Why Did They Still Choose to Leave?: The Dilemma of Empowering Elite Women Coaches in post-Paris Era

Abstract

Paris 2024 achieved full gender equality on the field of play for the first time in the Olympic history. Gender equality as a global value has been given increasing importance to create a more equal, inclusive, and diverse elite sporting world. There is a question mark that whether the distribution of an equal number of quota places to female and male athletes truly represents gender equality in elite sport scenario. The fact that the number of women holding coaching positions remains remarkably low at the international level can be regarded as a breakthrough point for gender study in sport. This ongoing study is in nature, ontologically critical realist, and epistemologically interpretivist. On the basis of the preliminary findings which thoroughly reviewed the timeline and milestone of the key strategies and initiatives on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in chronological order for the past three decades in sport world including the Olympics, this research additionally investigates the underlying reasons that why do elite women coaches with successful achievements choose to ‘drop out’ their beloved sporting career and ultimately develop a solid and marketable strategy for more transparent and inclusive policy making and implementation processes with a case study in the non-Western scenario, which is China. The utility is twofold, in practical terms refining gender equality policy and incorporating gender equality progress into an international blueprint, and in academic terms, providing a unique perspective in sport policy and gender research by bridging gender issues with elite sport development.

Presenters

Ava Xingmeng Huang
Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Department of Management and Strategy, School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

2025 Special Focus—Global Sports Local Cultures

KEYWORDS

Olympics; Elite Sport Policy; Gender Equality; Empowerment; Women Coaches