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Investigation of time Relationship Between First Competition and PB Performance of All-Time Top 100 Athletes in Women's 20 km Race Walk

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 4, 518 - 525, 30.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.22282/tojras.1701754

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the participation of female athletes ranked in the all-time Top 100 list in the Women's 20 km walk event in their first international competition and their personal best times. Method: The research group consists of the top 100 athletes in the all-time list for the women's 20 km walk event. The athletes' date of birth, nationality, personal best (PB), PB competition date, WA points corresponding to the PB, and competition year information based on their first competition registration were obtained from the official World Athletics (WA) website (WA, 2024). The data was analized Pearson's correlation statistics were used to determine the relationships between the variables. Results: It was observed that athletes on the Top 100 race walking list had an average age of 26, the competition performance range was around 4 minutes, and athletes reached their PB performances on average 8 years after their first international competition registration. When examining the distribution of athletes in the Top 100 list by nationality, Russian athletes ranked first with 37%, while China ranked second with 25 athletes. In other words, Russian and Chinese athletes together accounted for 62% of the Top 100 list. A Statistically significant and strong correlation was obtained between the ages of athletes in the Top 100 list and the time it took them to enter the Top 100 list (r=0.80). In other words, as athletes' ages increase, the time it takes them to enter the Top 100 list also increases. Russian and Chinese nationality, who dominate the research group, are analyzed, it is understood that older athletes demonstrate their PB performances in competitions later in the year. Conclusion: Knowing the age at which elite athletes reach their peak performance is important for the healthy implementation of long-term athlete development programs. In long distance events like Race walking ıt is essential to have very long and consistent training periods until the best results.

