How OR can be a game changer for Olympic Sports
Now the Paris 2024 Olympics concluded but soon to be followed by, the Paralympic Games 2024, the OR Society, The OR Society is shining a light on how operational research can be a real game-changer for Olympic sports.
OR has been used to influence sports strategy for decades to formulate successful strategies, plan fixtures, and project tournament outcomes. From designing tournaments to ensuring fairness and equity, to optimising the performance of Olympic cycling sprinters, OR is playing a key role behind the scenes.
Paralympian, Matt Lloyd[i], an academic at Hull University and Chairman of the Systems Thinking Organisation at the OR Society said: “Operational Research (OR) has had a massive impact on sports, over the last 75 years, whether it has been through helping analyse player performances, scheduling training or providing a greater understanding of events planning, OR has been instrumental in identifying and implementing significant improvements.”
Matt highlights British Cycling which used a technique called marginal gains aggregation[ii]. This wasn’t about overhauling everything but improving every aspect by 1%, encompassing minute changes in equipment, training routines, and even personal hygiene practices.