Blue and white found equal in judo

By Michael Kahn

LONDON (Reuters) - The color of a judoka's suit plays no part in the outcome of a match, British researchers say.

Previous studies showing blue judo uniforms provided a competitive edge over white ones were flawed, the researchers said on Wednesday.

An examination of 501 gold-medal finals in international competitions between 1996 and 2005 showed that the color of the uniform worn by the winner was split evenly between blue and white, the study found.

"We focused on judo but the finding may have wider implications for sports in general," said Peter Dijkstra, an behavioral biologist at the University of Glasgow, who led the study. "We show there is no color association for a winning bias."

Past studies had suggested that contestants in blue had an advantage because the color was more intimidating, or that the white competitor might be more visible, allowing an opponent to better anticipate his movements.

However, Dijkstra said those studies did not take into account that higher seeded -- and therefore more skilled -- competitors wore the blue uniforms. So it made sense that they would win more often, he said.

WINNING BIAS

Previous research also looked at the loser's bracket, which could have skewed the results because competitors who lost early were likely to have less confidence and be more prone to another defeat, Dijkstra said.