Athletics performance in Olympic Games: a Network Data Envelopment Analysis approach

This paper presents a Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) model to evaluate the performance of countries in Olympic athletics, distinguishing between qualification and participation stages. Unlike traditional methods, it includes all nations, regardless of medal wins, ensuring a more inclusive assessment. The model addresses the Constant-Sum-of-Outputs (CSO) constraint by scaling results relative to total points available in each Games. The two-stage framework first evaluates a country’s ability to qualify athletes, then assesses their competition performance. Three efficiency indicators—qualification, participation, and overall system efficiency—are introduced. Additionally, the Relative Athletics Gender Advancement (RAGA) index measures gender disparities by comparing rankings in men’s and women’s events. Findings seem to indicate that while some nations promote gender equality, most still favor men in elite athletics. It was also found that some developing countries (e.g. Kenya and Ethiopia) display more gender equality in their Olympic Games Athletics policies than developed countries such as USA, Brazil or UK. Overall, the analysis shows a strong correlation between consistent performance and high rankings, with dominant nations maintaining their positions through sustained excellence, while others rely on occasional successes to achieve notable efficiencies. This methodology is adaptable to other sports and competitive contexts beyond the Olympic Games.