ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses upon recent developments in understanding the sexual politics of the Olympics and Paralympics and, in particular, the ways in which women feature in the Games. It suggests that a number of factors, especially those that are made and implemented by regulatory bodies in sport such as the IOC, contribute to the sexual politics of the Games and sport and social relations more widely. It is demonstrated how sex and gender intersect with other axes of power, such as class, disability, race, ethnicity and sexuality. The complex mix of different social, political, cultural and embodied dimensions which generate the picture emerges from the discussion in this chapter.
