Clever introduction for students and the general public to a highly relevant topic

Katie Taylor
Nottingham Trent University

It has taken over a century to get to an equal number of female and male athletes at a Summer Olympic Games – something much publicised at the 2024 Paris event. While there is still much to do to achieve full gender parity, this book charts women’s struggles and successes in trying to compete in the Olympics.

Pieper and Krieger are well-placed to write this history. Pieper has published on a range of topics related to women and the Olympics, including an extensive number of texts related to historical and contemporary sex testing and gender policing in women’s sports (including the Olympic Games). Krieger’s work also focuses on the Olympics, examining power relations and ethics. He is also the Head of the Lillehammer Olympic and Paralympic Studies Center. Their experience in this area helps to add depth to a book aimed at those new to this topic.

The fact that Women in the Olympics is part of the Sport and Society Pocketbook Teaching Series means it aims to introduce students and the general public to relevant topics. This is reflected in the book’s structure. Each chapter begins with the Olympic milestones in that time period, allowing readers to have an overview of the circumstances before the authors delve into the reasons why. Chapters are broken up with images and tables which will help readers who are less familiar with academic texts. Each chapter provides context on women’s societal role and the broader issues in women’s sports. The end of each chapter includes a succinct conclusion which neatly identifies the key points. These are followed by discussion questions to allow readers to develop their critical thinking skills and reflect on the information the authors have presented. Such a structure means that the book is particularly useful for staff who might be teaching this topic for the first time and unsure of what questions to ask their students to think about.

It manages to cover the beliefs of Pierre de Coubertin regarding women’s inclusion in the Olympic Games, the historical struggles faced by women athletes, where we are today, and the impact that women’s lack of inclusion in the Olympic Games has outside of the movement.

One of the book’s key strengths is the authors’ ability to produce a succinct and readable history that still manages to cover a range of issues within each chapter. The Introduction is a perfect example. In the first three pages, it sets the scene thoroughly. It manages to cover the beliefs of Pierre de Coubertin regarding women’s inclusion in the Olympic Games, the historical struggles faced by women athletes, where we are today, and the impact that women’s lack of inclusion in the Olympic Games has outside of the movement.

The chapters then move chronologically. Chapter 1, importantly, acknowledges that the Olympics did not start with Pierre de Coubertin and covers the other types of Olympic Games that existed before 1896 and women’s roles in them. Chapter 2 covers the interwar period and discusses alternatives to the Olympics for women, including the Women’s World Games. The authors mention the important role of Alice Milliat in fighting for women’s inclusion in the Games. An excellent companion to this book would be Nancy Gillen’s La Vie Jamais Racontée: Alice Milliat, A French Heroine and Sporting Suffragette.

The chapters continue a chronological approach with Chapter 3 covering the Cold War era and how some nation’s use of sport to promote political ideals meant taking steps to include more events for women. Chapter 4 takes us to the end of the twentieth century, covering the second wave of women’s liberation, the role of Title IX, and women finally joining the International Olympic Committee Executive Board. However, this progress is counter-balanced by the issues that impacted some women, including difficulties around Muslim women’s participation. The Conclusion considers the 2000s and the progress made, but also the inconsistency of the progress and the issues facing trans and intersex athletes. The appendices also offer a useful overview for readers and cover the following topics:

• • Appendix I – No. of women and men competing in each Olympics (summer and winter)
  • Appendix II – The women’s sports/disciplines added at each games.
  • Appendix III – Women’s debut by country. Number of women vs men in that year as well.

This book differs to others written about women in the Olympics. Some take specific focuses, such as Michele Donnelly’s Gender Equality and the Olympic Programme. Others focus on uncovering the history of a nation’s Olympic women, such as Jean Williams’ Britain’s Olympic Women: A History. Few take the overarching approach of this book, and certainly not in such an accessible manner. This text will be extremely useful for students and staff coming to this topic for the first time but will also be enjoyed by those with a general interest in women’s sport and the Olympic movement.

Copyright © Katie Taylor 2025

References

Donnelly, M. (2023). Gender Equality and the Olympic Programme. Routledge.

Gillen, N. (2024) La Vie Jamais Racontée: Alice Milliat, A French Heroine and Sporting Suffragette. Pitch Publishing.

Williams, J. (2021). Britain’s Olympic Women: A History. Routledge.