The Institute for Elite Sports (KIHU) and the Finnish Terminology Center have published a glossary for competitive and elite sports. The glossary compiles key concepts in the field, recommended Finnish terms, and their Swedish and English equivalents.

The purpose of this glossary of competitive and elite sports terminology is to promote a shared understanding of the concepts used when discussing sports. The glossary is intended for anyone who needs accurate information about terms used in competitive and elite sports and their meanings.

The glossary contains definitions of 23 terms. It covers both terms related to sports participation, such as competitive sports and training, as well as person-related terms, such as professional athlete and sports coach. The glossary does not cover individual sports or organizations, but focuses on terms that can be widely used in various contexts within competitive and elite sports.

The glossary presents the concepts in the form of term entries and conceptual diagrams. The definitions and supplementary notes describe the meaning of the concepts, while the conceptual diagrams illustrate the relationships between them.

The definition of sports and talent sparked the most discussion

While working on the glossary, the working group engaged in lively discussions about concepts, definitions, and terminology. Some of the more challenging concepts included sports, talent, adult sports, and elite sports. The glossary’s preface briefly outlines the working group’s reasoning behind the choices made, and we will continue to provide background information through blog posts and other channels.

Sports, for example, is a broad social, cultural, and economic phenomenon with a long history and many different forms. The working group agreed on a simplified definition for the glossary: sports always involves, to some extent, physical performance and competition. The term “talent,” on the other hand, was included in the glossary even though it is a loanword. The working group considered this justified, as there is no corresponding established Finnish term in use. In the glossary, “talent” does not refer to innate ability, but rather to a person who participates in competitive sports and possesses qualities that suggest they have the potential to develop into an elite athlete.

– A big thank you to the working group that participated in this project and to everyone who provided feedback. The discussions that took place throughout the process and the wide-ranging feedback clearly demonstrated just how challenging — yet at the same time incredibly interesting — the project we worked on was. At the same time, we realized that certain subfields within sports definitely need their own vocabulary; for example, in training, there are plenty of terms that need to be defined collectively. Furthermore, certain concepts will surely need to be updated soon as the world changes and sports evolve with it, comments Sanna Pusa, the expert who coordinated the project at KIHU.

The terminology work began in August 2025 as a collaboration between the Institute for Elite Sports (KIHU) and the Finnish Terminology Center. The work is part of the project “Information Work to Renew Elite Sports,” which is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. A working group was formed to compile the glossary, and the work was coordinated by the Terminology Center. A draft of the glossary was released for public feedback in March 2026 and refined based on the feedback received. The glossary for applied sports and para sports was also utilized in the compilation of this glossary.

The Institute for Elite Sports (KIHU) and the Finnish Terminology Center (Sanastokeskus), 2026. Glossary of Terms for Competitive and Elite Sports. KIHU Publications Series, No. 93. ISBN 978-952-7290-38-5 (online publication, KIHU), ISSN 2489-8317 (online publication, KIHU).

Additional information:

Expert Sanna Pusa, KIHU, sanna.pusa@kihu.fi, tel. 0400 815 943
Senior Expert Jari Lämsä, KIHU, jari.lamsa@kihu.fi, tel. 0500 245 493
Sports Director Liisa Ahlqvist-Lehkosuo, Finnish Olympic Committee, liisa.ahlqvist-lehkosuo@olympiakomitea.fi, tel. 040 592 5109

This text was translated using artificial intelligence.