62

In the late 1940s, Soviet sports organizations and the Soviet National Olympic Committee joined the international sports federations and the International Olympic Committee. This allowed Soviet athletes to participate in competitions and to be included in the world sporting community. Soviet women athletes very quickly became prominent, winning many contests. Soviet participation in the Olympics had a double function with regard to its “image-abroad policy” (R. Frank). It was both demonstrating its achievements in terms of gender equality and enabling USSR delegations to win medals that were essential to prove Soviet supremacy in sport. This article aims to understand how the USSR administration and media constructed – both in practice and in representation – the superiority of Soviet sportswomen compared to other nations. Far from being isolated, members of the Soviet sports establishment adapted to international regulations, to the reactions provoked by the performances of USSR athletes, and to the controversies publicized in the media of their international opponents.