A participant in a group of sporting activities which includes track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
"The athlete trained daily to compete in the combined events of track and field, road running, cross country, and racewalking."
In plain English: An athlete is someone who plays sports professionally or competes seriously to win prizes and medals.
"The local athlete won the gold medal in the marathon yesterday."
Usage: An athlete is any person who competes professionally or seriously in sports such as track, field, or racing, regardless of gender. Use this term to describe participants across various athletic disciplines rather than limiting it only to Olympic competitors.
The word athlete comes from the Ancient Greek athlētḗs, which originally described someone who competed to win a prize. It entered English via Middle French and Latin before becoming part of our vocabulary in the 1500s.