Elite Sport Success Research Articles

One bird, one stone: professionalization of sport structures as a strategy for harnessing elite sport success in Uganda

This paper explores the significance of professionalization of sport in harnessing elite sport success in Uganda’s sport system. The study adopted qualitative and case study designs involving an exhaustive review of literature; in-depth semi-structured interview data analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that professionalization unblocks the channels for improved sporting training, competition, and performance; at elite sport events while at the same time triggering other unanticipated cross-level ‘ripple’ effects that buttress Uganda’s elite sport success. The professionalization process has however been punctuated by eminent barriers. This paper argues that professionalizing Uganda’s sport structures not only boosts the medal winning potential but also maximize its chances of tapping into the interminable benefits including; reducing amateur structures, bolstering mass sport, competitive and elite sport participation, raising the revenue generation potential of sports, and improving the general success on the pitch, all of which maximize sport contribution to Uganda’s economy.

Успешность в большом спорте: конкретизация поняти

The article is dedicated to clarifying the concept of “success” in relation to elite (high-performance) sport. It is established that success in elite sport begins with a prize-winning place in a continental or subcontinental tournament recognized by the International Olympic Committee and/or held under the auspices of the largest organization in a given sport. This minimum is identified while studying more than 100 scientific papers and official documents (laws, decrees, regulations, programs). Considering this “lower limit”, the key ways to overcome a country’s sports isolation are outlined: 1) defending the right to participate in the main traditional competitions (at least continental or subcontinental); 2) raising the status of a country’s own tournaments and sports organizations to make them the largest in the world.

The policy instrument mix in South Korea: precursor to maltreatment in sport

ABSTRACT Athlete maltreatment has become ‘one of the greatest concerns faced by governing bodies, authorities and practitioners in sport’ (Stirling 2009, p. 1901). Its causes broadly stem from: (1) the culture and authority structures in organised sport; (2) the limited legal rights of athletes; and (3) a fragmented system of organisational oversight. Cutting across these causes is the distinct ‘policy mix’ within the elite sport system itself. Drawing upon a theoretical framework located within ‘new institutionalism’ and an interpretive qualitative approach using document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this investigation focuses on how policy instruments (e.g. programmes, rules, budgets, etc.) combine to shape/reinforce the behaviour and views of athletes, coaches, and administrators. Findings show that the policy instruments within the existing hierarchical structure of the elite sport system are interconnected and complement each other to mutually facilitate the attainment of elite sport success. Overall, this study suggests that the mix of policy instruments aimed at achieving the state’s sport/political objectives may sustain and reinforce maltreatment.

How Countries Compete for Success in Elite Sport: A Systematic Review

The ‘Global Sporting Arms Race’ is the term that describes the competition among different countries to succeed in international sports competitions. The development of that peaceful competition determines two outputs: an increase in soft power at the international level and a promotion of the national identity and social impact. It means increasing the level of influence that the countries obtain internationally as a cornerstone of the concept of a sporting nation with a proud and healthy population. In order to explain the factors involved in the success of a sports system at the elite level, a systematic review was carried out based on the PRISMA protocol in the databases Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. The findings of the study show that the factors that determine success at the international level have received increased attention, as shown by the number of publications since 2010. The results indicate the following research factors: (1) it was observed that most researchers tend to carry out comprehensive analyses with a holistic perspective, while the UK, Australia, Canada, and Spain carry out segmented analyses; (2) Olympic sports—especially athletics—were the most analysed; while in non-Olympic sports, those with social influence predominate in countries, such as netball; (3) the analysis of meso and micro factors is preferred over macro factors; (4) quantitative studies are preferred through the analysis of primary sources, such as official reports; and (5) the economic variable is the most common input, with medals reached at the elite level being the most used output to check the correlation or significativity of the results.

O.6.2-4 Please stop claiming that elite sport influences the general population to practice physical activity!

