elite

In politics elite may be a dirty word in Australia, but in sport it is quite the opposite.  Elite has become an adjective applied to both the sportspeople and to their activities. So an elite player is one who has demonstrated exceptional skill. An elite bowling attack is going to cause real problems for the batsmen.  An Aussie Rules player may be commended for elite kicking. And a cricketer for elite bowling.  It has become a synonym for ‘excellent’ but sounds so much classier.