Competitive sport is today about winning and training to win. Many athletes are professionals, with careers managed by teams of specialist staff working towards the ultimate goal of world-class, medal-winning performances.

This entry-level text offers new students a comprehensive introduction to the phenomenon of the pursuit of excellence in sport, covering the key issues and talking points including:

• the history and tradition of sporting excellence
• comparisons of elite high-performance sport programmes in Australia, the USA, East Germany and France
• the historical, social, political and economic impacts of sporting excellence in the UK
• current issues and debates, including drugs in sport
• the future for high-performance sport.

With a clear framework for understanding and exploring key issues, questions for discussion, websites and suggestions for further reading, In Pursuit of Excellence is an ideal introduction for AS, A Level and undergradute students.