15 Countries That Produce the Best Athletes

The 20 countries that produce the best athletes have a lot going for them when it comes to global competition. Maybe there’s something in the water…

Spain

Believe it or not, Spain’s basketball team has been a dominant group for a little while. Their planning and execution to create superior athletes have worked quite well over the years.

Hungary

Despite having a smaller population, this country has excelled in winning Olympic medals. Over the last 3 Olympics, the country has boasted roughly 50 medals.

New Zealand

In terms of population, New Zealand is a rather small place, but it somehow produces some of the greatest athletes in the world. Hey, I’m an All Blacks fan, and I believe it.

Brazil

In Latin America, this country boasts the best track record, and that’s amazing. But they’ve also been quite dominant in the sports world overall.

Netherlands

There’s a reason why some people nod in appreciation or awe when the Netherlands comes around in the Olympics. They produce some of the world’s greatest athletes thanks to the fact that their government goes to great lengths to aid in their development.

South Korea

This country has produced some of the best athletes in the world for many years. Recently they’ve produced a lot of esports individuals, but they’re still keeping pace with traditional sports.

Italy

As one of the many countries where sports have a long, long history, it’s not at all surprising that some of the best athletes come from this part of the world. In terms of football, or soccer as we know it in the USA, they’re one of the absolute best.

France

France has been a huge part of the sporting world for a long time. Not only have they been champions in more than one event, but they’ve been one of the mainstays of the Olympics for a long time.

Australia

Strangely, a lot of people don’t think that much about Australia when it comes to the overall superpowers of the sporting world. But in terms of their accomplishments, they’ve done quite a bit.

Germany

Sadly, the events of WWII still haunt this country when it comes to the Olympics. But thankfully, their skill and place in the sports world is still strong and well-earned.

Japan

Having an advanced economy and a large amount of wealth does help to produce some of the best athletes. Not only that, but a culture that demands excellence goes a long way to producing results.

Great Britain

The top 5 countries in the world make it clear that excelling in one event isn’t quite enough, and Great Britain makes the point without fail. The best athletes from this country have done more than enough to prove that their country deserves to be at the top.

Russia

Supremacy in sports or anything has been the Russian way for a long time. It’s true, that the country is not quite the same as it used to be, but it still produces exceptional athletes.

China

It might sound dodgy, but having such a massive population made it possible to field as many athletes as possible and start winning by sheer numbers. These days it’s not quite the same, but the need for excellence is still in full effect.

United States of America

It can easily be stated that the USA benefits from being composed of many different athletes who originated or immigrated from many different nations. But what can also be said is that there is a great deal of national pride that goes into playing for any team in the USA.