Professional sport that can have the oldest players still playing competitive?

[Jack Watts]

as far as sport that require athleticism more than skill, I think this guy is probably at the top of the list: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/davide-rebellin-set-to-continue-racing-in-2021/

While he's not anywhere near the level that he was was at in his prime, he is still competitive (just finished in the main group of a major race with a deep field): https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/trofeo-laigueglia/2021

He'll be 50 years old this year. That's insane.

 

[redbone3]

golf, curling.

 

[BISCUT]

Pujlos in MLB is a big one that comes to my mind. Brady is the obvious one. Brady and Pujlos IMHO are the ones that seem to be anomalies. Golf pro's don't get the credit for longevity but anyone who knows the human body realizes the torque a pro golfer puts his/her back through is something serious. Baseball players as well, high torque game.

Football is much more in your face type of potential disaster.

 

[OilReport99]

Golf as someone mentioned before. Old dudes insist they’re fit to stick-it-in-the-hole!

 

[bernardch]

It took a special exemption, and he didn't make it out of the qualifying rounds, but Carmen Salvino bowled in a regular PBA event at 84 years old in 2018. My googling indicates he may have scored one game of 255 during qualifying which is certainly competitive.

 

[gfh77665]

Hmm...brady at 60 does look much different than Kenny Stabler at 38. Shows what hard livin' will for ya:

Ah, the Snake... Back in 1980 a reporter interviewed a Houston Oiler lineman, asking him what the difference was between Snake Stabler and Gifford Nielsen quarterbacking the Oilers. (Nielsen was a Mormon from BYU, the polar opposite of Snake.) The lineman said, its what you smell in the huddle. He went on to explain, on Sunday mornings, if Giff Nielsen was starting, you smelled vanilla milkshakes. If the snake was starting, you smelled nothing but cigarettes and whiskey.

 

[Trav]

Real at one time along with Velcro tossing.

 

[y_p_w]

Golf as someone mentioned before. Old dudes insist they’re fit to stick-it-in-the-hole!

The Masters gives a lifetime qualification exemption to any player who previously won. I think the oldest to make the cut was 63 - Bernhard Langer.

Other than that, the oldest player in the history of the NFL was George Blanda. He was well past his prime as a quarterback and was on the roster as a kicker. However, in his last years in the NFL he actually played quarterback when other players were injured.

 

[bdcardinal]

Ken Shrader is still pretty active racing dirt and he is in his 60s. Red Farmer is 88 and still racing.

In non motorsports activities Phil Taylor retired in I think 2018 and he was up there. But he dominated darts for a long time.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Paul Newman won his class at the 1995 24 hours of Daytona. He was 70 at the time.

 

[gfh77665]

Dana Torres set World Records spanning 1983 to 2000. Think about that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dara_Torres

 

[4WD]

Golf as someone mentioned before. Old dudes insist they’re fit to stick-it-in-the-hole!

Sam Snead won at age 52

 

[bbhero]

Golf

Guys regularly compete in their late 40's and occasionally get a sniff even older. Just this weekend Lee Westwood almost won the Players Championship at 47 (he almost won the week before, too). Tom Watson almost won the British Open at 59, one bad bounce away from winning.

True indeed ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tom Watson had the lead throughout the whole tournament until either the 17th hole or the 18th hole in the final round. And at.... 59 ??!!!

Jack winning the 86 Masters I believe is still the oldest to win a Major golf title. He shot 30.... 30 on the back 9 that day.... And 65 for his final round. Amazing.

 

[4WD]

Anyone mention John Force

 

[dblshock]

Most ex fighters over 60 I know are much better today than 35yrs. ago, especially after a few drinks..just ask Roberto..

 

[ollie]

Jack LaLanne!! No one on earth was more fit fit than that dude.

 

[97prizm]

Curling maybe? Tinker Juarez is still mountain biking for Canondale.

 

[DriveHard]

Walter Ray Williams 61 just retired yesterday from the PBA bowling tour.
Guys in their mid 50s can still compete now and then on the PGATour.
Billiards players can still play when they get old.
Strongman competitions, those guys are on the older side.

Don't think there is any overly athletic sport where an older person can still compete and against a young man.

The guys who compete in Strongman might be "older", but it is hell on their bodies, and the second half of life will be cut short, and really sucks (injuries and arthritis).

 

[vwmaniaman]

I was thinking shuffle board or hog calling maybe. Or maybe one of those VW car shows where they see who can remove or install an engine the fastest.

 

[Leo99]

I was thinking shuffle board or hog calling maybe. Or maybe one of those VW car shows where they see who can remove or install an engine the fastest.

Hog calling, is that more of a sport than cherry pit spitting?