T. Sokha, professor, Dr.Hab.
S. Sokha, professor, Dr.Hab.
T. Skovronek, Ph.D.
The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland

Key words: Olympic games, athletics, world records, Olympic medals.

Athletics is the most prestigious sport in the Olympic games. 1083 women and 1138 men from 201 countries, representing all the continents of the world, took part in athletics in the London Olympics XXX. The total of sets of medals played was 47 [2, 5, 6, 7].

The countries, successful in athletics, are justly considered to take the lead among the Olympic states. Europe, the cradle of athletics, has great traditions of   significant achievements in the Olympics in men’s and specifically women’s athletics. In men’s types Europe had plenty of competition from the US athletes. The US athletes won in 9 types out of 12 at the Olympics I in Athens in 1896 [1, 3].

The first time women took part in the Olympic program was in Amsterdam-1928 and only in five types of athletics. In Berlin 1936 European countries performed, in six types already, with great success and were the strongest in the world, where they won 15 Olympic medals out of 18 [1].

Europe was a clear winner in women’s athletics in Olympic games in Munich-1972, where they won in all 14 types of the Olympic program along with 13 silver and 12 bronze medals [1, 3].

The Montreal Olympics 1976 were the same success for European countries in women’s athletics. It is intriguing that the GDR women’s team in Montreal only in athletics won 9 gold medals, which is three times more than the US women’s team that won only 3 gold medals in all sports of the Olympic program.

The purpose of the research: to determine the level of development of European and world athletics by the results of Beijing and London Olympics using a comparative analysis.

Research methods. The key criterion used to analyze the level of European and world women’s and men’s athletics was medals won by the representatives of European and world countries. The number of world records in women’s and men’s kinds in Beijing and London 2012 served an additional criterion.

Research results and discussion. The subjected achievements in athletics at the Beijing Olympics show the relatively low level of European women’s athletics. At the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988, the last time when two world Olympic sports powers, the USSR and GDR, participated, European women’s athletics was very successful [1, 6, 7]. European female athletes won 41 medals out of 54 (in 18 types), that is 75,92% of all medals, and only 32 medals out of 69 (in 23 types) in Beijing, equal to 46,38%.

There are a lot of reasons of decrease of the level of European women’s athletics, but one of the key ones is a nearly complete lack of women’s athletics in Germany that used to be a mighty world power. As lately as in Seoul 1988 German female athletes won 19 medals and only one bronze one in Beijing. The teams of some European countries with big traditions in Olympic sport were weak in Beijing. France and Italy finished their performances with a single silver medal, Finland – with bronze, Poland, Sweden, Hungary run out of medals, whereas Bulgaria  without any points. In Beijing European women’s athletics was successfully supported only by the Russians who won 12 medals – 4 gold, silver and bronze (table 1). In the non-official point-count Russia was atop the podium in Beijing. Ukraine female athletes were rather successful and won single gold and silver and 2 bronze [1, 3].

The US and Kenya teams were successful performing for the world women’s athletics with 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze, and 2 gold and 3 silver correspondingly. The European achievements in men’s athletics were even more modest than in women’s. European men won only 25 medals, 8 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze, that is 34,72% (table 2). Russian athletes added 6 medals to the modest indices of achievements of European athletes: 2 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze. The athletes of Belorussia won 5 medals, among which 2 silver and 3 bronze, Poland – 2, 1 gold and 1 silver [4].

In the world men’s athletics achievements great contribution was made by the US athletes – 14 medals, 4 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze, Kenya – 9 medals: 3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze and Jamaica - 3 gold.

At the 2012 London Olympics European achievements were even more modest than in Beijing. In women’s sports Europe won 31 medals, which is one medal less than in Beijing. However, in London European countries (excluding Russia) were remarkably weaker than in Beijing, where they won 20 medals out of 32 (table 1) and 12 belong to Russian female athletes. In London only 15 medals out of 31 were taken by European female athletes and 16 – by Russia (table 3). European countries were weaker in London not only by quantitative features but also by the level of shown results.

The 2012 London Olympics results testify to the further decrease of the level of European women’s athletics. Such countries as France, Italy and Spain not only run out of medals, but are also with a very low number of points, but Sweden, Finland, Romania and Bulgaria failed to score a single point. Russian female athletes achieved a lot and won 16 medals including 6 gold ones. Russia was on top among Olympic powers both in the medal classification in Beijing and London [5, 6, 7].

In men’s athletics Europe was weaker than in women’s one. In London European countries won as little as 18 medals, equal to mere 25% of Europe in the world potential of men’s athletics (table 4).

The use of world records as an additional criterion of analysis of European athletics outlines the leading role of Russia even stronger. 2 world women’s records were set both in Beijing and in London.

The world records of Elena Isinbaeva in the 505-sm pole vault and Gulnara Samitova-Galkina in 300-m hurdle race with the result of 8:58,81 sec were especially remarkable and on the extremely high level. The extra value of these records is in their establishment at the Olympics where athletes struggle mainly for victory and medals rather than for world records. Herewith, 2 world records were established in women’s athletics in London. One, the third for Europe by now, was won by Russian athlete Elena Lashmanova in 20-km race walk with the result of 1:25,02 sec. The second world record in London belongs to the US sprinter team in the relay race 4х100 m with the result of 40,82 sec. In men’s sports in Beijing and London European representatives had no world records [2, 4-7].

In Beijing amazing world records were held by Usain Bolt (Jamaica) in 100- and 200-m run. In the 100-m run not only the high result of 9,69 sec was extraordinary but first of all how it was achieved. Whilst finishing the champion was turning smiling to the audience. In the 200-m run the world record of 19,30 sec was established with ultimate effort and determined the second place finish of the US sprinter on the 0,66 sec. Such a gap between the first and the second place 200-m runner has never happened before in Olympic games. The third world record in Beijing belongs to Jamaica in the men’s relay race 4х100 m with the result of 37,10 sec.

At the 2012 London Olympics XXX two world records were held by men: in 800-m run by David Rudisha with the result of 1.40,93 sec and in relay race 4х100 m by Jamaican sprinters with 36,84 sec.

Conclusion. The world dominance of European athletics, especially in women’s sports, shown in the Munich and Montreal Olympics, belonged to European countries. After the collapse of the USSR and German reunification European athletics has been gradually retrogressing. At the Beijing and London Olympics the high level of European women’s athletics is maintained only by the achievements of the Russian national team.

Bibliography

1. Miller, D. The history of Olympic games and international Olympic committee. Translated from English. / D. Miller. – Rebis, 2008. – 654 P. (In Russian)

2. Konikov, V.I. London 2012: analysis of performance of the Russian national team. / V.I. Konikov. – Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury. 2012 №11. (In Russian)

3. Wazny, Z. Sport yesterday, today, tomorrow in context of results of sports researches. Sport Wychinovy. 2001ˎ 11-12: P. 5-13. (In Russian)

4. E-source. http://www.olympic.org/beijing-2008-summer-olympics

5. E-source. http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results/

6. E-source.http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions

7. E-source. http://www.sportsreference.com/olympics/summer

Author’s contact information: t.socha@awf.katowice.pl