Age-Related Performance in Taekwondo Athletes with Physical Disabilities: An Analysis of the Paralympic Games

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

This study investigated age-related performance in Para taekwondo athletes across two Paralympic Games editions, Tokyo 2020 + 1 and Paris 2024, examining potential differences according to Paralympic edition, sex, and competitive achievement. Data were obtained from the official results books of the Paralympic Games and included 192 Paralympic participation records, comprising 95 female and 97 male records. Age-related performance was analyzed according to Paralympic edition, sex, and competitive achievement, classified as medallist or non-medallist. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare age differences between groups, while chi-square (χ²) tests of independence were applied to examine the distribution of athletes across age categories (≤ 20, 21–25, 26–30, and ≥ 31 years). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Female athletes were younger than male athletes at Paralympic participation (26 vs. 28 years; U = 3765.00, p = 0.028). No significant differences were observed between Paralympic editions (27 years for both; U = 4128.50, p = 0.653) or between medallists and non-medallists (26 vs. 28 years; U = 3395.50, p = 0.053). The distribution of athletes across age groups was similar for both sexes (χ²(3) = 5.71, p = 0.126) and competitive achievement levels (χ²(3) = 4.89, p = 0.180). Age differed by sex, whereas no significant age differences were observed according to competitive achievement or Paralympic edition. Overall, the age profile of Para taekwondo athletes at the Paralympic Games was concentrated in the late twenties, with female athletes showing a younger age profile than males, suggesting a consistent age pattern in this Paralympic combat sport.