Relative Age Effect in Olympic Karate: Evidence from Tokyo 2020.

ABSTRACT: Background: The Relative Age Effect (RAE) refers to the advantage conferred to athletes born earlier within a selection year. In karate, particularly at the highest level, evidence is lacking. This study aimed to examine the presence of RAE among male and female karate athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in two competitive disciplines: kata and kumite. Methods: Data from 81 athletes (42 males, 39 females) were retrieved from open-access databases. Birthdates were grouped into quartiles (Q1-Q4) and semesters (S1-S2). Chi-squared tests and odds ratios (ORs) were used to assess deviations from a uniform distribution, while binary logistic regression examined the association between semester of birth and medal attainment. Results: The overall distribution o

SUBMITTER: Serafini S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12641906 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature