Greater China's Olympic Medal Haul: Beyond Sports Excellence

ISBN-13: 9781032447315 / Angielski

Marcus P. Chu

Opis

Chu analyzes the importance of the Olympic medal haul to the Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong authorities.

Between 1984 and 2021, elite athletes from the member regions of Greater China – China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong – competed at each of the ten Summer Olympics. By winning 263 gold medals, 199 silver, and 173 bronze, China became a global sports superpower. Taiwan and Hong Kong pocketed 7 gold medals, 10 silver, and 17 bronze and 2 gold medals, 3 silver, and 4 bronze, respectively, displaying their world-leading statuses in archery, badminton, baseball, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, Judo, karate, sailing, Taekwondo, table tennis, and weightlifting. In response, the leaders of the three regions delivered high-profile praise. Their administrations awarded cash, badges, and honorary titles to the medalists. Reviewing journalistic reports, key-players’ memoirs, official documents, and scholarly works, Chu details the context in which the Olympic medal haul was leveraged for political change within the three regions and their relations with each other. He reveals that the praise and rewards bestowed by the respective authorities on the medalists served broader strategic goals across domestic politics and international relations.　

A valuable read for those interested in the Greater China studies and the politics of sport.

Spis treści

1.Introduction 2. China’s Olympic Medal Haul: Los Angeles 1984 – Sydney 2000 3.China’s Olympic Medal Haul: Athens 2004 – Tokyo 2020 4.Chinese Taipei’s Olympic Medal Haul: Los Angeles 1984 – Atlanta 1996 5. Chinese Taipei’s Olympic Medal Haul: Sydney 2000 – Tokyo 2020 6.Hong Kong and Hong Kong, China’s Olympic Medal Haul 7.Conclusion

O autorze

Marcus P. Chu is assistant professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs at Lingnan University, Hong Kong.