In many sports, emotions are a significant part of the experience. They reflect how an athlete evaluates their own performance and what others perceive about it. Many of these feelings are experienced before, during, and after a performance. In some sports, feelings are governed by a “feeling code”, a set of rules that athletes must follow to stay in the right frame of mind throughout the performance. For example, appropriate behavior may be expected during the national anthem or during post-game victory celebrations.
Although the core countries continue to dominate sports, noncore countries often challenge them on the field. For example, East African runners dominate middle-distance races. While Western nations tend to dominate sports federations and the IOC, noncore countries have used regularly occurring sports festivals to solidify their identities and raise their prestige.
The 20th century brought many changes in how sports are viewed by the general public. Sports began to become more diverse and more inclusive. For example, African Americans, Aboriginal people from Australia, and South Africans gained the right to participate in many sports. Additionally, women began to be included in sports that they previously were barred from participating in.
The rise of mass media led to a dramatic shift in the way sports are covered. Rather than focusing purely on reporting the results of sporting events, sports coverage began to focus on generating interest among spectators and sponsors.
