CPC 101: They Are Also CPC Members – Xu Haifeng, China’s First Breakthrough in Olympics

On July 29, 1984, at the Prado Shooting Range in Los Angeles, Xu Haifeng, who participated in the 60-round men’s pistol slow-fire competition, shot his last bullet and beat Swedish shooter Skanaker by one point with a total score of 566 and won the championship, making him the first Olympic gold medalist in the history of the People’s Republic of China.

That was China’s first participation in the Summer Olympics after reform and opening up. Xu Haifeng, who was born in 1957, is also a member of the Communist Party of China. He had been a salesperson and did not become a professional shooter until he was 25 years old.

After the Los Angeles Olympics, Xu Haifeng decided to donate his gold medal to the National Museum of China. “My success stems from the strength of the country”, Xu said. In 1995, Xu Haifeng opted to retire as a shooter due to eye illness, but his shooting career did not stop.

He began to serve as a coach for the Chinese National Shooting Team and has trained many world champions. “To shoot well, be a good person first” is Xu Haifeng’s famous motto as a shooting coach.