An Analysis of Sports Career Development in the 400-metre Dash

One of the indicators of an optimally conducted training process is the athlete's achievement of sports success in all age categories. The analysis of sports career development is helpful in determining the periods of maximizing and maintaining sports results, but also in choosing the development path leading to the achievement of top-level results at the senior age. The aim of the study was to assess the development of sports championship in the 400-metre dash, comprising sports careers of 400 m medalists of the World Cadet and Junior Championships and European Junior Championships in the most important sports events in the senior age category, namely the European Championships, World Athletics Indoor Championships, World Championships, and the Olympic Games. The analysis involved a group of 69 male and 69 female medalists of the European Junior Championships, 27 male and 27 female medalists of the World Youth Junior Championships as well as a group of 48 male and 48 female medalists of the World Junior Championships in the 400 m. The research revealed that from 4% to 7% of the World Cadet Championships medalists and 1-3% of the male and 4-6% of the female medalists of the European Junior Championships achieved their highest sports success by winning medals at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. 6% to 10% of the studied World Junior Championships male medalists were successful in the World Championships. Among the World Championships female medalists, 12% won medals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, 6% won medals at the World Championships, and 2% won the Olympic Games medals.