Everything about Sportsperson totally explained
A
sportsperson (
British and
American English) or
athlete (principally American English) is any person who participates regularly in a
sport.
Athletes can be
professional (paid) or amateur (unpaid). A superior athlete is one who has above average physical skills (
strength,
agility, and
endurance) and is thus more suited for physical competition. An
Ancient Greek word for "contest" was
athlos, and those competing in early Greek games were called athletes.
Most professional athletes have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise accompanied by a strict dietary regimen.
Terminology
Athlete and sportsperson can be used to refer to athletes of either sex, while sportsman and sportswoman refer to men and women, respectively.
All-around athlete
An
all-around athlete is a person who competes in multiple sports at a high level, for instance someone who plays both
basketball and
baseball professionally. Examples of people who played numerous sports professionally are
Deion Sanders (male) and
Babe Zaharias (female)as well as Ricky Williams, Bo Jackson, and Damon Allen (all of whom were drafted by both the Major League Baseball and professional football leagues - NFL and CFL).
World's Greatest Athlete
The title of "
World's Greatest Athlete" traditionally belongs to the world's top competitor in the
Decathlon (males) and
Heptathlon (females) in
Track and Field. The
decathlon (for males) consists of 10 events:
100 meters,
long jump,
shot put,
high jump,
400 meters,
110 m hurdles,
discus,
pole vault,
javelin, and
1500 m. The
heptathlon (for females) consists of 7 events: the
100 m hurdles,
high jump,
shot put,
200 meters,
long jump,
javelin, and
800 meters. These competitions require an athlete to possess the whole spectrum of athletic ability in order to be successful including speed, strength, coordination, jumping ability, and endurance.
Although the title "World's Greatest Athlete" seems a natural fit for these events, its traditional association with the decathlon/heptathlon officially began with
Jim Thorpe, arguably the greatest all-around athlete in history. During the 1912
Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe won the gold medal in the Decathlon (among others). King
Gustav V of Sweden, while awarding Thorpe the Decathlon Gold said, "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world." That title has become associated with the decathlon event ever since. (Thorpe also competed professionally in
football,
baseball, and
basketball; and competed collegiately in
track and field,
football,
baseball,
lacrosse, and
ballroom dance.)
High school sports
Many students in
high schools participate in
intramural and
varsity sports. Many sports have practices after school lasting for roughly two hours. Weights,
calisthenics and other forms of conditioning are used for
physical training.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sportsperson'.
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