A lifetime in rowing, from Team China to Shanghai’s waterfront

Rowing has remained a constant throughout Lee Jian Xin’s life, from coxswain for Team China at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to a role in sports administration. He has stayed closely involved as a competitor, coach, official, and advocate.

Lee’s path to rowing began in the swimming pool until a coach recognised that his build was better suited to coxing and encouraged him to change disciplines, a decision that set the direction of his career.

He joined the national team in 1976 and made his international debut at the Asian Championships. Over 12 years, he competed at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi; won gold at the 1986 Seoul and 1990 Beijing Asian Games; and helped China place fifth at the 1991 World Championships in Vienna, Austria.

A turning point came in 1990, when Lee took the Chinese national team to Cannes, France for a 500m sprint where he served as both coxswain and coach. China won the men’s eights, beating Germany in rowing for the first time, and Lee was named best coxswain. Just as importantly, the course ran beneath bridges and bends through the city, reminding him of Suzhou Creek and showing him how rowing could become an urban spectacle.

Lee later spent 16 years overseeing water sports at the Shanghai Sports Bureau before serving as Director of Scientific Research in Shanghai for seven years. After retiring from his post in 2017, Lee remained active in the sport. He was elected vice-president of the Chinese Rowing Association and continued to promote rowing and served as the assistant head coach. His experience also kept him connected with rowing in Shanghai as the city prepared for major international competitions.

For Lee, the growth of rowing in Shanghai reflects a sport to which he has devoted decades. His experiences as an athlete, coach, and official have allowed him to follow its development from international competition to a more visible presence on the city’s waterfront.

Today, Lee serves as one of the heads of the National Technical Officials at the World Rowing Shanghai Sprints and remains an influential figure in the city’s rowing community. His continued involvement reflects not only a lifetime devoted to the sport, but also his determination to pass on his experience and help rowing reach a new generation in Shanghai.