Digital transformation of Russian sport organizations: a cross-case analysis

Relevance. Digital transformation of Russian sports organizations is an important area of state policy and management in the field of physical culture and sports. Despite the growing number of technological solutions and research into the real problems of the sports industry, there are few successful digitalization practices in Russian sports organizations. Aim. To identify common patterns, problem areas, and typical solutions for digital transformation of Russian sports organizations based on the analysis of practice-oriented projects from 2021 to 2026. Methods. The study is based on a secondary analysis of seven cases in the final qualifying papers of students of the programs of the Russian International Olympic University. Thematic analysis, typologization of problems (process, communication, motivational, infrastructural), cross-case comparison and content analysis of key terms are applied. Results. The dominant problem is manual accounting and paper document management. The portfolio of solutions offered remains unchanged: CRM systems, websites with personal accounts, government information systems. The evolution of digital transformation priorities has been recorded: from basic accounting automation in 2021-2022 to personalization of services, ensuring transparency, fairness and user trust in 2025-2026. The level of digital maturity of organizations remains mostly at the initial level. Conclusions. The proposed typology of problems and the portfolio of solutions can be used for diagnosing digital maturity and planning changes in organisations. Digital transformation in the Russian sports sector is evolving from accounting automation toward enhancing the legitimacy of management decisions.