Competitive sport is today about winning and training to win. Many athletes are professionals with careers managed by teams of specialist staff working towards the ultimate goal of world-class medal-winning performances. This entry-level text offers new students a comprehensive introduction to the phenomenon of the pursuit of excellence in sport covering the key issues and talking points including: the history and tradition of sporting excellence comparisons of elite high-performance sport programmes in Australia the USA East Germany and France the historical social political and economic impacts of sporting excellence in the UK current issues and debates including drugs in sport the future for high-performance sport. With a clear framework for understanding and exploring key issues questions for discussion websites and suggestions for further reading In Pursuit of Excellence is an ideal introduction for AS A Level and undergradute students.