Page 64 - Olympism in Socialism

sports. In centres of top-grade sports, selected
sportsmen are trained by most qualified
professional coaches and given every facility to
fully develop their talents. During their training,
the latest findings of science and medicine are
utilized.
The organizational basis of the top-grade sports
system are special classes concentrating on
sports in elementary nine-year schools and 340
training centres for young people which are run
by physical-training associations. Linking up
with these centres are top-grade sports centres
for young people and finally top- grade sport
centres for adults. There exist 24 such centres in
Czechoslovakia; they care for 90 per cent of those
representing Czechoslovakia in 25 spheres of
sport.
Czechoslovak top-grade sportsmen are
successful also in international competitions.
This can be seen from the table of Olympic
successes of Czechoslovak sportsmen.
Czechoslovakia has done well at world or
European championships. At world
championships, Czechoslovak sportsmen have
won in the past 30 years 240 titles of world
champion, 308 silver and 373 bronze medals, i.e.,
altogether 894 medals. At European
championships, they have won, since 1948, 157
gold medals, 210 silver medals and 358 bronze
medals The Czechoslovak public appreciated
especially the title of European champions in
football which Czechoslovak players won in
Belgrade in 1976.
With financial and other material assistance
granted by local administrative bodies, industrial
enterprises, agricultural cooperatives and social
organizations, the Czechoslovak Physical
Training Union is continuously improving the

53