Fastest, highest, strongest : a critique of high-performance sport

This work is a critical exploration of the use of drugs and other performance-enhancing practices in sport, tracing the development of the situation today through its socio-political history.

The authors draw together research from around the world to present a challenging and rigorous critique of the use of athletes as representatives of political regimes, and the constant striving for medals that has altered the ethos of the Olympic Games from its earnest beginnings to the multi-million multi-media extravaganza seen today.

Broadening the debate about drugs to include the systemic use of performance-enhancing techniques, this book offers a refreshing and controversial perspective on the modern Olympics, and its straightforward style will appeal to under- and post-graduate students as well as scholars of sports ethics and history, policy makers and anyone interested in the changing nature of sport.