This provocative collection brings together some of the leading historians, sociologists, political scientists, and cultural theorists on an ambitious range of topics dealing with sport, diversity and difference. The book is both diverse and inclusive, for it considered race, ethnicity and aboriginality in tandem; too often these themes are segmented into separate studies. The collection features vibrant examples from different eras, places and spaces - wherein co-themes like post-colonialism, gender and media representation are embedded.

This collection of papers is based on some of the contributions to the inaugural conference of the ACT Chapter of the Australian Society for Sports History, which aimed to go beneath the narrow surface of Olympic Games success to critically examine the impact of medal tallies, media coverage and the creation of Olympic heroes or villains in athletics, management and politics. Unfortunately, like the Australian team sent to the Tokyo Games of 1964 it promised more than it delivered.