Skip to content
Product cover

Team GB: Using Analytics (and Intuition) to Improve Performance

March 5, 2013 | Renee Boucher Ferguson | Data, AI, & Machine Learning

Becoming an elite athlete — or coaching a team of this rarified breed — has as much to do with talent and skill as it does with experience and intuition (not to mention some serious hard work).

And data is increasingly part of that mix at the highest echelon of sports: the Olympic Games.

At Team GB — the name used by the British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association for their Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team — analytics are used to both monitor the performance of athletes and to predict how well a team will perform. But what could the future hold? Evidence-based coaching — and training — that is as much a factor of sports as evidence-based medicine is now a factor of healthcare.

That transition is easier said than done. The blending of the age-old art of intuition and experience and the newer practice of using analytics to guide strategy is a path beset with both successes and challenges (in sports and in business).

Dr. Marco Cardinale, Head of Sports Science and Research of the British Olympic Association, in conversation with MIT Sloan Management Review contributing editor Renee Boucher Ferguson, explains how data analytics are used within Team GB, the future of analytics within the team and the sporting world at large and the cultural issues that need to be overcome to achieve the potential of analytics.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0004
My Controller Construct  0.0004
Build Nav  0.0015
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.2668
Total Execution Time  0.2672
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5621 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/team-gb-using-analytics-and-intuition-to-improve-performance
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0248  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0012  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0020  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0019  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'af814e298555ec077c6324cd5aba2499'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0102  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'team-gb-using-analytics-and-intuition-to-improve-performance'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0419  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'team-gb-using-analytics-and-intuition-to-improve-performance' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'team-gb-using-analytics-and-intuition-to-improve-performance'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  2907 
0.0010  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '2907' 
0.0086  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '2907'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0020  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2907' 
0.0024  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2907' 
0.0045  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2907'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0414  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('276') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0009  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '701'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3943'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3049'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3433'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0039  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3497'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4191'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0067  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2907'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0008  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '1328' 
0.0021  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0017  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '1328' 
0.0016  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2907'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '2907'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0001  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '2908'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2908'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '2907'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0027  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0012  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0041  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)