Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
New Zealand's rugby team, the All Blacks, perform the haka — a traditional Maori war dance — before every international match to challenge their opponents.
An Olympic swimming pool is 50 metres long, 25 metres wide, and at least 2 metres deep, holding about 2,500 cubic metres of water.
The Ryder Cup, a biennial golf competition between Europe and the United States, has been played since 1927 and is one of the most watched events in golf.
The fastest tennis serve ever recorded was 263.4 kilometres per hour by Sam Groth of Australia in 2012. That is faster than a high-speed train.
Chess boxing is a real competitive sport where players alternate between rounds of chess and rounds of boxing. You can win by checkmate or knockout.
The Tour de France covers roughly 3,500 kilometres over 23 days, and cyclists burn around 5,000 to 8,000 calories per day during the race.
Every cricket ball used in professional matches is hand-stitched with between 70 and 80 stitches using waxed thread.
In 2006, the perfect 10 scoring system in gymnastics was replaced with an open-ended system because gymnasts had become so skilled that the old system could not differentiate them.
A marathon is exactly 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards). The odd distance was set so the 1908 London Olympic race could finish in front of the royal box.
Despite appearing less active, football goalkeepers actually experience more mental stress during a match, and their intense bursts of activity contribute to significant calorie burn.