China's Olympic diplomat mourned

China's sports community was mourning the passing of veteran sports official He Zhenliang, highlighting his irreplaceable contribution to China's positive image in the international Olympic family.

He, the man behind China's successful Olympic bid in 2001, died of illness on Sunday afternoon in Beijing at the age of 85, the Chinese Olympic Committee confirmed on Sunday.

With a series of high-profile posts on his resume, including former COC president and former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, He played a pivotal role in helping Beijing win the bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics after the Chinese capital failed in its first attempt, in 1993. He was a key bid-committee executive on both occasions.