The Developmental Pathways among Elite and Sub-Elite Collegiate Track & Field Athletes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the developmental pathway of elite and sub-elite Malaysian university track and field athletes. The study utilized a retrospective methodology using the Participation History Questionnaire on 54 collegiate track and field athletes. The elite group consisted of 15 males and 12 females chosen to represent Malaysia in the 2022 ASEAN University Games in Thailand. The sub-elite group included 14 males and 13 females who only represented their universities in similar sports. There was a significant age difference at the start of training, with sub-elites starting earlier than elite athletes. Similarly, sub-elites began representing their states at a younger age compared to elites. Furthermore, the sub-elite athletes started representing their universities earlier than the elite athletes. For the 20-28-year-old age range, the elite athletes had accumulated more hours in their structured activities than the sub-elites. However, as for the unstructured activities, there were no significant differences among the elite and sub-elite athletes. The findings showcased that during the sampling, the sub-elite athletes demonstrated a pronounced inclination toward early specialisation in their sport. Contrarily, the elite athletes engaged in the early diversification pathway and foundational skill acquisition over intensive training during their nascent years.