History of establishment and development of the journal “Science in the Olympic sport”

 

International scientific journal “Science in Olympic sport” started publication in 1994. This periodical was founded by the Ukrainian State Institute of Physical Education and Sport (then the name of the high school, which was lately transformed into the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine). Maria Bulatova, experienced specialist in the area of Olympic sports and history of the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement become the Editor-in-Chief of the journal.

The main goals and tasks for the newly-established periodical were outlined by the rector of USUPESU, a famous scientist in the field of theory and methodology of athletes training, development of Olympic sport and the Olympic movement Vladimir Platonov in his address to readers, editorial staff and staff of the University, published in the first number of the journal appeared in 1994.Below are some excerpts from the publication:

“The birth of new scientific journal “Science in Olympic sport” is undoubtedly a remarkable event not only for our institution but also for all scholars and practitioners in Ukraine, who work in the field of high performance sport, and take care ofits stuff, scientific, logistical and technical support.

I hope this journal will be able to play an important role in the development of sports in Ukraine by helping introduce athletes, coaches and other industry professionals to a variety of the newest scientific, methodological, technical, organizational and other developments, whichimplementationin our country should contribute greatly to the improvement in effectiveness of training of elite athletes and athletic teams capable of winning at the Olympics, World Championships and other prestige international competitions as well as to perform at the highest levels at various sports competitions held in Ukraine.

I would like to emphasize that although this journal is published by the main institution in the field, Ukrainian State University of Physical Education and Sport, we do not want and do not intend to be closed in on itself. Pages of the new periodicalare open both  for experts from our country, theoreticians and practitioners, who tackle actualproblems of theory and methodology of sport, history, psychology, philosophy, sociology and economics, biology and medicine, as well as basic and applied scientific multidisciplinary problem, and for foreign colleagues from the states of the CIS and other countries.

The most important criteria, which must be met by materials proposed for publication in the journal, are scientific and applied value of research, the prospect of the research results implementation into the sports practice and, above all, into various parts of high performance sport.These criteria determine high, consistent with international level, requirements for the works, which authors arepretend to the publication in the journal “Science in Olympic sport”.That is our vision of the focus of the new periodical in which any publication, figure, table resulted from theoretical and experimental research should serve to tackle the problems that face national science and sports.

I am convinced that special attention should be given to the comprehensive popularization of new avenues of research,to important advanced investigations carried out by scientists and practitioners in a variety of sports.

We should strive to make publications in the journal interesting for a wide range of professionals and to illuminate the most significant problems”.

In the same first issue ofthe new journal appeared in 1994,there was published greetings of the then Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the first President of the National Olympic Committee ValeriiBorzov.In particular, he emphasized in the publication that “the intensive development of sports science, fundamental and applied research should be completed without any further delay by providing the implementation of new knowledge, enhancement of techniques for training elite athletes, and development of technical and organizational innovations”, and continued as follows, “The Ministry and the National Olympic Committee see the purpose of “Science in Olympic sport”, the first Ukrainian periodicals of this kind,in facilitating the solution of these actual problems. Thanks to it, Ukrainian professionals, practitioners and researchers of our country, leading the search in that field, have got the opportunity to have their own forum for broad exchange and sharing of knowledge and opinions that, as we hope, will be used with maximum efficiency.Aware of the urgent need to integrate into the global sports science, I believe that not only the University stuff, but also scientists, practitioners from different regions of our country, colleagues from the former SU and beyond should be published on the pages of the journal “Science in Olympic sport”. Such growth in the number of authors without doubt will enhance applied effectiveness of journal publications, will contribute to raise the prestige of Ukrainian science and sport, and to promote international cooperation in these areas.”

From the first issue of the journal “Science in Olympic sport”, this periodical is published under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. Getting the support of the IOC was laid in 1993 during the visit of senior managers of the Ukrainian State University of Physical Education and Sport, and leading specialists of the University to the headquarter of the International Olympic Committee located in Lausanne (Switzerland), where the representatives of the university were taken in by the IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and the director of Olympic research department of the IOC KarelWendl. The questions discussed during this conversation included also a concept of the establishment of new journal “Science in Olympic sport”approved by the President of the IOC.

