Introduction. The paper reviews scholarly literature on selection criteria and medical and biological support for children talented in sports in their ‘dual career’ development. The authors substantiate the need for updating these criteria based on digital methods for functional status assessment. The paper aims to identify contradictions and inconsistencies in the current system of selection and medical and biological support for children talented in sports. These contradictions are considered as factors that determine functional status, psychophysiological health and educational and sports achievements.
Materials and Methods. Theoretical analysis of scholarly works on the procedure and nature of selection and support for gifted children at sports schools was conducted. The authors used the following research methods: the axiomatic method, reviewing, analysis and generalization.
Results. The theoretical analysis of scholarly and methodological works reveals the need to update the procedure of selecting children for sports schools based on an integrated (genetic, psychological and educational) conclusion on the correspondence of the individual indicators of children to selection criteria in each sports discipline. Generalization and the axiomatic method allowed the authors to formulate the main conceptual provisions of their approach to the research problem. In order to ensure sustainable health and a high level of general and specific reserve capabilities responsible for learning and sports activities (dual career development), it is necessary:
– to engage professionals whose expertise includes advanced interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of key aspects of sports science in professional training and continuing professional development of physical education teachers, coaches, sports psychologists, psychophysiologists, and physiologists;
– to supplement medical and biological support by monitoring the mental sphere of young athletes experiencing an increased stress associated with a dual career (a combination of general education and sports training) for maintaining mental health and preventing professional burnout;
– to attract targeted funding for school-based research investigations, to engage experts in fundamental areas of science (physiologists, geneticists, biochemists, psychophysiologists) and sports practitioners.
Conclusions. The achievements of related sciences and transition to new digital distance technologies for assessing the functional and psychophysiological status in sports schools will provide systemic and dynamic monitoring, the results of which will be useful for promising coaches and athletes and local authorities, conducting Olympic selection in the Russian Federation. The authors conclude that in order to achieve the strategic goal outlined in the ‘The strategy of training prospective Olympic athletes in the Russian Federation until 2025’, the involvement of local authorities responsible for physical education and sports is required.