Factors influencing sport excellence: a study focused on Brazilian athletes olympic medal winners

Abstract

Studies in the field of sports excellence developed in a multidimensional perspective are still scarce. Previous research has focused more on the isolated analysis of specific factors that contribute to excellence. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the factors that expert Olympic Brazilian athletes consider most important in the development and maintenance of excellence. Using life stories, 9 Brazilian athletes, who won medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, were surveyed through semi-structured interviews and the data was analyzed through content analysis. The results showed that athletes value a set of personal factors, designated as primary influencing factors, emphasizing psychological attributes. They also identified environmental factors that exert a secondary influence, with particular emphasis on family, coaches, financial support and school. The data obtained also allow us to recognize the need for interaction and interconnection between these factors of primary and secondary influence as something decisive for the development and maintenance of excellence in sport.