The delegation of the Russian International Olympic University took part in the rich programme of events of the 12th International Forum ‘Russia – Country of Sports”, which was held on October 17-19 in the Russian city of Ufa.
RIOU Rector, full member of the Russian Academy of Education, Professor Lev Belousov was invited by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to take part in the forum as a guest of honour and expert in the field of professional training for athletes. The rector's working schedule began with the plenary session of the Russia-Belarus Athletes' Commission, which was also attended by the ROC delegation, including members of the Russian national and Olympic reserve teams, and experts.
The meeting was addressed by ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov, President of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus Viktor Lukashenko, and Head of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sport of the Russian State Duma Oleg Matytsin. The attendees included RIOU students – for example, Olympic medallist in ski jumping Evgeniy Klimov, who is currently combining sports training with studying on RIOU’s Master of Sport Administration course.
The RIOU Rector stressed that, when making a transition to a life after sport, athletes face even tougher competition. He said, “You have already achieved a lot, but there are new challenges ahead. Outside of sport, the competition is not weaker, but often even more fierce. Your competitive advantage is your knowledge of sport from the inside, but this is not enough. You need to back it up with knowledge of management, business, and analytics. And this is where RIOU gives you the necessary resources for growth.”
It should be noted that all business events of the forum were held at Ufa’s Wrestling Palace. Its current deputy director for sports and training methods is Svetlana Dontsova, a RIOU graduate.
On 17 October, a cooperation agreement was concluded between RIOU and the St. Petersburg Committee on Physical Culture and Sport. The document was signed by RIOU Rector Lev Belousov and the Committee’s Chairman, Honoured Master of Sports of Russia Anton Shantyr. Many of the Committee’s employees, as well as athletes from St. Petersburg, have undertaken training courses at RIOU. The new agreement opens up exciting prospects for collaboration and provides opportunities for RIOU students to undergo practical training and placements within the Committee.
On the sidelines of the forum, the RIOU Rector also met with Nikolay Tolstykh, First Deputy Chairman of the Dynamo Sports Society, the university's long-standing partner, as well as with international delegations visiting Russia at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Sport.
On the second day of the forum Lev Belousov visited the ROC Team House, where he met with athletes in a more informal and relaxed setting.
During the presentation "Education for Champions: Experience and Prospects’, Lev Belousov shared the results of an athlete survey conducted by RIOU. The survey indicates that 91% of athletes are thinking about their future after the completion of their sporting careers, with 69% intending to stay in the sports industry and 54% looking to management careers. However, only 37% of the respondents view a lack of education as a career hindrance, and only a quarter of them plan to undertake further professional training in the near future.
Lev Belousov said, “Sooner or later, a moment will come when you will have to leave competitive sport. Because an athlete's life is short. This transition period is quite challenging in psychological terms. But if you are ready for it, if you are a versatile manager, you will have an immense competitive advantage.”
On the same day, the forum featured the presentation of a RIOU book ‘Challenging Times in Olympic Sport’ authored by Lev Belousov, Viktor Ishchenko and Nikolay Peshin. The presentation was held at the display stand of the Russian Olympic Committee, and was conducted by one of the authors – the RIOU Rector, accompanied by Olympic champions in fencing Sofia Pozdnyakova and Adelina Zagidullina. Among the audience were students on RIOU’s Master of Sports Management course. Bulat Atlasov, President of the Ju-Jitsu Federation of the Republic of Bashkortostan, said that he had learnt about the forum while studying at RIOU and eventually took an active part in it.
The next (13th) edition of the forum ‘Russia – Country of Sports’ will be held in 2025 in Samara.
