选手 (xuǎn shǒu): An athlete selected for a sports meet (Noun) — Meaning & Stroke Order

He is a running athlete.

He is not a professional athlete; he participated in this amateur competition purely out of passion.

Although that contestant is experienced, he surprisingly made a basic mistake this time.

The players are preparing for tomorrow's final match.

I made a bet with my friend that contestant number three would definitely make it to the finals.