I. Introduction

1. In the Soviet Union sports served politics

II. Beginning of Soviet Sports

1. Served as a tool to bury the West

2. Government would directly attack athletes for being difficult - yet depended upon for victory

3. Olympic Games were considered Capitalist, bourgeois and anti-Communist

4. Stalin changed his mind and suddenly a need to beat the West festered

   1. Demand for young athletes, demand for victory

   2. Psychological pressure on these young athletes to succeed; the govt. was weak if they were weak - compared to soldiers - this was war

5. In just 10 years the Soviet Union was ready to compete

III. Soviet Union builds its athletic nation

1. Latynina - model Communist athlete - loyalty to her nation to succeed

2. Soviet reaction to winning their first Olympic Games on their first try

3. Soviets demanded ramp up their effort, conductive massive searchfor more athletes throughout the nation

IV. Firsov's story

1. Army hockey team came, found and got him in the deep country

2. His coach played more roles - that of his father, his mentor and coach

3. A complete mind control operation

4. Forced to learn Olympic rules in the game of hockey

V. World Championship 1954

1. Victory for Soviet team a shock to Canada

2. Hollow victory because the Canadian team was amateur

VI. Ralph Boston and Igor Ter Ovanesyan - the Long Jump

1. 1960 Olympics in Rome

   1. Cold War soldiers in the Games

   2. West wins, but Soviets know many more chances to come

2. Lenin Stadium 1961 - Boston sees Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain; Igor sees Americans as people, no longer invincible to him

3. Stanford University

   1. The two men become friends, while the KGB watches

   2. Ralph shows Igor America

4. A Soviet national priority emerges from Igor's need to crush Boston's record

5. Yerevan, Armenia; Igor breaks Ralph's world record - becomes new Soviet hero

VII. 1963 Track Meet NYC

1. Igor defeats Ralph for the first time face to face

2. Both recall the moment

VIII. Gymnastics

1. Latynina

2. Retired with 18 Olympic medals (more than anyone ever)

   1. She expected others to follow her example

3. Next favorite was N. Kuchinskaya, but she could not uphold the Soviet sports standard

   1. She felt nothing in return for her hard work, her sacrifices

   2. She won in Mexico Olympics and govt. expected her to become next star model of communism

   3. She was tired and began to stop training even after the guilt she received for not fulfilling her duty to her country

   4. She quits completely

4. Olga Korbut

   1. Becomes the new hope but due to her unorthodox style she is considered revolutionary

   2. She realizes the system won't change and she too quits

IX. Hockey

1. Firsov is a star hockey player now

2. Hockey all that mattered to Soviets, a string of victories

   1. Still only playing amateurs

   2. Wanted to play professionals

3. After appeal to Brezhnev to break with tradition - team was finally allowed to compete against Canadian professionals

   1. Brezhnev a loyal hockey fan

   2. Soviet League Championship Game story

4. Firsov is recruited by NHL

   1. Igor Ter Ovanesyan is also approached by Western athletes

   2. The coach is fired, Firsov remained loyal to his coach and quits Soviet hockey team

X. Olympic Games, September 1972

1. Olga wins Gold in gymnastics

2. 8 game super-series agreed to

   1. Canada: shocked Canadian fans. Soviets win 2 (Firsov banned from games)

   2. Moscow: few fans present only party officials: 3000 Canadian fans; in last seconds Canada wins

3. Olga resented at home despite 3 gold medals (Loved in USA not in Soviet Union)

4. Firsov comments on government's approach to sport

XI. 1976 Montreal Olympics

1. Olga loses to Romania's gymnast

   1. Her coach Latynina blamed

   2. Olga emigrated

XII. 1990's, Current Russian Sports Status

1. Environment similar to West, however lack of State funding stifles re-building Russian program

2. Propaganda and sports have new relationship