<span lang="EN-US">Performance measurement in Judo usually focuses on some KPIs whose values indicate the final performance of the athlete. This paper deals with firstly identifying which these main KPIs in Judo are. Once this is done, the KPIs are classified into four different clusters: Physical training, specific training, Psychology and Lifestyle. Then, it proposes the multi-criteria decision aim technique of Analytic Network Process as the most indicate one to link not only the impact of the Judo KPIs with the achievement of the judoka’s strategic objectives but also to identify both the relative and the global importance of each of these KPIs. </span>

Judo is a multifactorial sport where many variables or key performance indicators (KPIs) such as force-velocity profile, bioenergetic capacity, technical and tactical skills, and cognitive and emotional competence play a role and influence the final result. While there have been many academic studies of these variables, usually in isolation, none have examined KPIs holistically or analyzed their impact on strategic performance. The main objective of the present study, therefore, is to apply a novel and easily replicable methodology to identify and prioritize the main KPIs affecting performance in professional judo. Such a methodology was applied to the High-Performance Judo Centre of Valencia, using a multi-criteria decision aid technique: the analytic network process (ANP). The ANP is used to identify and quantify cause and effect relationships not only between KPIs but also between KPIs and performance objectives. Further, the ANP offers effective results when there is a lack of historical KPI data, because it is based on experts' opinions and judgments. A judo expert group (JEG) comprising elite judo coaches and half-lightweight (under 66 kg) male judokas applied the methodology to discriminate between the characteristics required when aiming to reach high-level strategic objectives (such as participating in the Olympic Games or winning a medal in a Grand Slam/Gran Prix). The JEG, which consisted of five elite judokas, national and international champions, and three Olympic coaches—including a former European champion and silver medalist in a world championship—provided high added value to the study. The main findings were that the KPIs that made the most difference were mostly psychological, specifically motivation, stress, and team cohesion. Of these, motivation was by far the most important KPI for success in our case study, so judokas should make sure that they analyze it properly. Motivation is usually intrinsic to the competitor and should be maintained at a high level, not only during tournaments but also during daily training and lifestyle activities. Physical and other specific forms of training, as well as lifestyle KPIs, are very important for the elite competitor but are not sufficient to reach high-level objectives. The most important of these KPIs were Kumi-Kata (grip work), dual career, focus and concentration level, scouting, nutrition, and basic technique. Power and strength were the most important physical KPIs. In general, these are essential for meeting strategic objectives, but they do not make the crucial difference. This suggests that professional psychological support should be provided in daily training and that international team composition and internships should be fostered.

Judo is a complex sport where many multidisciplinary key variables, i.e. strength, power, speed, technical and tactical abilities, motivation or estrés management, which have a significant impact on the final result of combats have been identified. However, these studies have usually focused on either only one or a few variables from the same ambit instead of considering a full set of heterogeneous multidisciplinary variables at the same time, which are of different ambits such as physical, tactical-technical, psychological or lifestyle and, at the same time, assessing their impact over judokas' performance.Additionally, once these multidisciplinary variables are identified, it is a complex process to determine which ones are directly linked with the capacity of the athlete for reaching his/her strategic objectives, which can be defined as the main medium-long term strategic goals (i.e. to get the classification for the Olympic Games) and which, therefore, condition the judoka´s efforts and planning.Then, this Doctoral PhD Thesis develops a methodological proposal for identifying, priorisiting and quantifying the impact of a set of multidisciplinary variables on the strategic performance of judokas, providing a more complete and global vision and, extensively, valuable additional information to make important decisions such as designing training plans or planning the competitions calendar. To this end, a Multi-Criteria Decision Technique, the Analytic Network Proces, is applied, which allows to jointly evaluate and quantify such a set of multidisciplinary variables, which are heterogeneous and which many of them lack of historical data and whose impact on the judoka's performance is very difficult to determine. In this sense, it is also necessary to take into account the existence of other type of relationship, the inter-relationships between the multidisciplinary variables, which should also be assessed. Then the next relationships between variables are considered:  Relationships between a set of multidisciplinary variables of judo that are affecting to the judoka's performance. Inter-relationships between the judo multidisciplinary variables. Inter-relationships between the strategic objectives that represent the judoka's performance.Therefore, this Doctoral PhD Thesis is structured as follows: In Chapter 1, the approach and structure are presented.