Sports Study Potas: Why the rowers have to worry about the promotion

The German Badminton Federation (DBV) surprisingly occupies the top spot in the most recent potential analysis PotAS, in which the 26 German Olympic summer sports federations were examined. Both in the assessment of its structure (PotAS value: 97.12) and in the question of the cadre potential (value: 100) the association received top marks. On the other hand, it looks bad for the rowers.

With the help of the work of the PotAS Commission, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) want to determine more systematically which associations are suitable for a stronger promotion of the reform of the German top sport. For this, the associations had to answer a catalog of 132 questions. Sporting success, according to the idea, should no longer be the exclusive criterion for the distribution of subsidies.

This also explains why German badminton players, who could not win a medal at the Olympics, are at the top of the league. The situation is quite different at the bottom of the analysis: Although the German rowers at the recent Olympic Games in Rio 2016 with two gold and one silver were among the most successful athletes, the German Rowing Association (DRV) with 61.69 points in the structural Assessment of the last and with 67.09 points in the question of the cadre potential a back rank.

Also far behind in the ranking is the German Tennis Federation (DTB), which achieved disappointing results with a 24th and a 25th place.

The evaluation of the individual disciplines was not flattering for the DRV: Among 103 disciplines scored the five rowing classes landed very far back in the field and were undercut only by the synchronized swimmers of the German Swimming Federation DSV.

Tokyo 2020 lets rowers hope

The Potential Analysis was first introduced in May 2017 and has already been used by the Olympic Winter Sports Federations and disciplines. Here the surprises were limited: The bobsleigh and sledge federation as well as the ski federation, both last very successfully in Pyeongchang, were ahead in the ranking. The Curling Association and the Skating Union, both clearly less conspicuous in competition results, finished in the rear.

However, the good results of the more medal-loving winter sports associations give hope to their counterparts in the summer sports federations. After all, only two out of three categories have been evaluated in the PotAS analysis so far. The third, the sporting success, will be added - but only after the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer.

The PotAS has been criticized since the beginning. Tedious processes and lack of transparency have been criticized since the decision on plans for a funding reform. Overall, however, the DOSB received about 100 million euros more in funding from tax revenue over the past three years through its reform plans.