Sports Facts for Kids
Fun facts from the world of sports
A golf ball typically has between 300 and 500 dimples. The dimples reduce air resistance and help the ball travel further.
The ancient Olympic Games were held for over 1,000 years before being banned in 393 AD. They were revived in 1896 in Athens, after a gap of roughly 1,500 years.
Cricket bats are traditionally made from English willow because the wood is lightweight, tough, and excellent at absorbing the impact of the ball.
Ice hockey pucks are made of vulcanised rubber and are frozen before games to reduce bouncing and make them glide more smoothly on the ice.
Weightlifting has been part of the Olympic Games since the very first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.
Rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, although rugby union was part of the Olympics as far back as 1900.
At Wimbledon, tennis balls are replaced every seven to nine games because they lose their bounce and felt quickly on the grass courts.
The current FIFA World Cup trophy is made of 18-carat gold and weighs about 6.1 kilograms. Winning teams receive a gold-plated replica to keep.
Competitive swimmers often shave their bodies before important races to reduce drag in the water and improve their times by fractions of a second.
Mike Powell's long jump world record of 8.95 metres, set in 1991, has stood for over three decades and is one of the longest-lasting records in athletics.