Meet the 'Perfect' Olympian: How Does Your Country Compare?

120 Years of Olympic Data Calculates the 'Perfect' Gold Medalist

 

• New statistical analysis delves deep into over 120 years of Olympic history, examining the physical attributes of 222,500 Olympians. 
• Winning male Olympians tend to be 25 years old, standing 1.81 meters tall, and weighing 77 kilograms. 
• Female winners share a similar peak age of 25, with an average height of 1.7 meters and a weight of 61 kilograms. 

 

New statistical analysis identified the "ideal athlete" for each event based on the winners' median age, height, and weight over the past 120 years. 

 

Conducted by JeffBet, the research analysed over 120 years of Olympic athletic events, focusing on the physical characteristics of medalists. By finding the median age, height, and weight in each discipline, the data creates a profile that embodies the typical physical attributes of a winner in that category. 

 

Sprinters in the 100m, 200m, and 400m tend to peak at 23 years old, while marathon champions are typically around 29. Shot putters average 118kg, while discus throwers, known for their height advantage, reach an average of 1.91m. The analysis also suggests the average winning male athletic Olympian is 25 years old, stands at 1.81m, and weighs 77kg. 

 

Men’s Average Winning Physical Characteristics in Athletics 

 

Event	Age	Height (m)	Weight (kg)
100m	23	1.77	72
200m	23	1.79	72
400m	23	1.80	72
800m	24	1.79	68
1,500m	24	1.78	65
5,000m	25	1.75	62
10,000m	26	1.73	60
Marathon	29	1.72	60
3,000m Steeplechase	26	1.76	64
110m Hurdles	24	1.85	77
400m Hurdles	24	1.83	74
High Jump	23	1.88	75
Pole Vault	25	1.83	76
Long Jump	24	1.82	74
Triple Jump	25	1.83	75
Shot Put	26	1.90	118
Discus Throw	27	1.91	110
Hammer Throw	27	1.86	106
Javelin Throw	25	1.85	91
Decathlon	25	1.86	84
20km Race Walk	27	1.76	65
4 x 100m Relay	24	1.78	72
4 x 400m Relay	24	1.80	72
AVERAGE	25	1.81	77

 

This profile of the "ideal physique" aligns with recent Olympic champions. For instance, Canadian decathlon gold medalist Damien Warner at Tokyo 2020 stands at 1.84m and weighs 83kg, closely resembling the average build identified in the research. Similarly, Italian racewalker Massimo Stano, who secured gold at 29 years old in the 20km walk at the last Olympics, has a height of 1.76m and weighs 66kg. 

 

Like their male counterparts, female athletic winners tend to peak around 25 years old. On average, they stand at 1.7m tall and weigh 61kg. However, there are variations across disciplines. For instance, 100-meter champions typically skew younger, averaging around 22 years old, while relay team members may be slightly older, ranging from 23 to 24. Events requiring explosive power, like hurdles, see competitors averaging between 58 and 60 kg. Meanwhile, triple jumpers tend to be taller, with an average height of 1.74m. 

 

Women’s Average Winning Physical Characteristics in Athletics 

 

Event	Age	Height (m)	Weight (kg)
100m	22	1.66	57
200m	23	1.68	58
400m	24	1.70	58
800m	24	1.68	55
1,500m	25	1.66	53
5,000m	26	1.64	50
10,000m	26	1.63	49
Marathon	30	1.63	49
3,000m Steeplechase	26	1.67	52
110m Hurdles	25	1.70	60
400m Hurdles	25	1.71	58
High Jump	23	1.78	61
Pole Vault	26	1.71	60
Long Jump	24	1.71	60
Triple Jump	26	1.74	61
Shot Put	25	1.77	90
Discus Throw	26	1.78	84
Hammer Throw	25	1.75	84
Javelin Throw	25	1.73	70
Heptathlon	25	1.75	65
20km Race Walk	27	1.64	52
4 x 100m Relay	23	1.67	58
4 x 400m Relay	24	1.70	58
AVERAGE	25	1.70	61

 

These characteristics closely mirror those of the Tokyo 2020 gold medalists, where Elaine Thompson-Herah weighed 56kg and stood at 1.68m—walking away with a 100m Gold Medal for Jamaica. This is similar to American Katie Moon, measuring 1.73m and 61kg, who won gold in the pole vault, and Germany's Malaika Mihambo, measuring 58kg and 1.71m, who won gold in the long jump at the last Olympics. 

 

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for JeffBet said:  

 

"The world now sets its sights on the upcoming Olympics, with nations eagerly waiting to see which athletes will emerge victorious for their countries. Many argue that raw talent, rigorous training, and an unyielding spirit define an Olympic victor. After all, the Games have a rich history of underdogs who defied expectations and etched their names in Olympic glory. 

 

However, analyzing past champions goes beyond averages. By pinpointing physical attributes that prevail in each sport, nations can identify promising athletes who fit that mold and provide them with targeted training. While it's no crystal ball, this data could be a secret weapon for some Olympic teams." 

 

ENDS 

 

If you use these insights, please link credit to https://www.jeffbet.com/, as they are responsible for compiling and analysing the data. 

 

Sources: Olympics, Team USA, Kaggle 

 

Methodology: By analyzing the physical characteristics of medalists from the Summer Olympics between 1896 and 2016, we can calculate the median age, height, and weight of these Olympians. This data can then be further categorized by gender and event, allowing for comparisons between different groups and against the characteristics of Tokyo 2020 medalists.  

 

All the best,
Erin Roberts

 

erin.roberts@journoresearch.org

Phone inquires: +44208 050 0054

 

Journo Research

 

This email was sent on behalf of our client jeffbet.com. Journo Research operates as jeffbet.com’s Digital PR agency.

 

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