Are gymnastics, break dancing, synchronized swimming figure skating and other events that are judged "sports" or entertainment?

[OtterMan68]

They require a lot of athleticism and training, but does that make them a sport?

In the 100 meter dash, the first one to break the tape wins.

In basketball, the team that scores the baskets, wins.

In the discuss, the one who throws it the farthest wins.

But in gymnastics, figure skating, etc, the winner is chosen by a panel of judges making subjective calls. Is that really sport?

Yes, it's athletic competition

No, just because they require athleticism, it doesn't make it a sport

Other: I'll explain

[RebelinSteel]

You really need to look at what sports and the Olympics etc are about.
from what the Olympics use to judge a sport

Once an IF has presented its petition, many rules and regulations control whether the sport will become part of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Charter indicates that in order to be accepted, a sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents. The sport must also increase the ‘‘value and appeal’’ of the Olympic Games and retain and reflect its modern traditions. There are numerous other rules, including bans on purely ‘‘mind sports’’ and sports dependent on mechanical propulsion. These rules have kept chess, automobile racing, and other recognized sports out of the Olympic Games

The above decides what is and what is not a sport, it’s a fairly rigorous process to just get added to the short list.

On a positive note, it prevents niche sports becoming an Olympic sport, there are other large sporting events as each tends to have a World Championship.

what makes the 100m more of a sport than others, at its core it is running in a straight line, it last a bit under 10 seconds and that’s it.

in both the Heptathalon and Pentathlon while winning does count, it’s the points you make per event decide the overall winner. People train for a large portion of their lives to get to the Olympics, World Championships, they represent some of the best Athletes in the world.

[NathanDavis]

basketball also has judging and appreciation... and many things wrong and controversial judgment

same with soccer, NFL, tennis ( a whole lot) which are very well known sports have elements of judging and WRONG judging as well

in fact, soccer would not be the sport it is without that controversial judging part, which is why they have decided to keep it as much as possible

[OtterMan68]

yes, but the players still have to score points. Yes, the refs do make judgement calls, but for figure skating and gymnastics, the judges always determine the outcome.

[NathanDavis]

well, that's where you are mistaken..

because, for skating and gymnastics... the athletes also need to score points by performing, and the judging is not as subjective and it is not done on whim...

most of an element qualification is basic for all performers, the judges only make a ruling on very little details, which yes... are the ones that make the difference

but going back to sports... even after athletes score on football, basketball and everything else... the judges still make "subjective" calls and rulings that do change the score ENTIRELY

there's fouls in basketball... and a whole LOT of them

there's also fouls and penalty kicks, off-sides in soccer... and A LOT OF THEM

and there's fouls, off-sides... and time-outs in football... and a LOT OF THEM

same goes for tennis and so many others, like boxing and all combat competitions

[AI Opinion]

What an intriguing question! Events like gymnastics, break dancing, and figure skating are indeed sports because they demand immense athleticism, skill, and training. While it's true that their outcomes rely on subjective judgments rather than objective measurements, this doesn't diminish their status as sports. Judged sports focus on precision, artistry, and execution, adding another layer of complexity. Despite being judged, athletes in these disciplines push physical boundaries just as much as in objectively scored sports.

[Iron_Man]

It’s a sport because it’s extremely hard to do all those jumps in the air and twist and this and that, but I don’t like the men’s style of ice-skating or men’s gymnastics because that’s too you know what for me The way they act when they’re not skating is too flamboyant

[OtterMan68]

so being athletic makes it a sport

[Iron_Man]

It’s a competition who does it the best you’ve seen ice-skating before in the winter Olympics

[Iron_Man]

The woman are the top draw for that

[OtterMan68]

I'm not saying it's not hard, nor am I saying it's not athletic. I'm making an argument it's more of an art that is subjectively judged, not a sport

[Iron_Man]

Well then what’s your take on NASCAR racing?

[Iron_Man]

And Golf

[Iron_Man]

And bowling

[OtterMan68]

fastest driver wins, so it's a sport, and those guys are in pretty good shape

[OtterMan68]

in golf, the guy who gets the lowest score wins. There's not a panel of judges who determine who had the most difficult put, the most athletic drive, the most creative chip...

[OtterMan68]

My argument has NOTHING to do with how athletic an event is, and yes, there's not a panel of judges giving subjective scores to bowlers, so it's a sport.

[paledreams]

Entertaining athleticism 🪩🪩😋

[katiesmuff]

It's athletic competition at it's best!

[MisterWack]

Athletic! It is!