What core characteristic primarily differentiates individual sports from team sports?

💡 Explanation:

Individual sports, by definition, require a participant to compete as a separate entity without direct teammate support. This inherently places the entire responsibility for performance, strategy, and outcome on the athlete, fostering a unique reliance on intrinsic motivation and personal accountability/self-reliance. While A, C, and D are true for both individual and team sports, the high degree of self-reliance (intrinsic motivation/accountability) is the key conceptual differentiator.