Weight class divisions are used in sports to ensure fair competition based on an athlete’s weight. This is common in individual sports where size or strength can be an advantage. Weight reduction practices in combat sports can be dangerous and controversial.
Weight class is a term used to describe the division of athletes based on weight in certain sports in order to compete more fairly. This is relatively common in sports where size or strength can be of great advantage. The number of weight class divisions can vary quite a bit, and there are arguments for more and fewer weight classes. Sometimes athletes can harm themselves trying to reach weight restrictions, which has caused some controversy.
Most sports with weight class divisions are individual sports where size can be a deciding factor. For example, boxing has had weight classes for a long time because bigger fighters have advantages in reach and power. Wrestling and most mixed martial arts competitions also have weight classes for the same reason.
Some other sports without direct physical contact can also be set up with weight classes. A well-known example is weightlifting, and another is running, although the latter is only done in certain competitions. Smaller people have an advantage over larger people in any running competition, regardless of their physical condition, so larger people are sometimes allowed to compete separately. Runners in the heavier weight classes are called “Clydesdales” after the oversized horse breed.
Most team sports are designed so that people of different sizes can work in different roles. For example, in baseball, larger players who are slow may thrive in less athletically oriented positions like first base, while faster players are generally positioned in the outfield. Players who are especially small tend to have more agility, making them good intermediate infielders.
In combat sports, there is a practice called “weight reduction” that some people consider very dangerous. When people lose weight, they are essentially dehydrating to meet the restrictions of a certain weight class. Most sports allow these competitors to rehydrate and gain weight prior to competition, sometimes allowing them to weigh much more than their opponents. Some people may also starve or purge to get to the right weight.
There are a couple of perceived problems associated with this practice. For one, wrestlers sometimes become dehydrated to the point of endangering their health. If this is not done exactly right, wrestlers can enter the contest with limited energy and other issues that could lead to injury. Another problem is that the weight classes are designed to make competitions fairer, and some believe that weight cutting offers unfair advantages to those who practice it.
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