Int J Sports Med 2015; 36(11): 935-940
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1548887
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Talent in Female Gymnastics: a Survival Analysis Based upon Performance Characteristics

J. Pion
1   Ghent University, Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
,
M. Lenoir
1   Ghent University, Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
,
B. Vandorpe
1   Ghent University, Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
,
V. Segers
1   Ghent University, Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
› Institutsangaben
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Publikationsverlauf



accepted after revision 13. März 2015

Publikationsdatum:
24. Juli 2015 (online)

Abstract

This study investigated the link between the anthropometric, physical and motor characteristics assessed during talent identification and dropout in young female gymnasts. 3 cohorts of female gymnasts (n=243; 6–9 years) completed a test battery for talent identification. Performance-levels were monitored over 5 years of competition. Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses were conducted to determine the survival rate and the characteristics that influence dropout respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that only 18% of the female gymnasts that passed the baseline talent identification test survived at the highest competition level 5 years later. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model indicated that gymnasts with a score in the best quartile for a specific characteristic significantly increased chances of survival by 45–129%. These characteristics being: basic motor skills (129%), shoulder strength (96%), leg strength (53%) and 3 gross motor coordination items (45–73%). These results suggest that tests batteries commonly used for talent identification in young female gymnasts may also provide valuable insights into future dropout. Therefore, multidimensional test batteries deserve a prominent place in the selection process. The individual test results should encourage trainers to invest in an early development of basic physical and motor characteristics to prevent attrition.

Supplementary Material

 
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