Abstract Purpose The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organisation Committee claims that “another impact of the Games on society is reflected in the increase in the practice of sports”. Decision-makers and policymakers still use the trickle-down effect to legitimize spending public money to support elite sport events and/or to finance elite sport programs/athletes. We therefore wanted to investigate if this effect was not a myth. Methods We conducted structured Boolean searches across five electronic databases (Pubmed, JSTOR, Web of Sciences, Sportdiscus, and PsycInfo) from January 2000 to August 2021 using the following equation: ((“elite” OR “high level” OR “performance”) OR (“Olympic*” AND *Games”) AND (“sport” OR “athletes” OR “players”)) AND ((“physical activit*” OR “sport” OR “exercise”) AND (“participation” OR “practice”)). We also conducted manual searches using the reference lists of the recovered records. Peer-reviewed studies in English were included if the effects of hosting elite sport events, elite sport success, and elite sport role-modelling on physical activity (PA) or sport practice in the general population were measured. Results We identified 12,563 articles and included 36 articles. Most studies used data from the United Kingdom (n = 10), Australia (n = 5), Canada (n = 4), and multiple countries (studies using data from several countries) (n = 4). Seven articles investigated more than one effect of elite sport. Most studies investigated the effect of hosting elite sport events (n = 27), followed by elite sport success (n = 16) and elite sport role-modelling (n = 3). Most studies did not observe an effect of hosting elite sport events, elite sport success, or elite sport role-modelling on PA/sport practice in the general population. We also did not observe any evidence of elite sport effects according to the age range, the geographical scale, or time. Conclusions There is no evidence supporting an effect of elite sport in increasing PA or sport participation in the general population. Decision-makers and policymakers should not use the tickle-down effect of elite sport to legitimize spending public money to support elite sport events and/or to finance elite sport programs/athletes. They should invest in other strategies such as those recommended by the World Health Organization.

It’s about inspiring the greater community to continue supporting this sector: Elite sport success as a main policy objective for disability sport promotion in ASEAN member states

ABSTRACT Promoting sport participation among people with disabilities is often counted as one of the policy priorities of the national government as well as a main activity of sport for development initiatives to aid the Global South. However, little is known about specific systems, policy, history, and plans for disability sport promotion understood by disability sport administrators in the Global South. The current study focused on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aimed to explore how ASEAN government officials perceive the status of sport for people with disabilities. Representatives from nine ASEAN member countries participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The results of thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) Perceived lack of disability awareness and disability sport recognition; (2) Elite sport successes address problems at hand; and (3) Elite sport success to motivate funders. These themes suggest that successes in elite sports are of central importance for sport promotion among people with disabilities in ASEAN countries because they perceive that elite sport success can raise disability awareness, popularise disability sport, and motivate funders. Also, Paralympic success is viewed as an opportunity for them to demonstrate success otherwise unattainable in the Olympics. Some of the participants’ accounts appear to go against the current knowledge generated in the Global North; however, as funding is important to develop disability sport administration, it might be inevitable for them to continue promoting elite sport success for now.

Talented athletes as high achievers—only in sports? Analysis of academic performance and the impact of dual career assistance programmes in upper secondary school

The simultaneous pursuit of success in elite sport and the highest school qualification is considered to be one of the challenges for adolescents who are sporting talents. Dual career assistance programmes (DCAPs) for student-athletes are designed to help master this challenge in the best possible way. This study focusses on the upper secondary school performance of 200 student-athletes from an elite sports school. First, the school performance of student-athletes enrolled in two different DCAPs was compared. In addition to the educational services in DCAP‑1, DCAP‑2 includes a 1-year extension of the school period and the option of spreading the final exam phase out over several school years. Second, the school performance of student-athletes was compared with the performance of the entire student population. The analyses yielded the following findings: 1) student-athletes’ school performance is well above the average of the entire student population. 2) Although, DCAP‑2 users are much more involved in elite sport, their school performance and performance development do not differ from DCAP‑1 users. These results do not provide any indication of a systematic neglect of student-athletes’ academic career in favour of their athletic career. DCAPs appear to ensure the success of student-athletes’ academic careers effectively.

