Field Events Analysis home - Track vs field split of entrants and medals

Track vs field events compared

What this page tests

How does GB & NI's % of medals (and entrants) that are field compare with the rest of Europe?

European and Olympic/World Championships since 2000. Field = jumps, throws and combined events.

What we found

Field is a shrinking part of the GB & NI team, and GB & NI's share of medals that are field is falling. It is now the lowest of any European country group (2024-2027), and has been in the bottom 3 in every period since 2000.

Field is 45-53% of Europe's senior entrants but only 22-31% of GB & NI's. Europe wins 62-79% of its Olympic/World medals in field; GB & NI 13% (2020-2023) and 20% (2024-2027).

Medals per entrant: in 2016-2019 track 10.0%, field 13.6%. Since then track has risen to 15.1% and 15.0%; field has fallen to 5.6% and 8.0%. Small numbers (4 field medals from 50 entrants in the current, incomplete period), but the same direction two periods running.

Scope of data used in this analysis:

  • Competition types: European Championships only, Olympic and World Championships
  • Area competition dates: 06 Aug 2002 - European Championships, München (GER) to 10 Aug 2026 - European Championships, Birmingham (GBR)
  • Olympic/World competition dates: 22 Sep 2000 - Olympic Games, Sydney (AUS) to 13 Sep 2025 - World Championships, Tokyo (JPN)
  • Events: Running (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, 100mH / 110mH, 400mH, 3000m SC), Jumping (HJ, PV, LJ, TJ), Throwing (Shot, Discus, Hammer, Javelin), Combined

Field = high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, shot, discus, hammer, javelin and the combined events (also shown separately as "of which Combined"). Relays, walks and marathon are not in the data. Shares, not counts, so team sizes compare. Europe's own medal record, not a 50/50 split of the programme, is the fair comparison. Periods hold unequal numbers of championships.

Field events as a % of entrants / medals, by period

Track/field entrants and medals 

One row per country group per period, for the scope selected above. Groups with zero entrants in a period are omitted.