Sports medicine in the Soviet Union and German Democratic Republic.

This paper is concerned with definitions, the contribution of sports medicine to success in sport, especially at the Olympics, the structure and history of sports medicine in two societies. The author maintains that sports medicine is an integral part of communist sports success; the nations of Eastern Europe have found it easier to employ sports medicine in this way owing to the centrally-controlled nature of their sports systems and the clear-cut targets the authorities have set sport.