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Who are the champions? Inequality, economic freedom and the Olympics

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  • Kufenko, Vadim
  • Geloso, Vincent

Abstract

Does inequality affect outcomes? To answer, we use the microcosm of Olympic competitions by asking whether a country's level of inequality diminishes its performance. If it does, is it conditional on institutional factors? We argue that the ability of economically free societies to win medals will not be affected by inequality. In these societies, institutions generate incentives to invest in the talents of individuals at the bottom of the income distribution (potential athletes otherwise constrained in the ability to expend resources on training). These effects mitigate those of inequality. The incentives that promote investments in skills across the income distribution are weaker in unfree societies and they cannot mitigate the effects of inequality. Using the Olympics of 2016 in combination with the Economic Freedom data, we find that inequality only matters in determining medal numbers for unfree countries. We link these results to inequality and its effects on economic outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kufenko, Vadim & Geloso, Vincent, 2021. "Who are the champions? Inequality, economic freedom and the Olympics," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 411-427, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:17:y:2021:i:3:p:411-427_4
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. What sport can tell us about inequality
      by Johan Fourie in Johan Fourie's Blog on 2020-11-23 06:00:49

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kutuk, Yasin, 2022. "Inequality convergence: A world-systems theory approach," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 150-165.
    2. Anna Bykova & Dennis Coates, 2022. "Professional team sporting success: do economic and personal freedom provide competitive advantages?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 323-358, December.
    3. Deniz, Pinar & Stengos, Thanasis, 2025. "Heterogeneity of institutions and model uncertainty in the income inequality nexus," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Franklin G. Mixon Jr. & Richard J. Cebula, 2022. "Property Rights Freedom and Innovation: Eponymous Skills in Women's Gymnastics," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(4), pages 407-430, May.
    5. Antonis Tsitouras & Harry Papapanagos, 2025. "The relationships between economic freedom, income inequality, and economic growth: empirical evidence from an asymmetric analysis in the case of Greece," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 24(3), pages 419-454, September.
    6. Le, Thanh & Vu Bich, Ngoc & Mai, Sau, 2023. "Frontier academic research in OECD countries: the role of institutional factors," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(4), pages 526-547, August.
    7. Justin T. Callais & Vincent Geloso, 2023. "Intergenerational income mobility and economic freedom," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(3), pages 732-753, January.
    8. Daryna Grechyna & Viktor Grechyn, 2025. "Economic Inequality and Convergence Through the Lens of Two Sports," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 26(8), pages 994-1017, December.
    9. David E. Bloom & Victoria Y. Fan & Vadim Kufenko & Osondu Ogbuoji & Klaus Prettner & Gavin Yamey, 2021. "Going beyond GDP with a parsimonious indicator: inequality-adjusted healthy lifetime income," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 127-140.
    10. Callais, Justin & Geloso, Vincent, 2024. "Wealth generation: How to boost income mobility in the UK," IEA Discussion Papers 122, Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth

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