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Social and Behavioral Sciences

(18) THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON WOMEN’S COLLEGIATE WEIGHTLIFING PARTICIPATION & PERFORMANCE

Thursday, July 11, 2024
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: Exhibit Hall
Abstract Details:

 



Background: The covid-19 pandemic interrupted virtually all aspects of society including collegiate sports.  The training, competition, and travel of many collegiate weightlifters were also impacted.

Purpose: The purpose of this this study was to evaluate the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the participation and performance of female collegiate weightlifters at the National University Championships.

Methods: USA Weightlifting’s archival data from the Women’s National University Championships (WNUC) from 2017 to 2023 were analyzed. Frequency, and descriptive statistics were completed.  An ANOVA was performed to determine if the Sinclair total (a measure of weightlifting performance across weight classes), differed between competition years. The years analyzed included three years leading up to 2020, and the three years that followed.

Results: A total of 758 archived female weightlifting performances (22.1±2.1 years, 65.8±12.7kg body mass) in the seven WNUC between 2017 and 2023 were evaluated.  There was a substantial drop in the number of female competitors at the WNUC in 2021.  Approximately 34% fewer women competed at the NUC in 2021 as compared to 2020.  However, there was no significant difference in the Sinclair total between the evaluated years (F(6,751)=0.901, p=0.49). The participation rate rebounded to within 5% of the pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

Conclusion: Because the 2020 WNUC was held in February, the impact of the pandemic related disruptions to training and competition were limited to the 2021 championships. Though the number of female competitors was reduced in 2021 the level of competition as indicated by the average Sinclair total was similar to that of the years that preceded and followed.  PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Though individual athletes may have been greatly impacted by the pandemic, collegiate women’s weightlifting as a whole appears to have rebounded quickly from pandemic related disruptions.

Acknowledgements: None