Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
Starting blocks in sprinting were introduced at the 1948 London Olympics. Before this, sprinters dug their own holes in the track with a trowel to give themselves a surface to push off from.
Tennis star Roger Federer became the first athlete to earn more than US$1 billion in career earnings, including prize money and endorsements. He is considered one of the greatest sportspeople of all time.
The Olympic torch relay was introduced at the 1936 Berlin Games. The flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia in Greece using a parabolic mirror and the sun's rays, then carried by relays of torchbearers to the host city.
Squash has been ranked as one of the healthiest sports in the world by Forbes magazine. A one-hour game of squash burns around 700–1,000 calories and provides an exceptional cardiovascular workout.
Red and yellow cards in football were introduced at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. The idea came from traffic lights and was devised by British referee Ken Aston, who had the idea while driving home through London.
Snowboarding was invented in 1965 by Sherman Poppen, who tied two skis together as a Christmas present for his daughter so she could 'surf' the snowy hillside in his back garden.
The javelin throw is one of the oldest athletic events, rooted in the spear throwing skills needed for hunting and warfare in ancient Greece. It has been an Olympic event since the first modern Games in 1896.
A badminton net is 1.55 metres high at the posts but dips to 1.524 metres in the middle. Shuttlecocks can be made from up to 16 goose feathers arranged in a precise pattern.
Wheelchair racing at the elite level requires athletes to push speeds of over 40 km/h. The Paralympic marathon world record is actually faster than the standard marathon world record for non-disabled runners.
The longest professional tennis match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes at Wimbledon 2010, between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. The fifth set alone lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes.