Crossword Genius

A permit secured by the gymnast, perhaps (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

athlete

'gymnast perhaps' is the definition.
(gymnast is a kind of athlete)

'a permit secured by the' is the wordplay.
'permit' becomes 'let' ('let' can be a synonym of 'permit').
'secured by' is an insertion indicator (I've seen this in other clues).
'let' inserted into 'the' is 'thlete'.
'a'+'thlete'='ATHLETE'

(Other definitions for athlete that I've seen before include "One trained to compete in sports" , "The tale (anag)" , "the hare that lost, say" , "Announces impending danger" , "Holmes, perhaps" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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