Nisha Rathode (Editor)

Chi Cheng (athlete)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Name
  
Chi Cheng


Role
  
Olympic athlete

Chi Cheng (athlete) speedendurancecomwpcontentuploads201006ChiC

Children
  
Chang Chia-min, Kin-ming Reel

Awards
  
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year

Olympic medals
  
Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics - Women's 80m Hurdles

Chi Cheng (born March 15, 1944 in Hsinchu, Taiwan), is a Taiwanese track and field athlete. She was an Olympic medalist in 1968 and was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year for 1970. She was a former pentathlete turned sprinter.

Chi Cheng (athlete) Chi Cheng athlete Wikipedia

Biography

Chi studied on the college level at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) in Pomona, California, where she received most of her athletic training. As a student there, she won four U.S. national championships and over a two-year period was the winner of 153 of the 154 events she entered. Representing the Republic of China (as Taiwan), she ran in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, then won the bronze medal in the women's 80-meter hurdles in the 1968 Summer Olympics and finished 7th in the 100 metre final. In 1969 she broke three world records. In 1970, she broke or tied five world records, accomplishing 3 in the space of just one week. She was first woman to run 10.0 second for 100 yards. She also ran world bests of 11.0 for 100 metres, 22.4 for 200 metres, 22.6 for 220 yards, and 12.8 for 100 metre hurdles. She won the gold medal in the 100 metres at the Asian Games in Bangkok in a games record time. She was easily winning the 400 metes at the Asian Games when she had to stop (at 330 metres) because of a severe leg cramp. She was ranked number one in the world for 100 metres and 200 metres, second in the 400 metres and third in 100 metres hurdles in 1970 and was undefeated in 69 races that season. For her achievement, Chi Cheng was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Also, she became the Director of Women's Athletics at the University of Redlands, California, from 1974 to 1976.

Chi naturalised as a U.S. citizen, but later returned to her native Taiwan. She was appointed the Secretary-General of the Republic of China Track and Field Association in 1977. Subsequently, she was Chairman until 1993 and Board Member from 1998 to 1999. Chi won three terms as a member of the Legislative Yuan, serving from 1981 to 1989. She was appointed a National Policy Advisor by President Ma Ying-jeou in 2009, which required her to renounce her U.S. citizenship in order to take the position. Ma's successor Tsai Ing-wen retained Chi as an advisor.

References

Chi Cheng (athlete) Wikipedia