New Zealand sportiest nation on earth in 2016

It is New Zealand’s second victory in nine Per Capita Cup editions, equalling the record of Slovenia and Norway, while Jamaica have won it three times.

It is perhaps no coincidence that New Zealand’s previous victory came in another Olympic year, 2012. Their success is based on very different factors from those that for example lead Jamaica to three Per Capita Cup titles, above all a sporting versatility few other countries have.

 

While 98.3% of the points earned by second-placed Jamaica came from one single sport, Athletics, New Zealand has actually scored points in 19 sports as diverse as Rugby Union (their top point-earner), Rowing, Softball or Trampoline. And while third-placed Norway also went for variety, scoring points in 18 different sports, their range was somewhat more limited, as 61.7% of their points came, unsurprisingly, from Winter Sports.

 

Another confirmation of New Zealand’s diverse and extensive sporting talent is the fact they matched their Per Capita Cup victory with a top-20 finish in the Global Cup, in which they ranked 18^th, just ahead of Norway (in comparison, Jamaica finished only 33^rd in the Global Cup). The Kiwis didn’t win any sport outright, while Norway won two (Alpine and Cross Country Skiing) but their range was enough to give them the Per Capita Cup victory.

 

New Zealand even came second in the ranking based on the sum of the Global and Per Capita positions (the lowest combined position counting as best) of those nations which made the remarkable double of reaching the top 20 in both the Global and Per Capita Cups, as the table below shows.

Amazingly, given their population, the USA came first in this ranking too!