ABSTRACT
The sports achievements of a country are determined by various and multiple macro and micro factors, involving historical traditions, social, economic and political systems, sports policy, strategy, administration and investment, the personal motivation and commitment of athletes and coaches, and, not least, family support. Thus, to fully explore the reasons for the rapid advance of Chinese women to world supremacy, these last factors (motivation, commitment and family support), self-evidently, should be taken into account. Earlier chapters have mainly considered the social and historical contexts that have framed women’s sport in China. This chapter will turn to the sportswomen themselves in order to probe further the complex relationship between society, sport and gender in modern China.
