Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
A Test cricket match can last up to five days, with each day consisting of a minimum of 90 overs. Despite the length, matches can still end in a draw if neither team can bowl the other out within the time.
Sailing is one of the only Olympic sports powered entirely by a natural force — the wind. Sailors must read wind patterns, tides, and currents to outmanoeuvre their rivals and cross the finish line first.
Jai alai (also called pelota) is officially recognised as the world's fastest ball sport. Balls can reach speeds of over 300 km/h when slung from a curved basket strapped to the player's arm.
Athletes at the ancient Olympic Games competed completely naked. The word 'gymnasium' comes from the Greek word 'gymnos', meaning 'naked', which is where the Greeks practised sport.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand attracted record audiences around the world. The England versus Spain final was watched by over 7 million people in the UK alone.
In skydiving, a human body falls at a terminal velocity of around 195 km/h face-down, but can reach over 300 km/h in a head-down position. Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier during his 2012 space jump.
Professional boxers weigh in 24 to 36 hours before a fight so they have time to rehydrate after cutting weight. By fight time, many boxers are significantly heavier than their official weight class.
The Ashes is the famous cricket series played between England and Australia. The trophy is a tiny urn said to contain the ashes of a cricket bail, symbolising the 'death of English cricket' after Australia's first win on English soil in 1882.
Chess is recognised as a sport by the IOC. Garry Kasparov of the Soviet Union became the youngest World Chess Champion in history in 1985 at the age of just 22.
Backstroke is the only competitive swimming stroke that starts in the water rather than on the starting block. It is also the only stroke swum on the back, which means swimmers cannot see where they are going.