champions

Champions are individuals or teams that have won a competition or earned a title in a system that recognizes ultimate superiority within a defined domain. The term derives from Old French champion, from Latin campio, meaning a combatant or claimant, and has come to denote the winner of a contest or series of contests.

In sports and other competitive domains, a champion is the titleholder who has claimed the championship of a league, cup, tournament, or world event. Some formats crown champions at the end of a single event, while others determine champions over a season or through a series of rounds. A champion may be described as the defending champion if they enter the next edition as the previous titleholder.

Champions can be individuals or teams; some sports distinguish world champions, continental champions, national champions, or undisputed champions in cases with multiple sanctioning bodies. In chess, the World Chess Champion is determined by match results; in boxing, a champion holds a recognized title across weight classes. In esports and other modern fields, the term similarly marks the top performer of a competition.

Beyond formal competitions, the concept appears in culture and mythology as a heroic champion who overcomes obstacles. In contemporary usage, the word also extends metaphorically to successful leaders or advocates who triumph in difficult endeavors.