Mao Yuehan

Ma Yuehan was the head coach of the track and field team of the Chinese delegation to the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936.

Born in Xiamen City in Fujian Province, Ma Yuehan graduated from St. Johns University in Shanghai in 1911. While at school, he was a leading member of the school's football, tennis, baseball, and track and field teams. Being good at middle and long distance races, he won both the 880 yard and 440 yard races of the schools' united teams at the First National Games in 1910. Ma went to the United States twice from 1919 to 1926 for advanced study in physical culture. He was an assistant teacher, professor and director of the Department of Physical Culture at Tsinghua University from 1914 to 1966. During his 52 years of physical education, he studied the laws of sports, and worked out nearly 100 sets of free-standing exercises with different contents and had his writings published, including The Value of the Changes of Sports and Our Due Understanding of Physical Education. Ma dedicated his life to the promotion of physical education and gave enthusiastic guidance to young people in doing physical exercises. He was an exemplary teacher and enjoyed moral eminence and high esteem. Ma was highly regarded by the government and earned the respect of the people. For years after 1954, he was the president of the Chinese Track and Field Association, and vice president and later president of the All-China Sports Federation.