| China at the 1952 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | CHN (PRC used at these Games) |
| NOC | Chinese Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| inHelsinki | |
| Competitors | 1 in 1 sport |
| Flag bearer | N/A |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
 Republic of China (1924–1948) | |
ThePeople's Republic of China (PRC) sent a delegation to theOlympic Games for the first time at the1952 Summer Olympics inHelsinki,Finland.
Prior to the foundation of the PRC in 1949, athletes frommainland China competed for theRepublic of China (ROC) at the Olympic Games from its debut in 1924 to 1948. After theChinese Civil War, 19 of the 25 members of theChinese Olympic Committee (COC) withdrew to the island ofTaiwan in 1951, and the COC was reorganized inBeijing.[1]
Both Committees wrote to theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) requesting that they participate in the upcoming Games in Helsinki. The IOC passed a motion that:
...authorizes the athletes of both countries, in agreement with the Organizing Committee of the Helsinki Games, to take part in the events of the present Olympiad...
— François Piétri, IOC member from France
Just one day prior to the opening of the Games, the COC received the invitation from the Organizing Committee. Despite the lack of jet air transportation to fly the team from Beijing to Helsinki in time for the Opening Ceremonies, the COC decided to send its delegation anyway. The Chinese athletes arrived at the athlete's village on July 29 and raised theflag of the People's Republic of China for the first time in Olympic history.[2]
The Chinese delegation (including athletes and officials) consisted of 38 men and 2 women,[3] including themen's football team, themen's basketball team, and the lone swimmerWu Chuanyu. Only Wu Chuanyu arrived in time to take part in the official competition, while the football team played two friendly matches.[4] The Chinese stayed 10 days in Helsinki and participated in the closing ceremony.
The Republic of China's team withdrew from the Games on July 17 in response to the IOC's decision to allow both PRC and ROC athletes to compete.[5] This marked the beginning of the "two Chinas" conflict in the Olympics, which resulted in the PRC Olympic Committee's withdrawal from the IOC in August 1958. The issue was resolved in November 1979, and the People's Republic of China participated in the1980 Winter Olympics—their first appearance since the 1952 Games.[3]
| Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Freestyle | ||
| 100 m | men | women |
| 400 m | men | women |
| 1500 m | men | |
| Backstroke | ||
| 100 m | men | women |
| Breaststroke | ||
| 200 m | men | women |
| Freestyle relay | ||
| 4 × 100 m | women | |
| 4 × 200 m | men | |
China had one entry in the swimming competition.[6]
| Name | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Wu Chuanyu | 100 m backstroke | 1:12.3 | 28 | did not advance | |||
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