Venezuela at the 1984-2012 Olympics. A Comparative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the participation of Venezuela in the Olympic Games between 1984-2012, as a way of learning about sports success in this international competition. The interest of this research arises after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016, where the sixty-sixth position was held, a location that invites scholars of sports management to reflect. For this analysis, the variables per capita income, gross domestic product, population, infant mortality rate, number of athletes, medals achieved, placed in the general table and participation in the qualifying games were considered. Methodologically it was framed in a documentary investigation of the type studies of measurement of independent variables from secondary data. It can be concluded according to the selected variables that the second period had better conditions than the first, however the first one made the difference with the bronze medal in 1992, it can also be pointed out that Venezuela has not been able to decipher the formula to optimize sports success. This study should be considered to promote debate in the next Olympic cycle.