There is a fine line between the benefits and risks of practising sports and physical activities - and in elite sports the risks are even greater. Injuries, doping and other sorts of behaviours considered "unhealthy" are part of this environment. Considering the Olympic Games as the epitome of world elite sports, this work focuses on the efforts by the Olympic Movement during the Beijing 2008 Summer Games to promote "Health". The paper describes initiatives and campaigns promoted by the International Olympic Committee and its partners within a "health promotion" framework. The goal is to understand what role "Health" plays in Olympism and how this "concept" - if it exists in this philosophy - is communicated to athletes and to the general public. Without pointing out good/bad practices, the paper also aims to focus on the challenges and the opportunities related to the use of sports as a tool for promoting development and health for both the public and private sector.
Keywords: Olympic Games, Health Promotion, Sports Marketing, Social Marketing, Sponsorship.