Contexts shaping the development and success of elite sport systems: a scoping review

ABSTRACT The importance of contexts in analysing elite sport systems and policies, as reflected in substantial research over the past couple of decades, is considered to nurture or constrain the development and outcome of elite sport systems toward international sporting success. Theorising elite sport systems as institutions operating and embedded in an open system may provide insight into the “hows” (throughput processes) and the “whys” (conditions) of the effectiveness of sport systems and policies to determine what may work (or not work) for each country’s specific context. This scoping review aims to examine and map determinants of elite sport development in nations. Specifically, the review analysed how studies: (1) theorised the determinants, (2) used terms to denote contextual determinants for elite sport development and success and (3) described or conceptualised context. Further, the review identified context dimensions derived from the elite sport development determinants. The scoping review identified 19 studies that contain relevant contextual determinants. Findings present seven context dimensions derived from a neo-institutional organisation framework that pertain to different institutional contexts that may influence the development of elite sport policy systems. An improved conceptualisation of context may enhance our understanding of the relationship between processes (i.e., sport policy mechanisms) and contexts.

Understanding the complexity of provincial-level elite sport policy change: The case of Shanghai municipality.

The analysis of elite sport policy changes at the provincial level remains relatively uncharted territory despite the substantial contributions of provincial-level elite sport to national elite sport success. Data were gathered from semistructured face-to-face interviews and official and semiofficial documents. The key findings were that (1) Guangdong, as a provincial compatriot of Shanghai, has made tremendous efforts and obtained notable achievements in professional football and thus serves as a powerful stimulant for policy reform regarding elite sports in Shanghai; (2) the policy stream has been strengthened by knowledge-based (epistemic) communities at the Shanghai University of Sports that can examine cause and effect relationships and further propose specific policies; and (3) the general director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports plays a central role in advocating for policy proposals. The current research offers practical insights into strategies for reviewing policy trajectories to enhance policy design and implementation.

Country profile: sport policy in Uganda

ABSTRACT Explicitly tracing the current sport system structure, status and policy framework, this article is set out to review and provide a broad understanding of Uganda’s sports policies. It examines historical overview, government involvement, administrative setup and the wider sport policy setting including the funding mechanisms, elite sport participation and performance, legal framework, key trends, and emerging sport policy issues. The article offers an up-to-date overview of Uganda’s sport policy landscape largely since it gained its independence from the colonial rulers in 1962. However much Uganda is regarded as one of the African sports powerhouses, relatively little research has been published on both its earlier and contemporary sport policies, and even less on the implementation, administration, management and performance of elite sport. It argues that the main ambitions and priorities of the Ugandan government should not only be concentrated on attaining mass sports participation, elite sport success, national identity, economic transformation and a healthy and active population but rather on striking a balance between them. The article delineates the starting point for improving sports development through reshaping Uganda’s sport policy.

Sport policy in Finland

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to provide a description and create an understanding of public sport policy, the key actors within the sports system, and the political sphere in Finnish sport. The development of sport policy in Finland has been characterised by a relatively long-lasting, polarised, and highly politicised sports sector and a series of structural reforms. The contemporary sports system in Finland represents a mixed model, in which the state has a strong role in directing sport policy (especially through resource steering), while the role of sports organisations is implementation. Further, municipalities play a central role in creating conditions for sport and physical activity, and all sport policy actors have high autonomy in their operations. In particular, the population’s increasing physical inactivity and lack of elite sport success in Finland have driven the central government to seek new solutions, such as centralisation, a cross-administrative approach, and evidence-informed policy-making practices. Sport policy is also impacted by international trends and agreements, such as sustainable development, in which Finland’s ambitious goals affect the sports sector. In the future, the unclear roles of different actors and a lack of leadership could cause further challenges to the adoption of effective sport policies.

Sport policy in India

ABSTRACT India boasts a rich sporting heritage dating back thousands of years. Despite its rich sporing culture, India only began developing its own sporting ecosystem in 1954 with the creation of the All-India Council of Sports (AICS), shortly after gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. However, in the seven decades that have passed, the systematisation and development of sport of India has been relatively slow and internationally India have had limited success on the elite stage. The aim of this profile is to provide a detailed insight into the vast sporting ecosystem in India by exploring the policies, enablers, and barriers in relation to sport participation, elite sport, and the use of sport across the nation to tackle non-sporting objectives. Following an introduction highlighting the key demographics and sporting culture in India, the profile moves onto outline the state led provision of sport in India, including how sport is organised and funded. Next, the significance of the commercial sport sector in India is highlighted, followed by a section detailing the growth of the not-for-profit sector. Finally, the profile highlights the current public policy priorities and challenges, which include elite sport success, tackling inactivity and poor governance in sport before offering some concluding observations.

