Is there a difference between athletics and sports?

I'd say athletics is slightly narrower. For example, chess sometimes counts as a sport, but it's not athletic.

Ah! Interesting!

Yes.

Track and field athletics are not the same as "sports", which is a term to cover all sports including team games, cycling, swimming, equestrian, sailing etc.

"Sports" of course includes athletics.

Again, very interesting!

I started thinking about this when my neighbor, an impressive athlete, insisted that she hates sports. I asked whether triathalons weren't a sport and she said that to her, they really weren't -- that even though there might be hundreds of people in a race she is really competeing against the clock and against her previous preformances.

I thought it an interesting distinction.

Weightlifting is athletic, but not a sport.

That's not helpful. Sports don't have to be competitive, surely.

Why would the contest being against the clock mean it's not a sport?

Fishing, shooting and equestrianism are sports.

Man against pheasant and fish, and with horse.

are you saying that a 100m race is not sport??

No.

ok then...

I'm just repeating what she said.

I've never really thought about sports and athletics being different but you all have managed to convince me.

Maybe be can get nimh to do one of his crazy graphs!