RE: Professional Gamers Aren't Athletes?

Personally I wouldn't define pro gamers as athletes. Just like I wouldn't call a chess player an athlete. I also think pro gamers take their sport a lot more seriously than their conventional counterparts. Pro gamers are expected to practice for much longer hours per day and for much less pay. I think saying they are top tier competitors is probably good, or maybe a new word(or one I don't know) should define games that require heavy mental skill.