There’s often an argument made in athletics about which activities can truly hold the coveted title of a “sport”. Usually the most heated debates center around judged sports, such as diving, all-star cheerleading, figure skating and gymnastics.
These are all sports where, instead of trying to earn the most points, run the fastest, or jump the highest, the winner is based on who can be most perfect.
In such a case, the winner cannot be decided by a timer or scoreboard. Athletes are scored by a set of trained judges who look for errors in the performance. This means the competition cannot ever be entirely objective because there is an element where discrepancies can occur.
Some like to argue, because of this potential bias, judged sports should not be labeled as such. They are simply ‘activities’ meant for viewing and aesthetic entertainment. This is an unrealistic view of sports culture that is frankly disrespectful to hard-working athletes.
The definition of a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another for entertainment,”. Some feel that when a competition’s winner is not determined in an entirely objective way, it nullifies the purpose of the competition.
I will be the first to tell you that the judging in aesthetic sports is in no way objective. Some judges score people higher for having long lines and extension, while others might penalize the hardest for flexed feet. Some judges even prefer certain body types. Still, I think that disqualifying them as a sport does an injustice to the athletes who put in countless hours of training and dedication.