Features of the Selection Systems for Athletes-Candidates to the Ukrainian National Team for Participation in the Olympic Games (on the Example of Combat Sports)

The article presents the analysis of the peculiarities of the selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team for participation in the Olympic Games (on the example of combat sports). The urgency of the work is due to the need to develop and implement a modern model of Olympic training in combat sports, which would allow the athletes to compete successfully in the international arena. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of the current selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team to participate in the Olympic Games (on the example of combat sports). Material and methods. Theoretical analysis, generalization of literature and Internet data, documentary method allowed to identify trends in modern Olympic combat sports and analyze the selection systems governing the inclusion of Ukrainian athletes in the starting lineup of participants in the Olympic Games in modern combat sports (fencing, boxing, Free and Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, taekwondo, karate). Results and discussion. Most of the provisions of the selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team to participate in the Olympic Games are similar. In most combat sports, selection is based on an analysis of the performances of athletes in national and international competitions, competitiveness and the results of personal fights with major rivals who will participate in the Olympic Games. Selection for the starting lineup of the team at the main competitions of the season or four-year Olympic cycle consists of several stages, each of which determines a different number of athletes-candidates for the national team. As the year of the next Olympic Games approaches, the number of candidates is decreasing proportionally. The peculiarity of all systems of national selection in modern Olympic combat sports is that the athlete needs to realize his (her) potential in almost every competition during the annual macrocycle, as it depends on the prospect of his inclusion in the starting lineup of the national team at major competitions. Taking into account the fact that the body's adaptive capabilities are limited, it is important to determine the appropriateness of the athlete's performance in a particular tournament, taking into account his (her) position in national and world rankings, and other conditions governing its inclusion in the starting lineup. Conclusion. Differences in the selection systems are the mechanisms for determining the starting lineups of the team in the main competitions of the season or four-year Olympic cycle (demonstration of a certain result or winning a place in a particular tournament, position in the world rankings, obtaining an Olympic license)