The contextualisation of Chinese elite athletes' careers in the Chinese Whole Nation System

This chapter contributes to the development of culturally situated athletic career transition literature through an introduction of the Chinese Whole Nation System (CWNS) and an examination of how improved support may be developed for Chinese athletes within their training environment. An overview of the CWNS three-level training network is contextualised through a storied account written by two of the authors, who are former Chinese elite athletes. The contextual insights of the CWNS conveyed through the blending of their shared reflective account bring meaning to their journeys through the CWNS, whilst evoking consideration of the potential challenges and needs during development pathways and transitions embedded within Chinese athletes’ careers. The impact of the CWNS on athletes’ career development is then considered more broadly in relation to the athletic career scholarship that provides understanding and information to sport scholars and practitioners who work with Chinese athletes. Highlighted is the importance of transforming career knowledge into practice to support aspiring athletes’ holistic development and accounting for transitions in athletes’ sport and non-sport lives as they transition through the CWNS.