Modelling public trust in elite sport institutions: a theoretical synthesis and empirical test

ABSTRACT Research question Trust in elite sport institutions is an important antecedent that explains public attitudes towards elite sport. However, the origin of trust remains, to some extent, enigmatic. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that define trust in elite sport institutions. Research methods Drawing on data collected from a cross-sectional online social survey among 2525 representative Japanese adults, this article examines the impact of a series of (1) institutional approach; (2) cultural approach; and (3) social exchange theory-derived factors on the level of trust in elite sport institutions. Results and Findings The findings highlight the role that institutional performances, most notably the sporting and political aspects, exogenous cultural elements, and positive/negative perception towards policy development, play in determining institutional trust. Among these determinants, the contribution of institutions’ political performance (e.g. information provision and fiscal responsibility) is the most prominent. Implications In addition to the pursuit of medal winning performances and elite sport success, enhancing political performance, such as transparency and fiscal responsibility, needs to be considered an equally, and probably more, important part of elite sport policy in relation to public trust.

Does international elite sporting success or hosting major events affect self-rated health? An examination of potential positive externalities related to international sporting tournaments

ABSTRACT Research question: It is a common expectation among politicians, civil servants and sport managers that hosting a major sporting event or achieving international elite sport success yields a variety of positive externalities grounded in the “Virtuous Circle of Elite Sport and Events” model. However, over the years various studies have shown that this model is not necessarily an accurate depiction of reality. This paper adds to existing research by testing whether elite sport success or hosting a major sport event can have any positive effects on citizens’ health. Research methods: By employing multilevel regression models to nine rounds of the European Social Survey – consisting of individual-level data from 2002 to 2019, covering 37 countries, 219 country-survey-years, and almost 400,000 respondents – we test whether health-related impacts of elite sport success and hosting major sport events can be identified. Results and findings: The model output from our regressions does not indicate that sporting success or hosting major sport events contributes to better health. Implications: The results question the “Virtuous Circle of Elite Sport and Events” model and stipulate that politicians, practitioners, and sports managers should be aware of overestimating potential positive externalities from elite sport.

Football and the media construction of Iranian national identity during the FIFA World Cup 2018 and AFC Asian Cup 2019

ABSTRACT Elite sport success in international tournaments is supposed to play an important role in shaping national identity. In this article, we explore if and how this applies to the Iranian context. The current study made use of a Google alert with the title of ‘Iran Men’s National Football Team’, and a general content analysis of Iranian national and sport media. The analytic focus was on media coverage of the Iranian national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. All relevant newspaper articles before, during, and after Iran’s matches were reviewed, coded, and analysed. We developed four main themes in the coverage expressing Iranian identity in the context of the aforesaid football events: ‘united passion’, ‘determined and conscientious’, ‘oppressed but great’, and ‘emotion-ridden’. It was concluded that political and historical references used by Iranian media contribute to the invention and reproduction of Iranian national identity through the aforementioned sporting tournaments.

Signaling soft power through medal success: China as an example

Using China as an example, this study seeks to examine whether and how a country’s elite sport success would affect its soft power from international audience’s perspective. Data were collected from residents of Paris through self-completion structured questionnaires. While the results of the study showed varied improvement on three national image dimensions, respondents’ perception about China’s government and policy worsened. Drawing on costly signaling theory and attribution theory, Olympic involvement and goodwill were also proposed and confirmed as antecedent factors influencing soft power impact through elite sports. The results not only provided empirical evidence whether Olympic achievement would actually affected a country’s soft power, but offered insights on the mechanisms at work behind that effect. A number of practical implications were also drawn with a view to leveraging soft power impact of elite sport success.

