An Analysis Of Medal Distribution And Athletes' Average Speeds In The Road Cycling Discipline At The Olympic Games

Öz

Road cycling has been part of the Summer Olympic Games since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games. The current study aims to examine the results of athletes who have achieved rankings in various disciplines in road cycling between the 1896 Athens and 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The research group for this study consisted of athletes who placed in the top three in the men's (n=162) and women's (n=57) categories in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 2024. The athletes' data was obtained from the official results of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Pro Cycling Stats website. The frequency table of the countries of cyclists who placed in the top three in the men's and women's categories, their average race speeds, race distances, elevation gains, and the ratio of elevation gain to race distance are provided. While individual rankings are determined based on athletes’ completion times and finishes, road team results are calculated based on the combined finishing time of the top four athletes, and team time trials are calculated based on the finishing time of the team’s third athlete. According to the findings, the highest average speed in the men’s road cycling race (45.3 km/h) was recorded at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, whilst the highest average speed in the women’s category (40.7 km/h) was recorded at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. The average length of road races in the men's category between the 1896 and 2024 Olympic Games was determined to be 193.5±45.2 km, and the average length of road races in the women's category between the 1984 and 2024 Olympic Games was determined to be 116.6±25.9 km. In the men's road races, France and Belgium were the countries with the most podium finishes, winning nine medals (12.5%), while the United Kingdom won five medals (13.9%) in the individual time trials and Sweden won eight medals (14.8%) in the team time trials. In the women's category, the Netherlands won the most medals in road races with seven (21.2%), while the United States won the most medals in individual time trials with six (25%). As a result, race distances and average speeds varied depending on the Olympic Games. Changes in cyclists' average speeds may depend on the race format, course length, and elevation gain.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Road cycling
• olympic games
• medal
• road race
• individual time trial

Olimpiyat Oyunlarında Yol Bisikleti Branşında Madalya Dağılımı ve Sporcuların Ortalama Hızlarının İncelenmesi

Öz

Mevcut çalışmada Atina 1896-Paris 2024 olimpiyat oyunları arasında yol bisikleti branşındaki çeşitli disiplinlerde derece elde eden sporcuların sonuçlarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmanın araştırma grubunu 1896-2024 olimpiyat oyunları arasında erkekler (n=162) ve kadınlar (n=57) kategorisinde ilk üçe dereceye giren sporcular oluşturmuştur. Sporcuların verileri uluslararası olimpiyat komitesi (IOC) ve Pro Cycling Stats web sayfasındaki resmi sonuçlardan elde edilmiştir. Erkekler ve kadınlar kategorisinde ilk üçe giren bisikletçilerin ülkelerinin frekans tablosu, ortalama yarış hızları, yarış mesafeleri, irtifa kazanımları ve irtifa miktarının yarışa mesafesine oranları verilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre, yol bisikleti yarışı erkekler kategorisinde en yüksek ortalama hıza (45,3 km/s) Atlanta 1996 ve kadınlar kategorisinde en yüksek ortalama hıza (40,7 km/s) Seoul 1988 olimpiyat oyunlarında ulaşılmıştır. Erkekler kategorisi 1896-2024 olimpiyat oyunları arası yol yarışmaları ortalama uzunluğu 193,5±45,2 km ve kadınlar kategorisi 1984-2024 olimpiyat oyunları arası yol yarışları ortalama uzunluğu 116,6±25,9 km olarak tespit edilmiştir. Erkekler kategorisi yol yarışlarında Fransa ve Belçika dokuz madalya (%12,5) ile en fazla kürsüye çıkan ülke, bireysel zamana karşı yarışlarında Birleşik Krallık beş madalya (13,9) ve takım zamana karşı yarışlarında İsveç sekiz madalya (%14.8) ile en fazla derece elde eden ülkelerdir. Kadınlar kategorisinde ise yol yarışlarında Hollanda yedi (%21,2) madalya, bireysel zamana karşı yarışlarında Amerika Birleşik Devletleri altı (%25) madalya ile en fazla derece elde eden ülkeler olarak bulgulanmıştır. Sonuç olarak yarış mesafeleri ve ortalama hızlar Olimpiyat Oyunlarına göre değişkenlik göstermiştir. Bisikletçilerin ortalama hızlarındaki değişim yarışmanın düzenliği parkur uzunluğuna ve irtifa kazanımına bağlı olabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yol bisikleti
• olimpiyat oyunları
• madalya
• yol yarışı
• bireysel zamana karşı

Kaynakça

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