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Olympic Athlete Selection

  • Yoichi Hizen and Ryo Okui
Published/Copyright: October 29, 2009
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy
From the journal The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Volume 9 Issue 1

Abstract

Olympic athlete selection procedures are different among countries and events, and famous athletes are often reported to have lost their selection races. This paper analyzes what kind of procedure is more likely to select high-ability athletes while preventing low-ability athletes from being selected by chance. Our game-theoretic model shows that the answer depends on how sharply high-ability athletes' race results fluctuate relative to those of low-ability athletes. Athletes' strategic choice of participation in races turns out to be crucial in addressing this question, and there are cases in which having only one race is desirable, even if the selection can involve multiple races.

Keywords: Olympic; contest; tournament
Published Online: 2009-10-29

©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.2202/1935-1682.2257
Keywords for this article
Olympic; contest; tournament

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  2. Economic Influences on Moral Values
  3. When Does Teacher Licensure Make Sense?
  4. Effects of Socio-Economic and Input-Related Factors on Polluting Plants' Location Decisions
  5. Vintage Effects and the Diffusion of Time-Saving Technological Innovations
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