The ‘30-gold’ ambition and japan’s momentum for elite sport success: feasibility and policy changes

This article reviews Japan’s elite sport capabilities and analyses Japan’s recent elite sport policy changes. The policy analysis is underpinned by Kingdon’s (1984, 1995) multiple streams framework. Data were gathered from both official performance-related databases and websites, and official and semi-official documents in Japanese and English. The main findings are that (1) Japan’s ‘30-gold’ target is not unattainable, although the narrow source of Olympic gold medals is a potential constraint; (2) the Japan Sports Agency (JSA) and the Suzuki Plan resonate with the government’s values and are largely supported by the public; and (3) policy changes were prompted/accelerated by both the political event and problem-based policy windows created by the 2011 Earthquake and other economic and social problems, Tokyo’s successful Olympic bid in 2013 and Japan’s performance at the 2016 Olympics. The study highlights the utility of the multiple streams framework and some opportunities for further advancement.

Heroes at Home, Suspects Abroad? National and International Perceptions of Elite-Sports Success

It is often claimed that elite sport success increases national pride as well as the international prestige of a country. To scrutinize this broad-shed assumption, we draw on data from an online survey carried out around the Rio 2016 Olympics, including questions on success, national identity and attitudes towards other countries and athletes. Exploratory analyses of open questions reveal that successful athletes celebrated at home are often ignored abroad. A country’s international image is rather shaped by negative perceptions regarding doping or unfairness. Statistical analyses of standardized questions support previous findings on the reception of sport events, such as the strong connection of national pride and desire for elite sport success. However, there is also strong indication for shared international standards of sportsmanship.

Does local sporting success affect sport participation? An examination of Danish professional soccer's effect on club membership

ABSTRACT Research question: The body of literature examining potential trickle-down effects from elite sport success to mass sport participation has grown considerably over the years. The evidence is mixed but generally suggests that when a nation's athletes win medals at international tournaments – for example the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup – it cannot be expected to inspire amateurs to take up sport themselves. So far, existing research has primarily focused on international elite success. Effects from local elite clubs playing in national leagues have only been examined once. Research methods: Since recent research indicates that national and cultural contexts can influence whether a potential trickle-down effect materialises, this paper aims to test these factors in another setting. By deploying panel data regression models on data from Danish top-tier professional soccer, we test whether local club performance affects local membership levels in Denmark. Results and Findings: We do not find direct positive effects from sporting success. However, we do identify negative effects on membership figures due to club relegation indicating that sporting failure can affect mass participation. Implications: A key recommendation drawn from this study is that politicians, sport managers and civil servants should be careful using the double pyramid/‘virtuous circle of sport’ metaphor as the basis of their decision-making because it is an imprecise theoretical interpretation of reality. Instead, stakeholders should focus effort and resources on other relevant factors that potentially can lead to higher – or even lower – levels of participation in order to stimulate such factors (or prevent those that affects negatively). Future studies should examine these implications further.

Understanding elite youth athletes’ knowledge and perceptions of sport psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine elite youth athletes’ knowledge, perceptions, and understanding of sport psychology, psychological characteristics, and psychological skills. To address this purpose an interpretive description methodology was employed. Data were collected through five focus groups with 34 elite youth swimmers, triathletes, and athletes (aged 13–20 years). Following each focus group, the recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The first theme labeled perceptions, knowledge, and experiences of sport psychology encompassed athletes’ current and future perceptions of sport psychology as well as the factors impacting on athletes’ perceptions of sport psychology. The second theme was psychological characteristics for success in elite sport, which included athletes’ perceptions of the characteristics held by other elite athletes as well as the development of their own characteristics. The final theme accounted for the psychological skills deemed necessary for success in elite sport. Overall, the findings provide an insight into youth athletes’ varying perceptions of sport psychology, as well as their limited knowledge and understanding of key psychological considerations for sport. Lay Summary: Focus groups were used to explore the perception and understanding of sport psychology of elite youth athletes involved in swimming, athletics, and triathlon. Overall perceptions of sport psychology were varied, with multiple factors impacting upon them including the use and understanding of sport psychology, as well as coaches’ perceptions. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Athletes should be provided with the opportunity to be educated on the benefits of sport psychology from a young age, so that as they progress they are aware of what it is, how it can be of use, and when they might choose to use it. Athletes would also benefit from being taught about the variety of characteristics that elite athletes possess and the available psychological skills that are commonly used to enhance performance. In addition to educating athletes, it could be beneficial for national governing bodies to also educate coaches around the topic of sport psychology given their influence on athletes.