Lin Shaozhou

Lin Shaozhou was born on the Japanese controlled island of Taiwan as the son of a military commander. In 1925, he moved to Xiamen on the mainland, where he attended high school and university, developing his sports talent in basketball, martial arts, javelin throw and the high hurdles. In 1930, 1933 and 1935, Lin won three consecutive titles at the National Games in the 110 m hurdles, setting a national record with 16.2 in 1933. In 1930 and 1934, he represented China at the Far East Games. According to Chinese sources, Lin’s time in the heat at the 1936 Berlin Olympics was 15.7, a national record, which was not to be broken until 20 years later. Following the Olympics, Lin served as director of the physical education department at various schools in Chengdu.

After the liberation, he joined the People’s Liberation Army as a physical education teacher but had to quit his job due to private problems. But Lin soon was recruited as coach of the sports team of the Southwest Military Region in Chongqing to eventually become the first professional 110-meter hurdle coach in the People’s Republic of China. Lin also became professor and director of the Sports Department of Chongqing University.

Personal Best: 110H – 16.2 (1933).