian, walking at the front of the six-person Chinese delegation as its only athlete. A quiet but powerful moment in modern sports history.}