References

  • Allen, S. V., & Hopkins, W. G. (2015). Age of peak competitive performance of elite athletes: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 45(10), 1431-1441.
  • Boccia, G., Moisè, P., Franceschi, A., Trova, F., Panero, D., La Torre, A., ... & Cardinale, M. (2017). Career performance trajectories in track and field jumping events from youth to senior success: the importance of learning and development. Plos one, 12(1), e0170744.
  • Brownell, S. (2008). Physical culture, sports and the Olympics. In K. Louie (Ed.),The Cambridge Companion to Modern Chinise Culture (pp. 339-360) Chapter Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  • Chen, H., Li, C., Meng, X., Chmura, P., & Wei, X. (2023). Development of youth tennis players: A study based on the ranking history of top ATP/WTA players worldwide and China. Plos one, 18(11), e0289848.
  • Côté, J., Lidor, R., & Hackfort, D. (2009). ISSP position stand: To sample or to specialize? Seven postulates about youth sport activities that lead to continued participation and elite performance. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 7-17.
  • Csurilla, G., & Fertő, I. (2022). How long does a medal win last? Survival analysis of the duration of Olympic success. Applied Economics, 54(43), 5006-5020.
  • Csurilla, G., & Fertő, I. (2024). How to win the first Olympic medal? And the second?. Social Science Quarterly, 105(5), 1544-1564.
  • Ericsson, K. A. (2020). Towards a science of the acquisition of expert performance in sports: Clarifying the differences between deliberate practice and other types of practice. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(2), 159-176.
  • Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T. & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100 (3), 363-406.
  • Gorzi, A., Khantan, M., Khademnoe, O., & Eston, R. (2022). Prediction of elite athletes’ performance by analysis of peak‐performance age and age‐related performance progression. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(2), 146-159.
  • Hambrick, D. Z., Macnamara, B. N., Campitelli, G., Ullén, F., & Mosing, M. A. (2016). Beyond born versus made: A new look at expertise. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 64, pp. 1-55). Academic Press.
  • Hambrick, D. Z., Oswald, F. L., Altmann, E. M., Meinz, E. J., Gobet, F., & Campitelli, G. (2014). Deliberate practice: Is that all it takes to become an expert?. Intelligence, 45, 34-45.
  • Hanley, B., & Bissas, A. (2016). Ground reaction forces of Olympic and World Championship race walkers. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(1), 50-56.
  • Hollings, S. C., Mallett, C. J., & Hume, P. A. (2014). The transition from elite junior track-and-field athlete to successful senior athlete: Why some do, why others don't. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9(3), 457-471.
  • Jelonek, J., Wiesław, P., Świat, M., Michalski, C., & Stec, K. (2017). Quality of sports training and the biological adaptation of athletes to race walking. Physical Activity Review, (5), 212-221.
  • Kalata, M., Williams, C. A., Verbruggen, F. F., De Ste Croix, M., Lehnert, M., Zahalka, F., & Maly, T. (2025). Strength and jumping performance in youth athletes: Do sport specialization and age categories affect strength asymmetry?. Research in Sports Medicine, 33(3), 334-351.
  • Kearney, P. E., & Hayes, P. R. (2018). Excelling at youth level in competitive track and field athletics is not a prerequisite for later success. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(21), 2502-2509.
  • Kim, D. H., & Yun, Z. K. (2023). Performance development span and psychological experience by stages of track and field athletes. Korean Journal of Sport Science, 34(2), 246-258.
  • Knechtle, B., Rosemann, T., & Nikolaidis, P. T. (2020). The role of nationality in ultra-endurance sports: The paradigm of cross-country skiing and long-distance running. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2543.
  • Kovalchik, S. A., Bane, M. K., & Reid, M. (2017). Getting to the top: an analysis of 25 years of career rankings trajectories for professional women’s tennis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(19), 1904-1910.
  • Macnamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). Deliberate practice and performance in music, games, sports, education, and professions: A meta-analysis. Psychological Science, 25(8), 1608-1618.
  • Marlow, P. (1990). A brief history of race walking. New Studies in Athletics, 5(3), 21-24.
  • Morley, B., & Thomas, D. (2005). An investigation of home advantage and other factors affecting outcomes in English one-day cricket matches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(3), 261–268.
  • Nikolaidis, P. T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). Differences in pacing of cross-country skiers by nationality–The example of Vasaloppet 2004-2017. Research in Sports Medicine, 27(4), 485-496.
  • Pavei, G., Cazzola, D., La Torre, A., & Minetti, A. E. (2014). The biomechanics of race walking: literature overview and new insights. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(7), 661-670.
  • Premkumar, P., Chakrabarty, J. B., & Chowdhury, S. (2020). Key performance indicators for factor score based ranking in One Day International cricket. IIMB Management Review, 32(1), 85-95.
  • Schiffer, J. (2008). Race walking. New Studies in Athletics, 23(4), 7-15.
  • Steidl-Müller, L., Müller, E., Hildebrandt, C., & Raschner, C. (2019). Did the relative age effect change over a decade in elite youth ski racing?. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 1, 55.
  • Tucker, R., & Collins, M. (2012). What makes champions? A review of the relative contribution of genes and training to sporting success. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(8), 555-561.
  • URL-1: (2025). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_walking E.T. 03.05.2025
  • URL-2: (2025). http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/results E.T. 03.05.2025
  • URL-3: (2025). http://www.world-memory-statistics.com E.T. 03.05.2025
  • Williams, M., Hodges, N., & Scott, M. (2004). Skill acquisition in sport. London; New York, NY: Routledge.
  • World Athletics [WA]. (2024). All Time Top List 20 Km Race Walk Women. World Athletics Official Web Page. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/race-walks/20-kilometres-race-walk/all/women/senior

Kadınlar 20 km Yürüyüş Branşında Tüm Zamanların En İyi 100 Sporcusunun İlk Yarışması ile Kişisel En İyi Performansı Arasındaki Zaman İlişkisinin Araştırılması

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 4, 518 - 525, 30.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.22282/tojras.1701754

