There’s a lot of chatter out there about Olympians and their age. Simone Biles, for example, is 27 which has historically been considered older for gymnastics. But she’s also the GOAT of her sport and last week, stuck the landing on her signature Yurchenko double pike vault during podium training, so clearly her age hasn’t slowed her down.
Still, Olympics commentators tend to make a big deal when someone is past their early 20s in any sport, raising a lot of questions about when Olympians tend to peak. Now, a new study aims to answer that pressing question—for track and field athletes, at least.
The study, which was published in the journal Significance, analysed year-by-year career performance data from every track and field athlete who has competed in an individual event in the Olympics since the 1996 Games. The data considered five factors—gender, nationality, event type, how long the athlete had been training at an elite levels, and whether or not it was an Olympic year.
The researchers discovered that the average age of track and field participants at an Olympic level has consistently been just under 27 years old. But they also found that both male and female athletes tended to peak around this age.
Based on the data, the researchers found that there was only a 44% likelihood that an athlete’s peak was still ahead of them at age 27, and that number dropped every year from then on out.
No shocker here: The researchers also found that athletes tended to have their best performances during Olympic years.
‚We have established a list of variables that help predict when your peak will be,‘ David Awosoga, a master’s student in data science at University of Waterloo and the lead study author said in a press release. ‚You can’t change the year of the Olympics, your genetics, or your nationality, but you might modify your training regimes to better align with these biological and external factors.‘
Of course, this doesn’t mean that track and field athletes will hit their peak at 27. Elite middle- and long-distance runners like Eilish McColgan, Laura Muir, and Victoria Ohuruogu have all logged impressive times beyond 30.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to track and field, though. Several athletes competing in the Summer Games are 40 and up, including British paralympian Dame Sarah Storey (46), British dressage rider Carl Hester (57) and 69-year-old Australian equestrian star Mary Janna.
The takeaway: While 27 may be the average time when athletes peak, age is ultimately just a number.
In conclusion, age is just a number when it comes to Olympic athletes. While the average age of peak performance may be around 27 for track and field athletes, there are numerous examples of athletes excelling well beyond that age. The key is to focus on training regimes that align with biological and external factors to optimize performance, regardless of age. As we continue to witness athletes defy age expectations at the Olympics, it’s clear that determination, skill, and passion can transcend any number.