Correlations between factors characteristic of competitive sports (athletic events and competitive levels) and dichotomous thinking were investigated. A questionnaire survey was conducted with university students in university athletic clubs (N=200, 67 men and 133 women, mean age=19.5, SD=1.2). The results indicated the following. (1) Dichotomous Thinking Inventory (DTI, Oshio, 2009) is appropriate for use with athletes. (2) Athletes in general use more dichotomous thinking, compared to average Japanese university students. (3) No significant differences in DTI scores were observed between individual and group events, although the possibility of a hierarchical structure consisting of micro (individual athletes)–macro (athletic group: athletic event) was suggested. (4) DTI score of male athletes tended to be higher in the high-competitive, compared to the low-competitive group. These results indicate that dichotomous thinking, which could be maladaptive, might have adaptive functions in sports.