Paris Saint-Germain and Ecole Polytechnique launch the "Sports Analytic Challenge" to reveal the next sports performance superstar
Today, Paris Saint-Germain and École Polytechnique launch the “Sports Analytics Challenge”, an elite project that invites candidates from all over the world to take part in a data science and sports performance challenge. This project, which associates a world-class teaching and research establishment with a top-level sports club, is a unique and innovative idea for exploring the ways in which big data can be used to improve sports performance. At the end of this challenge, the first of its kind, the winning data analyst will join École Polytechnique to work in close collaboration with Paris Saint-Germain.
Algorithms for analyzing and improving performance
Over a ten-week period, participants will be asked to study the OPTA data provided and answer questions from the Club’s experts about sports performance. They must demonstrate their ability to respond to these questions by developing algorithms that generate the raw data for recommendations that could help optimize the sports performance of the Club’s first team.
Following this selection process, five finalists will be invited to present their project to Paris Saint-Germain experts and École Polytechnique researchers during the second edition of “Striving for Excellence”, the Club’s international conference dedicated to sports performance, which will be held at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on May 20-21, 2019 and attended by around a hundred world-renowned experts and researchers.
A exclusive job combining academic and sporting excellence
The most brilliant analyst, whose project manages to impress the judges and fulfils all of their requirements, will be awarded a grant from the Club to carry out a research project in École Polytechnique’s Centre for Applied Mathematics (CMAP – Joint Research Laboratory between the CNRS and École Polytechnique). With the help of this grant, the winning student will be able to dedicate their time to analyzing the Club’s sports performance data, and might well revolutionize the Club’s performance analysis methods.
Since 2011, Paris Saint-Germain have made innovation a strategic cornerstone for the Club’s development. Their Performance Department, created in 2012, works with the first team to analyze their game data and identify the keys to sporting success. The Club also aims to be a pioneer in terms of technology and digital transformation. The innovations recently adopted include: Digital Overlay technology rolled out in the Parc des Princes stadium thanks to partner AIM Sports, a dedicated application on Google Assistant, and the launch of an innovative blockchain strategy with socios.com.
In 2018, École Polytechnique embarked on an ambitious project to carry out top-level scientific research in the fields of sports and parasports, in view of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their aim is to become a worldwide leader in these fields, by developing scientific collaborations with the best academic institutions and joining forces with elite sports partners.
Click here for more information about this challenge.
MEDIA CONTACTS
ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE
Clémence Naizet Raphaël de Rasilly
+ 33 1 69 33 38 74 / + 33 6 65 43 60 90 + 33 1 69 33 38 97 / + 33 6 69 14 51 56
clemence.naizet@polytechnique.edu raphael.de-rasilly@polytechnique.edu
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Nicolas Serres
+ 33 6 58 22 44 23
nserres@psg.fr
ABOUT ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE / École Polytechnique, also known as L’X, is the leading French institution combining top-level research, academics, and innovation at the cutting-edge of science and technology. Its various undergraduate and graduate-level programs – Bachelor of Science, Ingénieur Polytechnicien (Master’s level program), Master’s, and PhD – are highly selective and promote a culture of excellence with a strong emphasis on science, anchored in humanist traditions. As a widely internationalized university, École Polytechnique offers a variety of international programs and attracts a growing number of foreign students and researchers from around the globe (currently 36% of students and 39% of faculty members).
École Polytechnique offers an exceptional education to prepare bright men and women to excel in top-level key positions and lead complex and innovative projects which meet the challenges of 21st century society, all while maintaining a keen sense of their civil and social responsibilities. With its 23 laboratories, 22 of which are joint research units with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the École Polytechnique Research Center explores the frontiers of interdisciplinary knowledge to provide major contributions to science, technology, and society. École Polytechnique is also a pioneer and leading institution of the major scientific and economic cluster, Paris-Saclay, bringing together top French higher education and research institutions, as well as R&D centers of prominent international companies.
ABOUT PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN / Since 2011, Paris Saint-Germain has grown to become one of the most successful and attractive sports clubs in the world. Innovation is at the heart of the Club’s development strategy. Since 2012, their Sports Performance Department has worked with the first team to analyse their game data and identify the keys to the Club’s sporting success. Constantly breaking ground in the field of sport, Paris Saint-Germain are further innovating with the launch of the "Sports Analytics Challenge", an elite project based around data science. In partnership with École Polytechnique, this project will enable a highly talented analyst, chosen by way of an extremely rigorous selection process, to join École Polytechnique’s Centre for Applied Mathematics (CMAP – Joint Research Laboratory between the CNRS and École Polytechnique). For one year, the chosen student will focus on analysing the Club’s sports performance data, and might well revolutionise their training methods.
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