The effectiveness of the baton exchange in the 4 × 100 relay depends on the runners’ speed: Statistical evidence from Olympic data

Abstract

In the 4 × 100 meter relay, an important factor in the final result is the efficiency of the baton exchange between the four athletes. Various studies, employing different approaches, attempt to determine an “optimal” level of efficiency. Generally, they can be divided into two main perspectives: those that suggest a fixed and predetermined ideal value, the same for every team, and some others (fewer in numbers) that indicate that higher levels of efficiency are not equally within the reach of every team. We deepen the second perspective; we apply a panel regression model to the data of the relays in the last eight Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996 - Paris 2024), to fully exploit the multi-dimensional nature (cross-sectional and longitudinal) of our dataset; results provide clear and comprehensive evidence that the efficiency of baton exchange is inversely associated with the speed of the relay runners. Our results are novel, and the few previous works that have addressed similar issues are, in our opinion, less systematic and general, both in terms of data and analysis. We add that, in our view, the two perspectives, fixed or variable effiency, are not mutually exclusive but must be integrated.