How old is too old to be competitive in sports?

[Fumesucker]

Japan's Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima won the Pikes Peak Hillclimb (the second oldest motor sporting event in the USA) the day before his sixtieth birthday this year, Monster beat his nearest competitor by thirty seconds with a time of 10 minutes 11.49 seconds.. Don't think this is some fluke because this year's win for Nobuhiro was his fifth consecutive one on the grueling and demanding race.

Mr Tajima was driving a all wheel drive Suzuki SX4 that weighs 2400 lbs and has nearly 1000 horsepower..

Watch the video of Monster's entire race in HD here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y3OFf0ArU

And an interview with the winner here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FJR40OMIoc





http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vd3wMXEFELM/SmUXvmg6tJI/AAAAAAAAOSM/RjnwhoXwQh4/s400/monster+sx4+2.JPG

[jdlh8894]

1. Letting a machine move you. Hell ,he could have been 12yo.n/t

[Fumesucker]

3. I'm sure you could do better..

:eyes:

[jdlh8894]

4. Didn't say that. And why should I have to?

Don't care what age anybody is,there is always somebody better.

[Fumesucker]

5. Watch the video..

He actually hangs the edge of a tire off a cliff several times on the run at speeds in excess of a hundred mph..

There's an apocryphal quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway that the only real sports are mountain climbing, bullfighting and auto racing, the Pikes Peak hillclimb combines two of them if you look at it from a certain perspective..

[AndyTiedye]

6. Freddy Markham Set a Bicycle Speed Record When He Was Almost 50

[Ikonoklast]

8. Try it once, and get back to me on that.

If you live through the experience, that is.

[blondeatlast]

2. Obviously 60 isn't! Good for him! nt

[Warpy]

7. Too old is when your body tells you to pack it in

and that varies for all of us.

[hugo_from_TN]

9. How old is Brett Favre?

There's your answer.

[bergie321]

10. Not really a sport

More of a skill competition on par with poker or chess.

[Fumesucker]

12. Poker and chess require quick reflexes and involve possible death?

I'm constantly amazed at the things I learn on DU.. :eyes:

[jdlh8894]

14. Ever been to a speed chess game in NYC?LOL

[Fumesucker]

16. I've never heard of anyone getting killed at a chess match..

Perhaps you can enlighten me..

[jdlh8894]

17. Guess it wasn"t NYC

www.kcrg.com/news/local/61479017.html

[Fumesucker]

24. There is a difference between murder and being killed engaging in a hazardous sport

Although that was an interesting article it really doesn't speak to the normal hazards of even blitz chess games.

Not quite the same thing as driving off the edge of a cliff during the Pikes Peak hillclimb, but I'll give you points for effort..

:hi:

[GSLevel9]

19. and 10 minutes straight of steering

and it ain't no Cadillac power steering either...

[Obamanaut]

11. In my age and weight class, there were people bench pressing and dead lifting

over 300 pounds at the Fla senior olympics. I'm 68, 200 lbs. My gym partner is 73, in different class, and competed but did not win.

300+ pounds is heavy.

[Fumesucker]

13. That's amazing...

I'm a slow twitch muscle guy myself, not particularly strong but I have good endurance..

Consider though that Mr Tajima is competing in the unlimited class, the very fastest cars against all comers of any age..

[H2O Man]

15. Great question.

The sport that I know best is boxing. As a rule, it is a young man's sport. In general, a boxer's reflexes begin to slow significantly between the ages of 29 and 33 (depending upon their size). The old saying, "I could see the opening, but not get the punch off, and I could see the punch coming, but not get out of the way," defines most people's experience if they fight after the age of 33. Still, there are people like Archie Moore, George Foreman, and Bernard Hopkins, who are able to make the adjustments in style necessary to compete in their 40s.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

18. Bet his left turn signal was blinking the whole time...

:evilgrin:

[safeinOhio]

20. An old horse can't run as fast, but,

it knows when to run.

[thereismore]

21. Define sports. nt

[riderinthestorm]

22. My husband's a professional athlete. He's 54 and still competes internationally.

He's a dressage and combined training rider. We keep 40 horses at our farm. He rides between 8 and 12 horses/day. He's 6'3" and weighs 170 lbs. Rarely drinks, quit smoking when he was 18 years old, we eat verrryy healthy (we also have a small organic produce operation). I have no idea how long he'll keep going but I certainly don't see him stopping yet.

[deaniac21]

23. In driving and golf you can be 100.

[Fumesucker]

25. Golf I'll give you..

I honestly don't think we're going to see any centenarians winning (or even competing in) the Indy 500 any time soon.