Evaluating Olympic Sports: A Data-Driven Model for SDE Selection Based on IOC Criterion

With the categorization of ever more activities in the realm of sports, such as break dancing and BMX cycling, our definition of sports is rapidly shifting. According to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), an SDE (Sport, Discipline, or Event) that resonates with Olympic values should satisfy 6 criteria: Popularity and Accessibility, Gender Equity, Sustainability, inclusivity, Relevance and Innovation, Safety and Fair Play. To help the IOC create a standard to find the lagging or potential SDEs, its important to examine the factors associated with the 6 criteria. We considered numerous variables, such as the number of viewers, economic output, gender ratio of athletes, and culture index as an extra variable. For the overall model, we adopt the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the weight of each factor. We divide the issue into a hierarchy of criteria and sub-criteria, then calculate the weights of variables on each level. After calculating the weights, we applied the model to our data collected to test the model. In order to rank the SDEs and determine potential SDEs for later Olympic Games, we adopt the TOPSIS model. TOPSIS functions by comparing the distances between each alternative to the ideal best and ideal worst and providing a score for each. To conclude, we wrote a letter to the IOC to introduce our model that accurately followed the IOCs criteria, providing an evaluation of SDEs and offering a comprehensive and appropriate model to consider the addition or elimination of SDEs.