Objective: to analyze the career (based on the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) rankings) and/or dropout rates of the top 10 athletes aged14 to 19 years, during the period 2004-2014. Equipment and methods: Top 10 finishers in different athletic disciplines in the time range from 2004 to 2014 were selected after consulting the yearly national ranking database of the RFEA, published on its website (www.rfea.es). Results: There were 1,144 participants, 594 males and 550 females. All athletes, at the time of their presence in the top 10 in 2004, were between 14-19 years old, belonging to the following categories: cadet (14-15 years), youth (16-17 years) and juniors (19-19 years), in both sexes. There was a significant reduction of athletes in the top 10 from 2004 to 2014. Of the 1,144 athletes taken into consideration in 2004, 1,104 (96.50%) were considered as dropouts from high performance in 2014: 543 (98.72%) were women, and 561 (94.45%) were men. From the overall analysis and taking into account the athletic disciplines, sprint and hurdles in males (99.4%), and middle/long running and walks in females (100%), showed the highest percentage of dropouts. These results oppose the idea that success at a young age (i.e., the top 10 ranking) ensures later success. Therefore, in athletics where peak performance is achieved close to the senior category, early specialization should be questioned.