Ethiopian vs. Kenyan 800m Olympic Performance: Participation, Medals, and Race Times

Abstract

Background: The 800m demands a unique blend of speed and endurance, attracting diverse tactics and fierce competition. Both Ethiopia and Kenya have strong traditions in the 800m. Problem: Research on participation, medal success, and finish times performance differences is limited. There is a lack of detailed analysis on participation and medal success and performance across genders for both nations. Objectives: Compare the overall participation and medal success of Ethiopian and Kenyan 800m athletes in the Olympics across genders. Furthermore, analyzes race finish time performance differences between the two nations' athletes in the 800m across genders. Methods: The cross-sectional survey design uses historical Olympic data from 1896 to 2020. Analyzed all Ethiopian and Kenyan 800m athletes and, used descriptive statistics and independent T-tests to compare participation and performance. Results: Kenyans have been participated considerably more athletes than Ethiopians (54 vs. 24).  Besides, Kenya won 19 medals (14 for men and 5 for women) in this event. In contrast, Ethiopia has not won any medals in the 800 meters at the Olympics Games. Moreover, Significant finishing time performance difference was observed between Ethiopian and Kenyan men (p<.05). Conclusion: There was unequal participation, medal success, and race finish performance time’s differences exist between Ethiopian and Kenyan 800m athletes in the Olympic Games. This implies a complex interplay of factors influencing each country's approach to the 800m.  Both nations likely have developed distinct specializations and training philosophies for the 800m event. Recommendation: it's suggested to undertake comparison across various competitions, including world athlete’s championships across genders to positively affect the generalizability of results