Talent identification and promotion programmes of Olympic athletes

TLDR

Each Olympic cycle offers nations a chance to excel, yet forecasting and nurturing future elite athletes remains a challenge despite systematic talent‑identification structures. The article examines challenges in identifying and preparing Olympic athletes. The authors review recent promising methods for talent identification and promotion that have been applied in practice. Field data indicate that earlier and more intensive adolescent training and extended participation in talent programmes do not guarantee greater senior elite success, and the study outlines implications and future research directions.

Abstract

The start of a new Olympic cycle offers a fresh chance for individuals and nations to excel at the highest level in sport. Most countries attempt to develop systematic structures to identify gifted athletes and to promote their development in a certain sport. However, forecasting years in advance the next generation of sporting experts and stimulating their development remains problematic. In this article, we discuss issues related to the identification and preparation of Olympic athletes. We provide field-based data suggesting that an earlier onset and a higher volume of discipline-specific training and competition, and an extended involvement in institutional talent promotion programmes, during adolescence need not necessarily be associated with greater success in senior international elite sport. Next, we consider some of the promising methods that have been (recently) presented in the literature and applied in the field. Finally, implications for talent identification and promotion and directions for future research are highlighted.