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı Kadınlar 20 km yürüyüş branşında tüm zamanların Top 100 listesinde yer alan kadın sporcuların uluslararası ilke yarışmaya katılımları ile kişisel en iyi zaman arasındaki ilişkininin incelenmesidir. Yöntem: Araştırma grubu, kadınlar 20 km yürüyüş yarışmasında tüm zamanların en iyi 100 sporcusundan oluşmaktadır. Sporcuların doğum tarihi, uyruğu, kişisel en iyi derecesi (PB), PB yarışma tarihi, PB'ye karşılık gelen WA puanları ve ilk yarışma kayıtlarına dayalı yarışma yılı bilgileri, resmi Dünya Atletizm (WA) web sitesinden (WA, 2024) elde edilmiştir. Veriler, değişkenler arasındaki ilişkileri belirlemek için Pearson korelasyon istatistikleri kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular: Yürüyüş sporunda ilk 100 listesinde yer alan sporcuların ortalama yaşının 26 olduğu, yarışma performans aralığının yaklaşık 4 dakika olduğu ve sporcuların ilk uluslararası yarışmaya kaydolduktan ortalama 8 yıl sonra kişisel en iyi performanslarına ulaştıkları gözlemlenmiştir. İlk 100 listesindeki sporcuların milliyetlerine göre dağılımı incelendiğinde, Rus sporcular %37 ile ilk sırada yer alırken, Çin 25 sporcuyla ikinci sırada yer almıştır. Diğer bir deyişle, Rus ve Çinli sporcular Top 100 listesinin %62'sini oluşturdu. Top 100 listesindeki sporcuların yaşları ile Top 100 listesine girmeleri için geçen süre arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve güçlü bir korelasyon elde edildi (r=0,80). Diğer bir deyişle, sporcuların yaşları arttıkça, Top 100 listesine girmeleri için geçen süre de artmaktadır. Araştırma grubunu domine eden Rus ve Çin uyruklu sporcular analiz edildiğinde, yaşlı sporcuların yılın ilerleyen dönemlerinde yarışmalarda PB performanslarını sergiledikleri anlaşılmaktadır. Sonuç: Elit sporcuların en yüksek performanslarına ulaştıkları yaşı bilmek, uzun vadeli sporcu geliştirme programlarının sağlıklı bir şekilde uygulanması için önemlidir. Yürüyüş gibi uzun mesafe yarışlarında, en iyi sonuçlara ulaşmak için çok uzun ve tutarlı antrenman dönemleri geçirmek şarttır.

