Abstract
This study was conducted to determine whether the relative age effect (RAE) is present in different age groups, weight categories, sexes, and across different time frames in international-level judo competition. A total of 9451 judo athletes competing at the Olympic Games and/or World Championships in the Cadet, Junior and/or Senior age groups between 1993 and 2020 were considered. Athletes' birthdate distributions were grouped in four quartiles (Q1: January-March; Q2: April-June; Q3: July-September; Q4: October-December) and compared to a day-corrected theoretical distribution using Chi-squared analysis. Poisson regression was also used to evaluate the ability to explain weekly birth count. RAE was more prevalent in males than females (p < .05), and for Cadets and Juniors compared to Seniors (p < .05). Heavyweight and middleweight categories presented RAEs in Senior and Junior males, while for females it was present in Cadet heavyweights (p < .05). RAE was more prevalent in recent years (2009-2021) for Senior male judo athletes (p < .05). Poisson analysis illustrated some nuanced information, including RAE detection during an earlier time frame, not readily apparent with the traditional analysis.
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