This study examines whether grit and conscientiousness distinguish elite athletes from a comparison sample of non-athletes. Participants were 128 elite athletes and 1701 non-athletes. Both groups filled out short-form questionnaires measuring grit and conscientiousness. Consistent with expectations, there was a high positive correlation between grit and conscientiousness and the elite athletes reported higher grit than the non-athletes. Contrary to expectations, the non-athletes scored higher on conscientiousness compared to the elite athletes. The relationship between grit and conscientiousness and their importance for attaining expert performance in sport is discussed.