References

  • Allen, S. V., & Hopkins, W. G. (2015). Age of peak competitive performance of elite athletes: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 45(10), 1431-1441.
  • Boccia, G., Moisè, P., Franceschi, A., Trova, F., Panero, D., La Torre, A., ... & Cardinale, M. (2017). Career performance trajectories in track and field jumping events from youth to senior success: the importance of learning and development. Plos one, 12(1), e0170744.
  • Brownell, S. (2008). Physical culture, sports and the Olympics. In K. Louie (Ed.),The Cambridge Companion to Modern Chinise Culture (pp. 339-360) Chapter Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  • Chen, H., Li, C., Meng, X., Chmura, P., & Wei, X. (2023). Development of youth tennis players: A study based on the ranking history of top ATP/WTA players worldwide and China. Plos one, 18(11), e0289848.
  • Côté, J., Lidor, R., & Hackfort, D. (2009). ISSP position stand: To sample or to specialize? Seven postulates about youth sport activities that lead to continued participation and elite performance. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 7-17.
  • Csurilla, G., & Fertő, I. (2022). How long does a medal win last? Survival analysis of the duration of Olympic success. Applied Economics, 54(43), 5006-5020.
  • Csurilla, G., & Fertő, I. (2024). How to win the first Olympic medal? And the second?. Social Science Quarterly, 105(5), 1544-1564.
  • Ericsson, K. A. (2020). Towards a science of the acquisition of expert performance in sports: Clarifying the differences between deliberate practice and other types of practice. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(2), 159-176.
  • Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T. & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100 (3), 363-406.
  • Gorzi, A., Khantan, M., Khademnoe, O., & Eston, R. (2022). Prediction of elite athletes’ performance by analysis of peak‐performance age and age‐related performance progression. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(2), 146-159.
  • Hambrick, D. Z., Macnamara, B. N., Campitelli, G., Ullén, F., & Mosing, M. A. (2016). Beyond born versus made: A new look at expertise. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 64, pp. 1-55). Academic Press.
  • Hambrick, D. Z., Oswald, F. L., Altmann, E. M., Meinz, E. J., Gobet, F., & Campitelli, G. (2014). Deliberate practice: Is that all it takes to become an expert?. Intelligence, 45, 34-45.
  • Hanley, B., & Bissas, A. (2016). Ground reaction forces of Olympic and World Championship race walkers. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(1), 50-56.
  • Hollings, S. C., Mallett, C. J., & Hume, P. A. (2014). The transition from elite junior track-and-field athlete to successful senior athlete: Why some do, why others don't. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9(3), 457-471.
  • Jelonek, J., Wiesław, P., Świat, M., Michalski, C., & Stec, K. (2017). Quality of sports training and the biological adaptation of athletes to race walking. Physical Activity Review, (5), 212-221.
  • Kalata, M., Williams, C. A., Verbruggen, F. F., De Ste Croix, M., Lehnert, M., Zahalka, F., & Maly, T. (2025). Strength and jumping performance in youth athletes: Do sport specialization and age categories affect strength asymmetry?. Research in Sports Medicine, 33(3), 334-351.
  • Kearney, P. E., & Hayes, P. R. (2018). Excelling at youth level in competitive track and field athletics is not a prerequisite for later success. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(21), 2502-2509.
  • Kim, D. H., & Yun, Z. K. (2023). Performance development span and psychological experience by stages of track and field athletes. Korean Journal of Sport Science, 34(2), 246-258.
  • Knechtle, B., Rosemann, T., & Nikolaidis, P. T. (2020). The role of nationality in ultra-endurance sports: The paradigm of cross-country skiing and long-distance running. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2543.
  • Kovalchik, S. A., Bane, M. K., & Reid, M. (2017). Getting to the top: an analysis of 25 years of career rankings trajectories for professional women’s tennis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(19), 1904-1910.
  • Macnamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). Deliberate practice and performance in music, games, sports, education, and professions: A meta-analysis. Psychological Science, 25(8), 1608-1618.
  • Marlow, P. (1990). A brief history of race walking. New Studies in Athletics, 5(3), 21-24.
  • Morley, B., & Thomas, D. (2005). An investigation of home advantage and other factors affecting outcomes in English one-day cricket matches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(3), 261–268.
  • Nikolaidis, P. T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). Differences in pacing of cross-country skiers by nationality–The example of Vasaloppet 2004-2017. Research in Sports Medicine, 27(4), 485-496.
  • Pavei, G., Cazzola, D., La Torre, A., & Minetti, A. E. (2014). The biomechanics of race walking: literature overview and new insights. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(7), 661-670.
  • Premkumar, P., Chakrabarty, J. B., & Chowdhury, S. (2020). Key performance indicators for factor score based ranking in One Day International cricket. IIMB Management Review, 32(1), 85-95.
  • Schiffer, J. (2008). Race walking. New Studies in Athletics, 23(4), 7-15.
  • Steidl-Müller, L., Müller, E., Hildebrandt, C., & Raschner, C. (2019). Did the relative age effect change over a decade in elite youth ski racing?. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 1, 55.
  • Tucker, R., & Collins, M. (2012). What makes champions? A review of the relative contribution of genes and training to sporting success. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(8), 555-561.
  • URL-1: (2025). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_walking E.T. 03.05.2025
  • URL-2: (2025). http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/results E.T. 03.05.2025
  • URL-3: (2025). http://www.world-memory-statistics.com E.T. 03.05.2025
  • Williams, M., Hodges, N., & Scott, M. (2004). Skill acquisition in sport. London; New York, NY: Routledge.
  • World Athletics [WA]. (2024). All Time Top List 20 Km Race Walk Women. World Athletics Official Web Page. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/race-walks/20-kilometres-race-walk/all/women/senior
There are 34 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Sports Science and Exercise (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Yeliz Ay Yıldız 0000-0002-2002-0389

Işık Bayraktar 0000-0003-1001-5348

Publication Date October 30, 2025
Submission Date May 18, 2025
Acceptance Date October 28, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 14 Issue: 4

Cite

Vancouver Ay Yıldız Y, Bayraktar I. Investigation of time Relationship Between First Competition and PB Performance of All-Time Top 100 Athletes in Women’s 20 km Race Walk. TOJRAS. 2025;14(4):518-25.