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A new study reveals which countries’ athletes have improved the most over the past century, and Hungary has achieved the best results in the world.
SportsShoes.com, in collaboration with Damian Bailey, Professor of Physiology & Biochemistry at the University of South Wales, commissioned an in-depth analysis of over 100 years of Olympic and Paralympic results to see which countries have made the biggest strides in athletic performance. The portal looked at the 2024 Olympic results for the 100m sprint, 100 freestyle, single sculls, and team pursuit. Each country’s best result in these events at the 2024 Paris Olympics was compared to their best performance when they first debuted, revealing which countries have seen the biggest athletic improvement since they first began competing.
The study found that
Hungary stands on the top of the podium as the most improved nation, showing an average improvement of 26% across all the sports analyzed, followed by Sweden (23%) and France (23%).
The country owes its crown to the men’s 100m freestyle. In 2024, the Hungarian team swam the event more than a third faster than at their debut in 1896, increasing their finishing speed from 82.2 seconds to 52.52 seconds.
Sweden took second place on the podium, with an overall improvement of 23.4%. Sweden can also boast that it has done twice as well (50% faster) in the women’s freestyle event since its debut in 1912. The Scandinavian country has also made great strides at the Paralympics, qualifying 19 more athletes than at the first Paralympics in 1964.
France is hot on the heels of Sweden, boasting a 23.1% increase in its sporting performance at the Games. French men’s and women’s swimmers have improved by more than a third (36%) since their debut, while French men’s cyclists have improved by 28%. In addition, France has increased its Paralympic participation by 2,073% since 1960.
The Netherlands and Great Britain round out the top five in fourth (23% improvement) and fifth (20% improvement) respectively. Both countries boast notable achievements such as British swimmers improving by a third (33%) since their first Olympics (men 1908, women 1912), and Dutch athletes in the men’s individual medley (15% improvement) and women’s freestyle (36% improvement).
In addition, the research revealed another interesting conclusion:
The Hungarian men’s single sculls team have also made excellent improvements, rowing 33% faster than they did 116 years ago when they first competed.
Featured image via MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
