Attention is drawn to fresh data available on female sporting performance and the narrowing gap between male and female performance in many sports. The author discusses attempts made to compare athletic potential in males and females and postulates the existence of a factor called athletic predisposition. The differences in performance amongst males and females possessing this factor are much smaller than in the population at large.

The changes in the competitive structure of hockey at national and international level over the past 30 years are described. Ways in which the pressures on players have affected their attitudes to the sport, and the efforts made to relate selection and training procedures to the rapidly changing situation are discussed.

After classifying injuries, and giving examples of the ways in which they can arise, treatment, rehabilitation and the value of exercise are considered. Having given a review of the effects of increasing leisure time and sports participation, the value of legislation, education, protective clothing and close supervision in preventing the occurrence of injuries in sport are discussed.

An account is presented of the increasing use of drugs in sport, the attempts to test for and control the drugs used, and the devices used to evade detection. The author's view is that all the drugs being used at present can be detected, provided that sufficient funds are available for organizing tests and that national federations co-operate fully.

Factors leading to improvements in human sports performance are considered. The positive and negative effects of social and economic changes and the application of scientific and technological developments are discussed.

Recent changes in attitudes, within and towards sport, and their effect on the future development of sport are discussed. Social, political, commercial and legal influences are also considered.

The development of the Olympic Games is reviewed. The factors which contribute towards success in sport at international level and the achievements and influences of different countries are discussed. The effect of commercial sponsorship on international sporting events is outlined.