Chinese sports reporter Gao Dianmin () © Copyright
News Pyeongchang, Korea

Chinese sports reporter Gao Dianmin dies

The IAAF is deeply saddened to hear that Chinese sports reporter Gao Dianmin died on Friday (11) at the age of 62.

Gao, who has covered every edition of the Summer Olympics from 1984 to 2016, died of a heart attack while attending the International Olympic Committee's press committee meeting in Pyeongchang.

Gao joined Xinhua News Agency in 1977 after graduating from Dalian University of Foreign Languages. He went on to become a long-time member of the IOC press committee and was also a member of the IAAF Press Commission up until late 2011.

He was the first reporter in the world to break the news when pistol shooter Xu Haifeng won China's first ever Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Games.

Gao participated in the torch relay for the Athens, Beijing, London and Rio Olympics. He is survived by his wife, Wang Ya, a daughter and a grandchild.

IAAF