------Program code: NF-080808-03608 (what's this?)
Source: CCTV.com
08-08-2008 11:25
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The 1980 Moscow Games were the first Olympics ever held in a socialist country. For political reasons, many countries boycotted the games. So it came as no surprise when the Soviet Union emerged as the biggest medal winner. At subsequent Olympics, the Soviet Union consolidated its position as a major sporting power. In gymnastics, swimming, track and field and ice skating – to name just a few – Soviet athletes for a time dominated the competition. The question is: How did the country manage to achieve all this success?
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However, the break-up of the Soviet Union brought radical changes in the way sport was administered. Previously, athletes had been highly prized. But now in Russia, they and their coaches found themselves in a transitional period, in which they could not be sure of their status. Without even proper training facilities, there was a general decline in the level of athletics, and a serious loss of talent.
