Spending on Olympic medals pays off in swimming and track

Team sports require more money but win far less, as shown by Rio 2016 data

20210719 Olympic medal winning Dalilah Muhammad

Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. celebrates her gold medal in the women's 400m hurdles at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 18, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro. © Getty Images

MASASHI IJICHI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Countries typically splurge on their athletic teams to win medals at the Olympics. But how has this improved their athlete's performance?

An analysis involving investment by governments and Olympic-related bodies and the number of medals won shows that money spent on track and field, swimming and similar sports is the best way to get a return in medals, as opposed to other events.

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