Abstract

The athletics competitions at the 2012 Olympic Games in London saw many new standards set. These were not just individual achievements (there were eight Olympic records, four world records and 23 world leading marks), there were also new levels for the competitive success of countries. As a new planning and preparation cycle for the Games is beginning, it is time for sport policy makers to consider all available data and draw lessons for the Future. In London, some countries excelled beyond expectations while others fell short. This article describes the current balance of national power in athletics through detailed statistical interpretation of the results. First, different measures of absolute success that expand the significance of the traditional medal table ranking are discussed. This broader perspective provides more explanatory value about the relative positions of countries. Second, the evolution of the current market structure of success is described. Third, specific measures describing a country’s performance efficiency in athletics are used to shed light an the relationship between success and a nation’s available resources. The authors find that even though London 2012 saw a record number of countries participating in athletics, there was only a modest internationalisation of success. Verf.-Referat