To spot future olympians, it's common practice to wait to see if youngsters are actually good at any given activity. But the central Asian country of Uzbekistan will begin testing the genes of kids as young as 10 to try and find future champion athletes, the Atlantic reports.

The nation has been studying the genes of its top athletes for two years, and have picked out a set of 50 genes that they will search for in Uzbek kids' DNA starting early next year, said Rustam Muhamedov, director of the genetics laboratory at Uzbekistan's Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry:

"Developed countries throughout the world like the United States, China, and European countries are researching the human genome and have discovered genes that define a propensity for specific sports," Muhamedov says. "We want to use these methods in order to help select our future champions." In practice, Muhamedov says that after the 50 genes of a child are tested from a blood sample, "their parents will be told what sports they are best suited for"—such as distance running or weightlifting.