About Laboratory
The Laboratory of Sport Studies (LSS) is engaged in theoretical research and data analysis in the sports industry. The main research areas of the laboratory include:
- the search for optimal strategies for the behaviour of players and teams during a match
- economic and financial regulation of the transfer market
- predicting the outcomes of matches and competitions
- optimal competition calendar drafts
- tournament rule design
and more.
Preliminary Defence of Nikolai Avkhimovich's Candidate of Sciences (PhD) Dissertation
On September 1, 2026, the joint seminar of the Laboratory of Sports Studies and the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy will host the preliminary defence of Nikolai Avkhimovich's dissertation for the Candidate of Sciences (PhD) degree, titled "Strategic Team Formation".
Anastasia Kolupaeva and Ekaterina Lodneva Presented at IFORS 2026
One of the leading conferences in operational research took place in Vienna on July 12–17, 2026. Two papers in the 'Operational Research in Sports' session were presented by research assistants from the Laboratory of Sports Studies.
Laboratory of Sports Studies Researchers Presented at 1st Central Asia Conference on Sports Science
The First Central Asia Conference on Sports Science took place at New Uzbekistan University on April 28–30, 2026. Researchers from the Laboratory of Sports Studies presented five papers at the event.
Nikolai Avkhimovich, Laboratory of Sports Studies Alumnus, Publishes an Article in Journal of Sports Economics
The paper 'Do the Coaches Adapt to Tournament Importance? Strategic Choice of Starting Squads in National Football Teams' shows that national football team coaches take a strategic approach to squad age when selecting starting lineups for tournaments of varying importance: on average, more experienced players are chosen for higher-stakes competitions.
300th Anniversary Seminar: 10 Sports Studies from 2025 Worth Your Attention
The Laboratory of Sports Studies invites everyone to its 300th anniversary seminar, taking place on February 9 at 19:40 in room N509.
Laboratory of Sports Studies Opens Position for Russian Postdoctoral Fellow
The Laboratory of Sports Studies has an open position for a Research Fellow (postdoctoral fellow) to work on research related to 'Humans vs AI in Sport'.
Laboratory of Sports Studies Research Assistants Presented at the European Sport Economics Association Conference
The 16th Conference of the European Sport Economics Association took place in Innsbruck, Austria, on August 27–29, 2025. Sabina Kosimova, Ekaterina Lodneva, and Andrei Smirnov presented the results of their research at the conference.
Laboratory of Sports Studies Presents 5 Papers at MathSport International 2025
Researchers from the Laboratory of Sports Studies presented their work at the major MathSport International conference, held at the University of Luxembourg.
Esports Players Play Better Online
In competitions, esports players, like other athletes, face stress and show worse results due to pressure. A substantial decrease takes place in the performance of esports players during overtime. This effect, however, is significantly mitigated in online competitions compared to live events—the difference can reach 30%. A study by a team of authors from HSE University’s Moscow and Perm campuses and European University Viadrina (Germany) explores the phenomenon of choking under pressure within the context of esports. The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.