Why Are Two Bronze Medals Awarded in Combat Sports?

Maybe some of you may have just heard of this. The truth is that, Normally, three medals are awarded, but in combat sports, four athletes are awarded medals.

Moreover, this tradition It’s been going on since the 1950s!

This practice, which has been carried out since 1952, is quite common due to the single-elimination tournament format of combat sports.

Athletes in various combat sports, can win two bronze medals. The athletes who lose in the final compete for the gold and silver medals, while the two athletes who lose in the semi-finals are awarded bronze medals. In this way, it is ensured that both athletes win the bronze medal without a match for third place.

This application It is valid in many combat sports such as judo, wrestling, boxing and taekwondo. The reason why two bronze medals are awarded in combat sports is that these sports are generally organized with a direct elimination system.

In the direct elimination system, once an athlete loses, he is eliminated and does not compete in any other competition except the final match.

This system is actually the amount that athletes receive per match. It aims to reduce physical and mental load. Not having a bronze medal match allows the tournament to end without increasing the fatigue levels of the athletes.

In other sports, it is more common to organize additional matches, such as the third-place match. Because these matches are in line with the longer tournament durations and less intense match schedules that are more common in team sports. Besides in terms of health or performance It wouldn’t be a major concern either.

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