Expelling The Myth

For as long as I can remember the age of 30 seemed to be the end point for the sporting elite.  As a young sports fan I would often hear the commentators mention that top class athletes were nearing the end of their careers by their late twenties. 

I was of the understanding that at 28 these people would have to retire from the pursuits of being a top athlete in their very near future.

Is this myth still true today?

Well some commentators, sports teams, clubs, sponsors would still have you believe that this is the case.  Why?

Today marks the start of the London 2017 World Athletics Championships, which will be the biggest sporting event held in England’s capital city since the 2012 Olympic Games.  Please listen carefully for the following and similar statements from the commentators of the event… “30 years of age now” with a tone that suggests they’re about to be handed their pensioners bus pass post competition.  Too often, statements like the one just mentioned are frivolously thrown out by the leading voices on sport.  I find it an extremely lazy and a somewhat disrespectful way to inform to the viewer of an athlete’s credentials. 

Should an athlete’s age be mentioned at all?  The mere fact that a sportsperson is out there competing on the world stage tells me that their age is not even a factor.  They’re good enough to be there!  Surely that says it all?

But let me provide you with a number of examples as to why ageism in sports needs to be addressed with some serious intent.

Usain Bolt is still the man to beat at age 30 in athletics.  Only a few athletes seem remotely capable of stealing his world title in London this summer.  The youthful Andre DeGrasse who just this week had to withdraw from the Championships through injury may have been a contender yet Usain Bolt almost laughed off the challenge from the Canadian sprinter in the media.  Track and Fields number one villain Justin Gatlin a ‘Veteran’ at the ancient age of 34 may pose a threat as he did in Rio last year.

Former World 100metre Champion Kim Collins who ran his fastest ever time last summer at a ripe 40.  Could be a realistic finalist in London.  Asafa Powell who has gone under the 10 second barrier more than any other sprinter in history and lined up in the Rio Olympic final last year as always will be one to watch.  Guess what? He is also over 30.  Hopefully you can see where I am going with this.

Great Britain’s most decorated sprinter Linford Christie was 32 when he won the Olympic 100m title.  Many will remember that he was also an Olympic Finalist 4 years later at the Atlanta Games.  That means at aged 36 he was still in the Top 8 in the world.  Despite these examples an athlete breaking through in their 30’s would struggle to get on the National Governing Bodies funding programme. 

Let’s look away from Track and Field for a moment.  In Tennis, Serena Williams age 35 has been the leading force for a number of years now! She dominated Wimbledon in 2016!  Her older sister Venus just contested in the 2017 Wimbledon final at 37!  In the men’s game Roger Federer whom just weeks ago at a prehistorical age of 35 won yet another Wimbledon title to stake his claim as one of, if not the greatest grass court players of all time.

Using football as the next case, Christiano Ronaldo was voted as the best player on the planet at age 32.  With Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi runner up at the awards aged 30.  Is there another player on the planet that can really be mentioned alongside those two at this stage?  Despite this, many professional footballers will struggle post the age of 30 to get the lucrative contracts they would have been offered in their mid-twenties.

In boxing, 40yr old Floyd Mayweather looks likely to improve his record to 50-0 against the inexperienced but willing and eager Conor McGregor.  Let’s not forget that Bernard Hopkins was a world Champion at age 49!!!  Can we also remember that Great Britain’s baby-faced Double Olympic Champion boxer Nicola Adams is 34!! Winning her last medal at 33 in Rio 2016.

I’ve used many examples of professional sports people who in their 30’s were or still are at the very top of their games in their respective sports.  However, are there examples of people getting their big break post the big three O? 

Going back to Athletics briefly, 32 year old Dwayne Cowan a late bloomer 400m sprinter made his Great Britain debut at the recent European Team Championships.  He WON and also qualified for his first major championships in London this upcoming summer.

Now the myth may have had some substance to it 30 years ago, but now?  The advances made in physical training, physical therapy, lifestyle, sports medicine and such like have ensured that athletes across all sports have remarkably improved, in terms of fitness, conditioning and general well-being.

So why then do the commentators, sports teams, sponsors and governing bodies take such an archaic attitude when it comes to age in sport?

In today’s society political correctness is shoved in our faces at which seems to be every opportunity.  Calling a woman who does sport a sportswoman is deemed politically incorrect nowadays, mentioning a sportsperson's colour is also a faux pas.  Yet there seems to be no calling out on people having such an adverse attitude towards age in sport. 

 So then surely it is now time that we culled out ageism in sport.  It is often said of young people that “If they’re good enough they’re old enough”.  Well does this work in reverse?  Provided a sportsperson is performing at a high enough level, isn’t that the end of the discussion?  Age, gender, religion, sexuality etc. shouldn’t even a topic when it comes to sport.  I want to see the world’s best going toe to toe.  How old they are doesn’t come into it.  Provided I’m looking at the elite exponents of a given sport I couldn’t care less about the myth.  How about you?