Is track the only sport where “Pros” routinely get beat by high schoolers or college age kids?

He is probably Sammy Watson's coach or friend and he is mad that you used her as an example of a mediocre pro runner. Next time you should say "Does anyone here know Sammy Watson?" before you use her as an example.

Like this - "Rachel Walters is a mediocre pro 800 runner who has run slower than Juliette Whittaker and Roisin Willis did in high school. Is anyone here friends with her? Or can I use her as an example of a pro runner that is slower than some high school runners?"

See? Then you'll know who you can use as an example of a mediocre pro without ticking off her friends/coach.

Ha ha. I didn't realize Sammy Watson's friends/supporters were posting here. At least she has some people rooting for her, so I guess that's good.

I have nothing against Sammy Watson. I just used her as an example because out of all the mediocre track and field pros, Watson is a name that a lot of people here are familiar with going back to her high school days.

What’s the criteria we’re using here? This is where it’s apples and oranges for quarterbacks because how exactly would we know that a 17 year old high school QB was outperforming a 24 year old QB in the NFL? Sure they could throw more touchdowns and fewer picks but that isn’t a fair comparison until you put him on an NFL football field and have Myles Garrett coming for his head.

Watson was 7th at the national championships last year and is currently ranked 35th in the world by World Athletics, with no high schoolers ahead of her as far as I can tell.

You also have to consider the terms of the contracts which are very different. The NFL player is not likely to have very much guaranteed money and can be released, while a baseball player can be DFA’d but they’re still getting all that money. For a track athlete, there are reductions and incentives as we all know but not terminations unless you’ve done something seriously wrong.

The OP's wording was "college age kids." Someone who is a pro at 20 years old is still college age.

Lol! If you think EPO use ended with the 90s you’re more naive than you look. Now runners have the benefit of both. But thanks for pointing out that Kerr could never hold a candle to Komen.

Swimming and specifically women's swimming has historically been dominated by the young. Summer McIntosh is 17. She already has 4 individual world championship gold medals and has broken 2 world records. McIntosh has been ranked #1 female swimmer in the world the past 2 years by SwimSwam.

There are numerous prior examples. Shane Gould won 3 Olympic gold medals at 15, all in world record time, then retired a year later at 16. Katie Ledecky won her first Olympic gold in 2012 at age 15.

It has been 75+ years since a female age 20+ has broken the world record at 800.

Female swimmers in general peak at early 20s. It's younger than that for distance swimmers and later for sprinters. The 50 meter events are where older swimmers have the greatest opportunity. There have been world and Olympic champions deep into their 30s.

It's probably less likely in Football, as the strength developed later is so very important. It is also rare to see throwers competing at the very highest levels in their late teens. Of course, college aged would include 21 and 22 year old people who are generally considered adults in most of the world and they are everywhere in pro sports. Also, regarding the Sammy Watson discussion, there are plenty of professional athletes throughout the world who compete in leagues which are not the very best leagues, yet they are still able to make a good living. Sammy isn't getting invites to Diamond League meets, but she is able to perform at a level that very few are ever able to.

There have been around 20 players in the Premier League who made their debuts at 16 years old or younger. By definition if you play in a game you have beaten out other professional players at your club to earn that spot.

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) – 15 years, 181 days old
Harvey Elliott (Fulham) – 16 years, 30 days old
Matthew Briggs (Fulham) – 16 years, 68 days old
Izzy Brown (West Bromwich Albion) – 16 years, 117 days old
Aaron Lennon (Leeds Utd) – 16 years, 129 days old
Jose Baxter (Everton) – 16 years, 191 days old
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (Aston Villa) – 16 years, 198 days old
Gary McSheffrey (Coventry City) – 16 years, 198 days old
Reece Oxford (West Ham United) – 16 years, 236 days old
Jack Robinson (Liverpool) – 16 years, 250 days old
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) – 16 years, 256 days old
Angel Gomes (Manchester United) – 16 years, 263 days old
Mark Platts (Sheffield Wednesday) – 16 years, 263 days old
James Vaughan (Everton) – 16 years, 270 days old
Antwoine Hackford (Sheffield United) – 16 years, 288 days old
Wayne Rooney (Everton) – 16 years, 297 days old
James Milner (Leeds United) – 16 years, 310 days old
Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (Southampton) – 16 years, 314 days old
Dane Scarlett (Tottenham Hotspur) – 16 years, 320 days old
Francis Jeffers (Everton) – 16 years, 335 days old

This is just in the English league. Barcelona has given significant playing time to multiple teenagers over the last few years.

The NBA and NFL have age restrictions, but there are routinely guys in the 19-22 age range who come into those leagues and are immediately better than most pros. Victor Wembanyama just turned 20, and he's averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.

Basketball

My experience with school age competing in cycling and tri's they actually fixed the teenagers cycle gears to non-shifting and low so they couldn't beat the pros. This was done prior to race starts in San Antonio.

Not really.

You’ll have a pro contract, but you’re not likely to be near a first team, especially in top European Leagues.

The game is just too physical.

Auto racing. Only one driver ever won a Formula One race before age 21.

planetsport.com

The top 10 youngest race winners in F1 history

Sam Cooper

For most, the ages of 18 to 22 are spent studying at university or perhaps earning their first wage out in the real world. But for Formula 1 drivers, it is a different story.

Open link

22 is considered old in gymnastics. College gymnastics is for those who don't have a lock on making a national team. It would be normal for teenagers to beat the NCAA all around or individual event champions.

It imagine figure skating is similar.

Amber Glenn just won her first Natty at age 24. Mariah Bell made her first and only Olympic team at age 25. Kaori Sakamoto, the reigning world champion is 23. Loena Hendrickx, the reigning Euro Champion is 24.

First of all there are plenty of high schooler who beat pros in a one off race, An inferior athlete can beat a superior athlete. The sample size is just one. This is why individual sports are unique. It's far more difficult to achieve this in a team sport though. Indiviual skill seems to multiply on a team making it extremely hard to high schoolers to beat a pro team.

Cycling.

Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Kayla DiCello, and Leanne Wong would disagree. NIL totally changed the landscape of NCAA gymnastics.

...and almost immediately turned pro. Roll Tide

And missed the cut today...