Analysing 30 years of Olympic Games medals distribution and national wealth indicators
A lifetime ago, I was something of an athlete myself — when I was a little girl I did a little bit of rhythmic gymnastics. During the Athens 2004 Olympics, I remember sitting in front of the TV in awe for endless hours to watch each and every performance of rhythmic gymnastics, with Russia’s two athletes winning both gold and silver medals.
To this day, I still enjoy very much watching all kinds of gymnastics — I did enjoy every second of Simone Biles’s performances, winning a bunch of medals in Paris 2024 Olympics. Nevertheless, what didn’t ring a bell then, but does now, is how common it is to see rich and powerful countries winning a ton of medals in such sports events. It is really surprising when an athlete from a not-so-well-off country makes it to the medal podium. Think for instance of Algeria’s Imane Khelif in boxing, or Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in javelin throwing, both winning gold medals in their sports in a rather unexpected turn of events.
Is this all it takes to win an Olympic medal — being born in a wealthy and powerful country? Most definitely not — it certainly takes a lot of effort, dedication, pain, sacrificing, and…