ABSTRACT
The success of major national and international sport events is ultimately based on the quality of the show offered and on the uncertainty of results, though wellconceived promotion campaigns alone can ensure success in the short term. If the Olympic Games or the football World Cup brought together only secondclass athletes, their sustainability would be rapidly threatened, just as the film industry would collapse if only mediocre actors performed. Modern sport needs a continual succession of attractive entertainers capable of exciting supporters and TV viewers alike with their skill and outstanding results. To keep up the succession of successful athletes, sports organizations and public authorities in many countries have established training centres or schools for young athletes, sometimes referred to as ‘baby champion factories’ by critics.
