Comparative analysis of age data of leading athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games

Starting from the mid-20th century, there has been a systematic increase in the average age of leading athletes in all disciplines, both among men and women, which makes athletics one of the most age-diverse sports. The purpose of the study was to compare the average age of finalists in all events of the men's and women's athletics Olympic program for the year 2024 with each other and to compare them with similar data from the beginning of the 21st century. Research methods and organization. Based on the official protocols of the competitions, World Athletics determined the average age of the finalists of the 2024 Olympic Games and the average age of the finalists of the Olympic Games and World Championships from 2000 to 2023 in 23 men's and women's track and field events. The average number of complete years was established for the top 8 athletes in sprints, relays, and hurdles over distances of 100-800 meters, and for the top 12 athletes in other events. A comparison was made between the average age data of the finalists in 2024 and those from 2000-2023. The events with the lowest and highest average age of finalists were identified. Research results. The conducted research showed the preservation of the main age ranges in individual athletic events, established since the beginning of the 21st century. The oldest finalists of the 2024 Olympic Games were marathon runners, followed in descending order of age by throwers, race walkers, jumpers, multi-event athletes, and runners in long, short, and middle distances. Compared to previous competitions, there was a slight decrease in the average age of men in middle-distance running and an increase in long-distance events, while for women, there was an increase in average age in throwing events and a slight decrease in short-distance running. The average age of the finalists in 2024 for men across all events was 26.72 years, which is +0.28 years higher than the average for the previous period, while the average age for women was 27 years, which completely coincided with the average value since the beginning of the century.