Women hold up half the sky and Women can do what men can do are not just popular slogans peddled by Chairman Mao, but recent actualities of China's elite sport. In every Olympics since 1988 women have increased their representation over men. Their extraordinary performances have thrust Chinese women into the global limelight and sparked considerable interest, not to mention controversy, with accusations of drug violations, and yet there remains a paucity of analytical literature on Chinese elite women's sport not only in China but throughout the world.

Women hold up half the sky and Women can do what men can do are not just popular slogans peddled by Chairman Mao, but recent actualities of China's elite sport. In every Olympics since 1988 women have increased their representation over men. Their extraordinary performances have thrust Chinese women into the global limelight and sparked considerable interest, not to mention controversy, with accusations of drug violations, and yet there remains a paucity of analytical literature on Chinese elite women's sport not only in China but throughout the world.