PhD I.S. Tryakhov
Vladimir State University named after Alexander and Nikolay Stoletovs, Vladimir

Elite sports were ranked by the Soviet politicians and communist party leaders among the core instruments of the national competition with the capitalist western countries, and the sport policies had not changed much even on the verge of the breakdown of the USSR despite the fact that the national leadership launched the pre-crisis ‘perestroika’ (reforms) in many economic and public domains. The 1988 Olympic Games are of special interest in the historical context in view of the Soviet national team’s ambitions and preparations and the determination of the Soviet politicians to come back to the leading positions in many sports. The article analyzes the political and institutional aspects of the national preparations for the 1988 Olympic Games, with a special attention to the tensions of that time with the host nations (Canada and South Korea). It was perfectly clear by the mid-1980ies for the Soviet politicians that the national comeback to the leading positions on the global arenas was only possible if the elite training systems were fast reformed and supported by due pharmacological provisions – as was demonstrated by the practical experiences and sports accomplishments of both the-then socialist nations, many western European nations and the US.

Keywords: Olympic Games, perestroika, International Olympic Committee, Central Committee of the Communist Party, Sports Committee of the USSR, breakdown of the USSR.

References

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