Sportology is a new word for Sportscience. Sporto-logy is composed by two parts as Psycho-logy, Anthropo-logy, Metereo-logy or Socio-logy. The ending "logy" stands for "science". This introduced word by Vladimir Rodichenko is the title for his look back at the development of Sport and the related Sciences in the last 50 years. It is a very personal review by Vladimir Rodichenko containing extracts from selected papers. The book summarises more than 400 articles and the 74 books and booklets by Vladimir Rodichenko written mostly in Russian.

The author is Doctor of Science (Pedagogics) and was Head of the Directoriate of Sports and Methods of the former USSR Sports Committee. He was also pro-rector of the Moscow Institute of Physical Culture. In this functions he attended the Olympic games in 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984 and 1988. For the games of the XXII Olympiad held 1980 in Moscow he was the Director of the Sports Department of the Organising Committee. It was in this position I got to know him visiting Switzerland to prepare the co-operation-contract with Swiss Timing to take care of the timing at the games in Moscow.

This book is mainly a personal look back, but also a trial to overcome the gap or even contradiction between the former socialistic sport system and the new eastern European sport of the nineties. The book also wants to point out the inadequate implementation of ethical values in the world of sport.

In short chapters, the author comments some of his main concerns. He describes the years of Struggle for Equality in the IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation), the Russian Fair Play Program to prevent Violence in Sport, and Sport and the State: the Case of the USSR with References to the GDR, Cuba and China.

His favourite topic in the book is the Olympic Movement: the Olympic Games, the Olympic Congress in Paris as a Point of Renovating Olympic Education, and the future Olympic Athlete. A special chapter is concerned with Olympic Education: Diversity of National Models, but Global Imperative.

The boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow by the Americans and some other western partners with respect to the Invasion of the Soviet Army in Afghanistan is not mentioned in the book. For sure it would have been nicer to have had participants from all parts of the world.

"Many persons from nations whose NOC were unable to send their delegations to the Games in Moscow took part nevertheless in the preparation and execution of officiating at the Games of the XXII Olympiad: 24 persons from the USA, 18 from Japan, 14 from FR Germany. In all, 111 persons from 25 nations not represents by their Olympic teams took part in officiating of the Games." (p. 27)

The very final passage of the book focuses on a very interesting fact: The author criticises the Olympic Charter, because it omits the fact that Olympic Games need also Spectators, beside Athletes and Officials: