Analyzing Olympic Game Data with Anaconda

Olympics as Charts

The Olympic Games have a rich history dating back to ancient Greece, but the modern Olympics, as we know them, have evolved significantly since its beginning.

With the Paris Olympics 2024 on the horizon, let’s visualize its history!

Before we dive in…

• The dataset was downloaded from Kaggle Olympic Games Medals.
• The plots were created using hvPlot / HoloViews with the Bokeh backend using the light_minimal theme and careful curation.
• The notebook and code can be found on Anaconda Notebooks.

When Did the Olympic Games Take Place and How Often?

The frequency and occurrence of the Olympic Games have been influenced by numerous historical events. The plot below provides a visual representation of the Olympic Games from 1896 to the present day.

• The Olympic Games were canceled in 1916 due to World War I.
• The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924.
• Both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games were canceled due to World War II.
• Initially, the Winter and Summer Olympics were held in the same year. However, starting in 1994, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to stagger the events, holding the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics in separate years.

Who hosted the most Olympic Games?

The chart below provides a visual representation of the number of times each country has hosted the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

United States (8 games)

• Summer Games: St. Louis (1904), Los Angeles (1932, 1984), and Atlanta (1996).
• Winter Games: Lake Placid (1932, 1980) and Salt Lake City (2002).

France (5 games):

• Summer Games: Paris (1900, 1924, and upcoming 2024).
• Winter Games: Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

Japan (4 games):

• Summer Games: Tokyo (1964, 2020).
• Winter Games: Sapporo (1972) and Nagano (1998).

Canada (3 games):

• Summer Games: Montreal (1976).
• Winter Games: Calgary (1988), Vancouver (2010).

Italy (3 games):

• Summer Games: Rome (1960).
• Winter Games: Cortina d’Ampezzo (1956), Turin (2006).

When Did Each Sport Take Place?

The following heatmap provides a comprehensive overview of when each sport has been featured in the Olympics, from the inaugural Games in 1896 to the most recent editions.

Long-standing Sports

Some sports have been a staple of the Olympic Games since the very beginning:

• Cycling Road: Present since 1896, cycling road events have consistently been part of the Olympic program.
• Fencing: Another sport with a long history, fencing has been included in almost every Olympic Games.
• Gymnastics Artistic: A crowd favorite, artistic gymnastics has been featured since the early days of the Olympics.
• Swimming: A key sport in the Summer Olympics, swimming has been part of the Games since 1896.

Evolving Sports

Several sports have seen periodic inclusion or have evolved over time:

• Rugby: Included in the early 1900s, rugby made a comeback in the form of Rugby Sevens in recent years.
• Golf: Featured in the early 1900s, golf was reintroduced to the Olympics in 2016.
• Baseball/Softball: These sports have had an on-and-off presence in the Olympics but are popular in many countries.
• Skateboarding and Surfing: Reflecting modern trends, these sports were introduced in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Seasonal Variations

The inclusion of sports also varies between the Summer and Winter Games:

• Winter Sports: Sports like skiing, ice hockey, and bobsleigh are staples of the Winter Olympics.
• Summer Sports: Track and field, swimming, and team sports like basketball and volleyball are mainstays of the Summer Games.

New Additions

The IOC frequently updates the Olympic program to include sports that resonate with younger audiences and global trends:

• 3×3 Basketball: Introduced to attract a younger demographic and reflect the popularity of street basketball.
• Sport Climbing: Added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sport climbing is gaining popularity worldwide.
• Karate: Also debuted in Tokyo 2020, showcasing martial arts on a global stage.

Which Sports Are Exclusive to Each Gender?

The heatmap illustrates the historical presence of gender-specific sports in the Olympic Games, highlighting how certain events have been exclusive to either men or women throughout Olympic history.

Men:

• Tug of War (until around 1920)
• Basque Pelota (brief appearance around 1900)
• Cricket (short-lived early inclusion)
• Polo (intermittent presence in early to mid-20th century)
• Roque (featured around 1904)
• Lacrosse (early Olympic inclusion)
• Jeu de Paume (very early Olympic sport)
• Rackets (another early Olympic event)
• Military Patrol (1920s and 1930s)

Women:

• Synchronized Swimming (consistent since 1980s) / Artistic Swimming (recent addition, likely renamed from Synchronized Swimming)
• Rhythmic Gymnastics (included since 1980s) / Gymnastics Rhythmic (name variation)
• Softball (1990s to 2000s)

In recent years, more effort has been taken to record and represent the inclusion of LGBTQ+ athletes. You can explore one data set from OutSports here.

Which Country Won the Most Medals?

This bar chart below shows the countries with the most medals won.

The United States is followed by the Soviet Union in second place, and Germany in third place for total medal count.

However, it’s worth noting that the United States has a significantly higher medal count compared to any other country shown in the chart, with their bar extending much further than the others.

Who Won the Most Medals?

Similarly, this bar chart shows the athletes with the most medals won.

Michael Phelps won the most medals among Olympic athletes — nearly double than most athletes shown.

How Many Games Do Each Athlete Usually Participate In?

The bar plot displays athlete participation across multiple Olympic Games.

• The vast majority of Olympic athletes (48,164) participate in only one Games. Participation in three or more Games becomes increasingly rare, and very few athletes compete in 7 or more Olympic Games:
• Interestingly, the data shows 22 athletes listed as participating in 0 Games. This could represent athletes who qualified but were unable to compete due to injury, political reasons, or other circumstances.
• This distribution highlights the elite nature of sustained Olympic participation, with repeated appearances becoming increasingly rare.

Which Athlete Participated in the Most Games?

This graph represents the top 50 athletes based on their participation in the most Olympic Games.

Key observations from the data:

• Ian Millar stands out with the most Olympic appearances, having competed in 10 Games.
• Afanasijs Kuzmins, Nino Salukvadze, and Hubert Raudaschl each competed in 9 Olympic Games.
• A group of athletes, from Paul Elvstrøm to Noriaki Kasai, participated in 8 Olympic Games.

These athletes likely span both Summer and Winter Olympics, with some sports, like equestrian events for Ian Millar, allowing for longer competitive careers.

Data-Driven Olympic Insights

The Olympics aren’t just a showcase of athletic prowess; they’re a treasure trove of data waiting to be explored.

With the Paris 2024 Olympics going on now, understanding the history and evolution of the Games can provide valuable insights into trends, performance, and the global impact of sports on everything from politics and culture to science and technology. Our analysis, created with Panel and Anaconda Notebooks, highlights these patterns, helping us see beyond the medals to the stories they tell.