The influence of the Chinese sport system and Chinese cultural characteristics on Olympic sport psychology services

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of sociocultural factors on Chinese Olympic sport psychology services.Design and methodsFifteen sport psychology consultants (SPCs), who served Chinese national teams for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, participated in this study after the Olympics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted within three months of the closing of the Olympics, followed by a hybrid approach to inductive and deductive thematic analyses.ResultsTwo general dimensions of sociocultural influence on Chinese Olympic sport psychology services were identified: (a) the Whole-Nation System and (b) Chinese cultural characteristics. They consisted of eight higher order themes, which comprised 26 lower order themes. This study revealed that Chinese sport psychology services were enhanced by recognizing the features of the Whole-Nation System (e.g., resource centralization and top-down management) and the successful blending of these features with Chinese cultural characteristics (e.g., holistic thinking style, keeping face and interpersonal order) into the psychological service.ConclusionsSociocultural factors had a marked influence on Chinese Olympic sport psychology services, which enabled Chinese SPCs to provide a culturally competent service (e.g., prioritizing collective interests, respecting the authority of administrative officials and coaches, and keeping face with others) for the Beijing Olympic Games.     

诚信:人文奥运之道德诉求

人文,是一种以约束为前提的人类自由。人文精神是人类文明不断进步的精神动力源;诚信是组成人文精神的基本要素。人文奥运包括了对诚信道德的价值追求;奥林匹克运动需要诚信作为道德支撑;奥运中出现的多方面诚信缺失现象,是对奥运精神的背离。北京奥运将人文奥运作为核心理念,反映了人们对奥运向人文精神回归的渴望,也反映了北京奥运对以诚信为道德基础的人文奥运的强烈期待。     

The Olympic Games as a career change-event: Israeli athletes' and coaches' perceptions of London 2012

ObjectivesThis study used the Scheme of Change for Sport Psychology Practice (SCSPP; Samuel & Tenenbaum, 2011a) to examine athletes' and coaches' personal characteristics, perceptions of, coping with, and perceived outcome of the London 2012 Olympic Games (OGs). We also contrasted several sub-groups (e.g., Olympic and Paralympic athletes) in certain variables, and examined the decision-making and support systems involved in the OGs change process.Design and methodsA cross-sectional and retrospective design was used. Israeli Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches (N = 61) completed measures of change-event experiences (Samuel & Tenenbaum, 2011b) and athletic/coaching identity (AI/CI; Brewer & Cornelius, 2001) two years after the London 2012 OGs.ResultsOlympic athletes trained more, and had higher motivation and AI than Paralympic athletes. The OGs were perceived as a significant and positive change-event in the participants' careers. AI/CI was associated with the perceived significance of the OGs. At the time of Olympic qualification, the participants tended either to ignore this change-event or cope with it independently. Most participants reported making a decision to change related to adjustment and coping. Professional support was mainly available prior to and during the OGs. During this experience the participants did not consider using sport psychology services, but retrospectively, valued the usefulness of this support. Athletes' motivation after the OGs was predicted from their satisfaction of coping, and their perceived outcome of this change-event was predicted from their satisfaction of competition results.ConclusionsPsychological support must be provided as part of the Olympic cycle, especially in promoting a decision to change. Maintaining realistic expectations may be critical for facilitating a positive perception of this change-event.     

定点医院接诊奥运志愿者临床特征分析

为探讨奥运会期间就诊于定点医院奥运志愿者所患疾病的临床特征,回顾性分析海淀医院奥运绿色通道在北京奥运会期间接诊志愿者资料。结果显示,北京奥运会期间（7月20日~9月20日）,海淀医院共接诊注册志愿者636例,按照发病百分比以呼吸系统疾病为首位（173/636, 27.2%）,以下依次为消化系统（103/636, 16.2%）、损伤类（95/636, 14.9%）、耳鼻喉（79/636, 12.4%）等,提示志愿者在奥运会期间所患疾病种类与季节以及工作环境密切相关,定点医院应该根据就诊人群特点选择适当的医疗保障模式。     

古代奥运会的伦理精神及其对现代奥运的启示

古代奥运会的伦理精神包括效忠国家、身心和谐、公平竞争、追求和平等,同时有其时代和阶级的局限性,在伦理方面主要表现为阶级歧视、性别歧视、极其残酷、走入职业化等。古代奥运会的伦理精神对现代奥林匹克运动产生深远的影响,现代奥运的起源与发展是对古代奥运会伦理精神的继承与超越,古代奥运会伦理精神对北京奥运会的筹办也具有启示性的意义。     

Stimulating performance: A scoping review on transcranial electrical stimulation effects on olympic sports

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is widely used to explore the role of various cortical regions involved in a multitude of motor and cognitive processes. Recently, tES has been discussed as being able to potentially enhance performance in sports and even been suggested as a potential way of boosting performance in competitions. In this scoping review, we systematically investigate the literature on tES-induced performance modulations on Olympic sports. The aim is to create a critical overview of the emerging field of tES-enhanced sports performance. Further, methodological approaches, research desiderata, and potential directions for future research will be identified. The final dataset shows a large variation in methodology and a lack of research into the area. Further, partially sub-optimal choices in study design, methodology, and lacking consistency in reporting procedures may impede valid conclusions and obscured the effects of tES on Olympic sports. Consequently, we outline future directions and areas to improve research.     

E-sports are Not Sports

The conclusion of this paper will be that e-sports are not sports. I begin by offering a stipulation and a definition. I stipulate that what I have in mind, when thinking about the concept of sport, is ‘Olympic’ sport. And I define an Olympic Sport as an institutionalised, rule-governed contest of human physical skill. The justification for the stipulation lies partly in that it is uncontroversial. Whatever else people might think of as sport, no-one denies that Olympic Sport is sport. This seeks to ensure that those who might wish to dispute my conclusion might stay with the argument at least for as long as possible. Secondly, the justification for the stipulation lies partly in its normativity—I have chosen an Olympic conception of sport just because it seems to me to offer some kind of desirable version of what sport is and might become. Thirdly, I give examples which show how prominent promoters of e-sports agree with my stipulation, as evidenced by their strenuous attempts to comply with it in order to join the Olympic club. The justification for the definition lies in the conceptual analysis offered—an ‘exhibition-analysis’ which clarifies the concept of sport by offering ‘construals’ of the six first-level terms. The conclusion is that e-sports are not sports because they are inadequately ‘human’; they lack direct physicality; they fail to employ decisive whole-body control and whole-body skills, and cannot contribute to the development of the whole human; and because their patterns of creation, production, ownership and promotion place serious constraints on the emergence of the kind of stable and persisting institutions characteristic of sports governance. Competitive computer games do not qualify as sports, no matter what ‘resemblances’ may be claimed. Computer games are just that—games.     

和谐精神:人文奥运的基本精神

在"更快、更高、更强"的奥运主旋律中,内涵着厚重的人文精神。这种人文精神又可以归结为以心和、人和、天和为特征和指向的"和谐精神"。"人文奥运"是2008年北京奥运会三大理念中的核心和灵魂,而人文奥运的灵魂就是和谐精神。和谐、合力、和衷共济、和而不同的"和谐精神"是人文奥运的基本精神,和谐是奥林匹克与中华文明的最佳结合点。