Anthropometric profile of the top-class female handball players participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Abstract Study aim: The aim of this study was to try to determine the factors that differentiate the height, weight, BMI, and age of high-level female handball players participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Material and methods: The recorded study material was analyzed in the context of the position in the game, RAE, the continental location of the represented country, and geographical region. Statistical tests were used: Student’s t-test, ANOVA using the b-Tuckey post-hoc test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The results show that the position of the game differentiates the height and body mass, and the effect size is large. Differences occur for all positions in the game. Interactions were shown within the body weight, BMI, and age of the athletes. The highest average heights, weights, and BMIs are found in female players playing in the pivot, while the lowest are found in right wing. Conclusion: The factors that most strongly differentiate the height and weight of female players are the nominal position in the handball game. Center backcourt players are characterized by lower height and weight values than left back players, so it is necessary to determine average values separately for the mentioned positions in future analyses. The results indicate the presence of numerous interactions involving RAE, which indicates a substantive need for studies at other levels of play to confirm their occurrence.