Abstract

Olympic Games are the most popular event all over the world. This paper presents the challenges of Beijing Olympic Games for sports science. The discussion on the next topics are presented in the paper: sports and Olympic movement as a social phenomenon, challenges for the biomedical sciences, problems of planning and management of training, participation of scientists in the training process of elite athletes. From the social point of view the evaluation of the accomplished Games was very positive: the Chinese government appears to have achieved what it wanted, producing an overwhelming show. The attempts to predict athletic performance and to engage in this line of research are not simply for the pursuit of knowledge. The integration of the physiological, psychological and others factors limiting performance on the attempts to predict performance lead to many other “secrets” of human physiology and enhance our understanding of the human body. In analysis of the challenges for biomedical sciences the main attention is devoted to the paradigm in understanding of the application the genetic knowledge’s and the unity of the body as well. Since H. Montgomery discovered the first of what are now nearly 200 “fitness genes” is now a real prospect of the use of genes, genetic elements that have the capacity to enhance athletic performance. The scientists highlight that expositive chemical element often plays number of other functions in the body which we couldn’t take into account why the responsibility of coaches and scientists are pointed out. The participation of the Lithuanian athletes in the Beijing Olympic Games was successful. If to take into account the number of the Olympic medals the Lithuania takes the 38th place and if to take into account the ratio of won medals counting for one thousand of citizens, Lithuania is in the 15th place. One of the positive facts is that number of young Lithuanian athletes will be able to take part at the Olympic Games in four years in London. If to remember the formula “Genes + Environment = Success” the qualified training and the management of the training processes is the key for successes in the future. Verf.-Referat