He Zhenliang, a former International Olympic Committee vice-president and the honorary president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, died at a hospital in Beijing on Jan 4, 2015, at the age of 85. He was instrumental in Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Chinese real estate and entertainment conglomerate Wanda Group paid 1.05 billion euros for Infront Sports and Media, a world leading sports marketing group, in February and bought the World Triathlon Corporation for 650 million euros. It also took a 20 percent stake in Spanish champion soccer team Atletico Madrid for 44.98 million euros.

China's cabinet unveiled wide-ranging soccer reform plans on March 16, to raise the level of soccer in the country. The 50-point plan includes instructions to promote soccer on school campuses, create schools dedicated to training aspiring professional players and expand the number of stadiums.

Chinese ultra-marathon runner Chen Penbin completed a feat of running 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days. Chen, a former fisherman, started the challenge in Guangzhou on April 2 and finished his 100th 42.195-kilometer race in Beijing on July 10.

Former Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang announced his retirement on his microblog on April 7. Liu became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold in athletics at the 2004 Athens Games in the 110-meter hurdles. He set a world record in 2006, and won at the world championships in 2007. He pulled out of the 2008 Beijing Games with a similar injury. The Shanghai native hadn't competed since withdrawing at the London Olympics in 2012 after rupturing his Achilles tendon.