Juan Antonio Samaranch view of the question was articulated in his greeting published in the issue 1 (2) / 1995of the journal “Science in Olympic sport”. In particular, the IOC President said, “Olympic movement in essence is educational movement. We have the view we inherited from Pierre de Coubertin who was the founder of the Olympic movement and the great teacher, according to which the full, harmonious education is a key to the further evolution of human society and the best way to fight for peace.Olympism is a philosophy which seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. Our goal is to combine sport with culture, upbringing and education for the benefit of the harmonious development of man”. President of the International Olympic Committee further stressed, “The IOC will support and collaborate with the Editorial Board of the journal providing information on various aspects of the Olympic movement. On behalf of the IOC I want to congratulate the publishers of the journal “Science in Olympic sport” with the successful start of a very important and necessary work and wish them to continue acquainting the readers with interesting and relevant information”.

In the same issue 1 (2) / 1995 of the “Science in Olympic sport”, Editor in Chief of the journal Maria Bulatovaspecified its main tasks:

“1. To provide an opportunity for many thousands of professionals (coaches, lecturers of educational institutions, specialists in the field of organization and administration of Olympic sport), athletes, students of universities, technical schools and colleges of physical education and sport to receive up-to-date information vital for their professional activity.

2. To promote international cooperation in the field of sports science, popularize the achievements of Ukrainian researchers in the world and disseminate research findings of leading world scientists in our country.
3. To provide an opportunity for our country’s leading researchers working in the field of sports science to publish their works at home.
4. Bring together various specialists (sociologists, historians, philosophers, educators, biologists, etc.) around the topics of a very complex and diverse field of knowledge and human activity, the modern Olympic sport”.

In the same publication, Editor in Chief M. Bulatova has presented thematic sections of the journal “Science in Olympic sport”:

• historical, philosophical and sociological aspects of Olympic sport;
• economic and legal aspects of Olympic sport;
• ethics and psychology of Olympic sport;
• medical and biological aspects of Olympic sport;
• Sport for all;
• presidents of the IOC;
• new books, dissertations;
• Olympic chronicles.

The range of the topics covered by the journal naturally has changed with time. Currently (as of the beginning of the year 2014), articles and other materials in the journal “Science in Olympic sport” are published under the following sections:

• history;
• Olympic education;
• athletic training;
• biology;
• medicine;
• psychology;
• biomechanics;
• sociology, economics, management;
• foreign experience;
• an invitation to discussion;
• from the experience of outstanding athletes;
• official chronicles;
• information;
• new books.

Along with the regular usual issueswhere articles are published under various sections mentioned above, there were several special issues of the journal focused on a particular topic or theme such as a problem of doping in sport (1999), activity of the State Research Institute of Physical Culture and Sports (twice, in 1999 and 2000), “Sport for all” (2000), “Women and sport” (2000), Olympic training system and methodical guidelines for the preparation of Ukrainian athletes to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing 2008 (twice, in 2005 and in 2007), the outcome of the Olympic Games and directions for improvement of the Olympic training of Ukrainian athletes (2009).

Among the publications onhistory of Olympic movement, there should be mentioned essays about Presidents of the IOC released in various issues of the journal, and latelyprovided the basis for the book “Presidentsof the International Olympic Committee. Life and activity”, published in the publishing house “Olympic literature” in 2000;article dedicated to the life and activity of an outstanding Russian expert in the field of physical education and sport General Butovsky, who was introduced into the first staff of the International Olympic Committee elected in 1894 at the founding congress in Paris (issue 1/2013 of the journal); article about the preparation and holding of the first Russian Olympics of 1913 in Kyiv (issue 2/2013of the journal); publications on the experience of Olympic training of athletes in the USSR (1952-1992) and in GDR (1968-1988).

The journal “Science in Olympic sport”pays a lot of attention to various aspects of Olympic research and Olympic education including activity of the Olympic Academy of Ukraine in these areas, in particular ofthe Centre of Olympic Research and Olympic Educationthat has received international status in 2013, and as such continues to operate on the basis of the Department of history of sport and Olympic movement of the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine (NUPESU)with the support of the International Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Academy and the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.

From 2013 onwards, with the aim to promotethe significance of the journal “Science in Olympic sport”, to enhance efficiency and support its multifaceted activity in differentareas of the Olympic movement and Olympic sport, on the initiative of the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine and with active involvement of the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Sergey Bubka,this periodical has undergone substantial changes.The number of journal founders was increased to two;they now include the NOC of Ukraine and NUPESU. Journal format was changed, and its sections were expanded. The new Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Science in Olympic sport” (from 2013 onwards and until now) became Vladimir Platonov, who is widely known not only in Ukraine but also abroad as a specialist in Olympic sport, the Olympic movement, the theory and methods of athletes preparation, and was rewarded for his great contribution to the development of sports science with the highest award of the IOC, the Olympic order.