Generic handicapping for paralympic sports
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Class handicapping methods enable different classes of athletes to compete on equal terms. Different sports use a variety of algorithms, which are usually based on historical data and subjective opinions. A recent proposal is to use an interactive shrinkage method for class handicapping, as this is generic across sports and uses data from the current competition only. This article presents a mathematical justification of the interactive shrinkage method for class handicapping, based on an objective Bayesian analysis of a suitable probability model. It also investigates how this approach performs in the context of paralympic sports, by analyzing actual competition data and comparing the results with those from existing schemes. Our findings suggest that this method is robust, convenient and fair. We provide a discussion in this article to explore possible extensions of this procedure.
Author: D. F. Percy
Institution: University of Salford
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2014126521