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    Can a small nation be competitive in the global sporting arms race? The case of Denmark

    Storm, R.K. and Nielsen, Klaus and Thomsen, F. (2016) Can a small nation be competitive in the global sporting arms race? The case of Denmark. Managing Sport and Leisure 21 (4), pp. 181-202. ISSN 2375-0472.

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    Abstract

    In 2014, the Danish elite sport organisation, Team Danmark (TD), celebrated its 30th anniversary. TD was founded by the government in response to the country’s decline in international standings. This study examines how Denmark’s international performance has developed in the global sporting arms race since then. It analyses how a small nation can improve its international competitiveness despite stagnating funding and growing international competition. The paper argues that the establishment of TD in 1984 is a key factor behind Denmark’s success in elite sport. Measured in absolute terms, by a market share approach, and adjusted for differences in population, wealth, religion and relevant political factors, it is evident that Denmark is performing well and appears to be competitive. Denmark is now the leading nation in Scandinavia and is doing better than almost all other smaller countries in the Summer Olympic disciplines. By examining the development of Danish elite sport policies, the paper shows how the establishment of TD has created an elite sport structure that has helped Denmark to bounce back from its previous decline.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis, available online at the link above.
    Keyword(s) / Subject(s): Summer Olympic Games, global sporting arms race, Team Danmark, elite sport systems, medal standings, SPLISS study
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School
    Research Centres and Institutes: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, Innovation Management Research, Birkbeck Centre for
    Depositing User: Klaus Nielsen
    Date Deposited: 07 Mar 2017 11:50
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:31
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/18296

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