Socioeconomic Determinants of Success at the Summer Paralympics

Abstract

For the first time, the determinants of a country’s success at the Paralympic Games are studied, using data from four editions, starting in 1996. By means of a tobit panel, the authors find that gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, population, having many participants per million inhabitants, being a former communist country, hosting the Paralympics, being a former host, and surface are positively related to success as measured by the (weighted) number of medals won. Deviations from the ideal temperature to practice sports negatively affect Paralympic success.

Keywords

sports success paralympics tobit panel

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