If you want to be the best at something, and want it desperately, you should choose something other than being attractive to excel in.

You should choose something for which there is an objective numerical ordinal ranking and which does not depend on the tastes of other people.

Running races and getting the best grade in a class that is being graded on a curve are two obvious options. Running races is the better option because when you are being graded by a professor, there is subjective judgment by the professor present. In running races, you will not run into this issue.