Migration in sport wrestling: analysis of performances at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Purpose: to analyze the achievements of migrant wrestlers at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Material and methods.The following methods are used in the research: analysis of scientific and methodical sources, analysis of the results of sportsmen's performances and methods of mathematical statistics. The study was conducted to analyze the number of migrant athletes, their results in competitions, as well as age and weight characteristics in each style of wrestling (women's wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling). The data is taken from the official website «United World of Wrestling» (https://unitedworldwrestling.org). The percentage of migrants, their average age, weight categories and places they occupied were analyzed, with further processing of statistical indicators to identify patterns in their performance. Results: the results of the study showed that 34 migrant athletes participated in the 2024 Olympic Games, with the largest number (24,0 %) observed in freestyle wrestling, while the figure was the lowest in women's wrestling at 2,1 %. The analysis also found that migrant athletes have an average age of 29,5 years, indicating their experience.Almost a third of them won prizes, in particular, 8,8 % became winners, and 29,4 % won prizes. Despite the high achievements, 35,3 % of the athletes ranked 10 and below, which indicates a wide variety of results among migrants. A comparison with previous studies confirmed the tendency of athletes to change their citizenship after the peak of their career. Migrant athletes aged 24-27 make up the largest group, indicating their strategy to achieve international success after achieving the best results in their careers. Conclusions. Migrant athletes participating in the 2024 Olympic Games showed a high level of results, especially in freestyle wrestling. Their participation and success confirm that changing citizenship is an important strategy for further achievements in international competitions, especially after the peak period of a sports career.