No achievement in high performance sport can be understood without reference to extraordinary personal motivation and effort. The basis of motivation and effort lies, however, in the culture and other social preconditions of sporting life. The data based on the Olympic success of different nations strongly support this kind of hypothesis. The role of the countries with the heritage of Western civilization - for which the idea of progress is highly characteristic—has been dominant in Olympic history.Since the 1930's when the importance of the Olympic Games and other great sports events was fully realized, international sport success has become one of the primary weapons in the struggle for hegemony between the big power blocs. Especially the success of the Soviet Union and its allies has been conspicious during the past two decades.The growing dominance of socialist countries apparently has its roots both in the high achievement ethics characteristic of Western civilization in general, and in the special preconditions provided for such more or less technical activities as sports and performing arts. On the other hand, the high achievement potential of the market economy countries of the western camp is more pluralistic and less goal oriented, dispersing achievements rather than focusing them on a certain type of activity such as Olympic success.