ABSTRACT
Analysing national sports systems is key to understanding the governance framework, resource potential (financial, human, material) and degree of professionalisation that international sports organisations can call upon at the national level. Indeed, policies drawn up within national sports systems shape the way the IOC, international federations and commercial operators position their events and their actions to increase participation in sport. The quality of a country’s sports system has a profound impact on its sporting success, whether it is measured in terms of sport participation, elite athletes’ performances or the public’s general interest in sport. Finally, the ever-growing number of countries using sport to project their soft power (e.g., China, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) is shaking up the way world sport functions and threatening the West’s historical dominance. This chapter describes the main organisational models of sport found around the world and the different national sports system configurations in Europe and elsewhere around the globe. Whether a country’s sports system promotes success in international competitions depends on ten key variables, as described by the SPLISS model, as well as the country’s strategic choices.
