Would you consider race car drivers and golfers athletes?

[Twodogs0525]

They both require skill, some endurance and training. There isn't contact (for the most part) but they are widely considered sports. What do you think?

[AI Opinion]

Absolutely! Race car drivers and golfers are athletes. Both require specialized skills, concentration, and physical endurance. In racing, drivers need stamina to handle intense speeds and G-forces. Golfers require strength, precision, and mental agility to excel. Both sports demand extensive training and preparation, proving their status as athletic endeavors.⛳🏎️

[AviatorTom]

Yes.

Golfers - Try walking 4 miles, stopping about 70 times to swing a club and hit the ball.

Drivers - Try driving 500 miles at 180mph.

You'll be very tired, even when you're physically fit.

[Twodogs0525]

I don't like driving 50 miles at 70 mph.

[NathanDavis]

a lot of race car drivers actually need to be athletes otherwise they would die...

golfers on the other hand... even Trump in his 80's? can do that... that's not athletic at all

[Twodogs0525]

That's what started me thinking. @exitseven made a comment about turning old at 40ish, because athletes usually end their career around that age but I made a comment that race car drivers continue doing it in their 70s. He said they aren't athletes lol

[NathanDavis]

not all race car drivers are the same...

things like NASCAR, or some rally racing sure... you can do that at 70, even at 90 years old !! (I think that's the current record)

but something like Formula 1... that's not even allowed, lol

for, me... athletics is about physicality only, not skill

skills can be anything, but athletic performance is a different demand

[Twodogs0525]

You definitely have me scratching my head.

[OlderAndWiser]

Define athlete, and I can either answer the question or tell you that your definition makes the answer ambiguous.

[Twodogs0525]

The question is if YOU consider them an athlete by what your definition of one is.

[OlderAndWiser]

Okay. I consider an athlete to be a person who competes against others in contests that require unusual physical strength, stamina, and skill. Golfers are athletes, but only marginally so; their sport requires skill and strengths, and I suppose that a round of golf lasts long enough that it requires some stamina, but I am not positive of that because I am not a golfer.

Driving a race car requires skill, and if it is a long race, it requires some stamina. However, I cannot see that operating a motor vehicle requires unusual strength. So drivers are not athletes.

[exitseven]

No, being a race car driver requires basically just sitting down. And golfers hit a ball with a stick. It does require some skill but so does darts and bowling.

[Twodogs0525]

They don't do much more sitting than a baseball player.

[exitseven]

baseball players are running, diving and sliding.. There is also a pitcher that has to throw a ball 100 MPH and each player must swing a heavy bat to try and hit the ball.

[RedInnocent69]

Yes. Race car drivers slightly more than golfers, but I’ve seen Tiger Woods in persons, and dude is intense!

[fish5505_87]

Yes!