Olympic study reveals Hungary is World’s most improved nation

Now that the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics have concluded, new research from SportsShoes.com has analysed over 100 years of data to reveal which countries have advanced the most since their debut at the Games. Everyone can guess which is the most improved nation.

Working with Damian Bailey, a Professor of Physiology & Biochemistry at the University of South Wales, the researchers selected four sports with the most standardized rules, scoring systems and equipment across Olympic history: the 100m sprint, 100m freestyle, team pursuit and single sculls. 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.

Which countries have improved the most in multiple sports?

Hungary ‘takes gold’ as the most improved country across the sporting events analysed, increasing their overall performance by more than a quarter (26%). The country has the men’s 100m freestyle to thank as their crowning achievement. The Hungarian team swam the event over a third faster in 2024 than in their 1896 debut, taking their finishing speed from 82.2 to 52.52 seconds.

Sweden takes second place on the podium, with an overall athletic improvement of 23.4%. Sweden can also boast that it has performed twice as well (50% faster) in the women’s freestyle event since its debut in 1912. The Scandinavian country has also made great strides in the Paralympics, qualifying with 19 more participants than its first Paralympic Games in 1964.

France is hot on Sweden’s heels, boasting a 23.1% increase in athletic performance at the Games. Notably, male and female French swimmers have improved by over a third (36%) since their debuts, while male cyclists from the nation have improved by 28%. In addition, France has increased its Paralympic participation by 2073% since 1960.

The Netherlands and Great Britain round off the top five, ranking fourth (23% improvement) and fifth (20% improvement) respectively. Notable results both countries can be proud of include British swimmers improving by a third (33%) since their first Olympics in 1908 for men and 1912 for women, and Dutch athletes making strides in the men’s single sculls (15% improvement) and women’s freestyle (36% improvement).

Which nationalities are set to become the fastest sprinters?

The men’s 100m sprint has been contested for 128 years and it’s been just under a century since the women’s 100m sprint was introduced. Over these periods, the United States and Switzerland have seen the most significant improvements. American men have improved their performance in the 100m sprint by 18.42% over 128 years, while Swiss women have increased their speed by over a quarter (25.24%) in just 72 years.

Italy is the only country in the top five most improved for both genders; Italian women have seen a 17% increase, while their male counterparts have improved by 12%.

Honorable mentions are required for countries that have made great strides in performance during much shorter time frames: Sao Tome and Principe ran the women’s 100m sprint 14.12% faster in 2024 than in their debut games 28 years prior, and Botswana shortened their men’s 100m sprint time by 11.5% in just 44 years; the latter had less than half of the time other countries had to improve.

Which nationalities are set to become the fastest swimmers?

The 100m freestyle has been contested by men since 1896 and women since 1912. Canada takes gold for the men: their males are now swimming 100 meters 46% quicker than at their debut 116 years ago. However, Swedish women take gold for the greatest improvement across both genders, halving their race time in just 112 years – a truly remarkable feat.

Both French genders have improved by over a third (36%), making it the sole nation to appear in the top five rankings for both men and women.

Hungary’s biggest leap in performance has been in the Men’s 100m Freestyle, where athletes are now swimming 36% faster than their debut 128 years ago

While not in the top rankings, notably Sri Lankan men have improved their 100m freestyle time by over a quarter (25%) in just 72 years, significantly more than other nations who have been competing for well over 100 years.

Which nationalities are set to become the fastest cyclists?

Men have been competing in the Olympic team pursuit event since 1908, while women have been in the cycling seat since 2012. Denmark has seen the greatest improvement in the male version of the event, completing the race 32% faster than at their debut, while German females have improved by an impressive 8% in the space of just two Olympic games (eight years).

Australia ranks in the top five for both genders in cycling: Australian men have improved by over a quarter (28%), while females from the country have improved by 4% in the meager eight years since their debut.

Which nationalities are set to become the fastest rowers?

The single sculls event is one of rowing’s oldest, having been contested by men since 1900 and women since 1976. American males have reduced their single sculls time more than any other nation (34%) in 120 years, while Algerian women have improved the most (14%) since women’s single sculls were introduced at the Olympics in 1976. (14%).

The Hungarian Men’s Single Sculls team has also seen an excellent improvement in their performance, now rowing 33% faster than when they first started competing 116 years ago.

The data suggests an upward trajectory of athletic improvement over time, so SportsShoes.com spoke with Damian Bailey, a Professor of Physiology & Biochemistry at the University of South Wales, to find out if there is a limit to human performance, or if world records will continue to be smashed at the same rate. Damian commented:

“While we’re not quite there yet, there are limits to what we as humans can achieve in terms of both physiological (body) and psychological (mind) performance. Scientific studies show that world records across most sports have slowed down over the last 20–30 years… simple mathematics tells us that there is a finite limit to human performance.

“But all this said, from an evolutionary point of view, being competitive is in our DNA. Our brains have evolved (and continue to evolve!) to be ‘smarter’ than any other animal and we will undoubtedly invent new and innovative ways to overcome this performance stagnation. While physiological limits will eventually be reached, Olympic records will continue to be broken because the spectacle demands it.

“Every sporting discipline will adapt to give the crowds the thrilling prospect of new records, or simply be replaced by other events that do! Perhaps one day we’ll cheer on sprinters running in a wind tunnel against a 30 km/h headwind, chasing records timed to microsecond precision. And while the Olympics ‘ooze’ tradition, the recent advent of new sports including skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, 3×3 basketball and breaking are perfectly poised to start setting new world records of their very own!”

Dan Cartner, Head of Marketing at SportsShoes.com commented: “Diving into Olympic and Paralympic data to determine how athletic improvement varies from country to country has been really interesting. In particular, we were really pleased to see such an increase in Paralympic participants, as it’s a fantastic sign of inclusion. The Games are an exciting time in the athletic calendar and Paris 2024 was no exception. At SportsShoes.com, we are committed to supporting everyone on their fitness journey, so we hope that both the games and our research inspire you to choose your next challenge.”

A full breakdown of the results and further expert commentary from Damian can be found HERE.

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Hungarian athletes included among 100 best Olympians

Hungarian athletes shine on final day: A review of their Paris 2024 Olympic achievements