ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, the professionalization of sport has radically altered its organization throughout the world. In the passage to professionalism, athletes have become representatives of brands and commercial interests. Transformed into workers in search of the job market, athletes live in a migratory process in search of the best opportunities to develop their abilities from adolescence. This chapter aims to present the national and international migrations experienced by the Brazilian Olympic athletes who participated in the Olympic events until London in 2012. A total of 444 athletes were interviewed, and from these interviews variables were collected that made it possible to describe the migratory event. The results allow us to infer that Olympic athletes come from 24 states plus the Federal District, and that those born in the north, north-east, and central west regions of Brazil are the ones who experienced the most intense national migration in search of better training infrastructure. With regard to international migration, Brazilian women athletes tend to search for better professional opportunities, and mainly migrate to Europe. Individual sport athletes depart in search of improvement or for the opportunity to undertake a superior course, and the most sought-after destination is the United States.
