Mondo Knows Facts
30 Sports Facts, Each One Checked and Sourced
Records, origins and the moments that changed the games we play and watch.
30 facts on this shelf, each with a named source and a link onward to something to play or use on the same theme.
30 facts in Sports
SportsUsain Bolt ran 100 metres in 9.58 secondsHis 2009 world record in Berlin has stood for well over a decadeSportsThe marathon is 42.195 km because of a royal viewThe odd distance comes from the 1908 London Olympics courseSportsEliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under two hoursHis 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019 was not an official record, because of how it was stagedSportsThe ancient Olympics are traditionally dated to 776 BCThey were held at Olympia in Greece for about twelve centuriesSportsWimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the worldThe first championship was played in 1877 on grassSportsThe first Tour de France was a newspaper stuntThe 1903 race was created to sell copies of the paper L'AutoSportsMichael Phelps has won 23 Olympic gold medalsNo other Olympian has won more golds or more medals overallSportsBasketball began with two peach basketsJames Naismith invented the game in Massachusetts in 1891SportsThe first football World Cup was in 1930Uruguay hosted and won the tournament, beating Argentina in the finalSportsA perfect 10 once broke the scoreboardNadia Comaneci's routine at the 1976 Olympics displayed as 1.00SportsThe longest tennis match lasted over eleven hoursJohn Isner beat Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, 70-68 in the final setSportsGolf has 18 holes because of St AndrewsThe Old Course settled on 18 holes in the 18th centurySportsPelé won three World CupsHe is the only player to be on the winning side in 1958, 1962 and 1970SportsRugby's origin story is a legendThe tale says William Webb Ellis picked up the ball at Rugby School in 1823SportsThe Olympic rings stand for five continentsPierre de Coubertin introduced the symbol in 1913SportsA sumo ring is 4.55 metres acrossThe dohyo is made of clay and is rebuilt for every tournamentSportsCal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 games in a rowHe passed Lou Gehrig's long-standing baseball record in 1995SportsThe Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in North American pro sportLord Stanley donated it in 1892 and it was first awarded in 1893SportsDuke Kahanamoku took surfing to the worldThe Hawaiian swimmer won Olympic golds in 1912 and 1920SportsSerena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titlesIt is the most in the Open Era, which began in 1968SportsThe All Blacks have performed the haka since 1905Ka Mate was composed around 1820 by Te Rauparaha of Ngāti ToaSportsThe America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sportIt dates from a yacht race around the Isle of Wight in 1851SportsThe first Formula One world championship was in 1950It began at Silverstone and Giuseppe Farina became the first championSportsThe Monaco Grand Prix has run since 1929Cars race through the streets of a principality of about two square kilometres
All 30 Sports facts
- Usain Bolt ran 100 metres in 9.58 seconds
- The marathon is 42.195 km because of a royal view
- Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under two hours
- The ancient Olympics are traditionally dated to 776 BC
- Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world
- The first Tour de France was a newspaper stunt
- Michael Phelps has won 23 Olympic gold medals
- Basketball began with two peach baskets
- The first football World Cup was in 1930
- A perfect 10 once broke the scoreboard
- The longest tennis match lasted over eleven hours
- Golf has 18 holes because of St Andrews
- Pelé won three World Cups
- Rugby's origin story is a legend
- The Olympic rings stand for five continents
- A sumo ring is 4.55 metres across
- Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 games in a row
- The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in North American pro sport
- Duke Kahanamoku took surfing to the world
- Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles
- The All Blacks have performed the haka since 1905
- The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport
- The first Formula One world championship was in 1950
- The Monaco Grand Prix has run since 1929
- Wayne Gretzky scored 2,857 points in the NHL
- The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon
- Many curling stones come from one Scottish island
- The Paralympics grew out of a hospital sports day
- Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics
- Don Bradman's Test batting average was 99.94
Test what you know
Turn these facts into a quiz: Sports trivia questions, with an explanation after every answer.
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Questions people ask
- How many sports facts are there?
- 30, each with a named source and a link to it. Records, origins and the moments that changed the games we play and watch.
- Where do these facts come from?
- Mostly primary sources: NASA, the ESA, museums, universities and peer-reviewed papers. A fact is only published here once a source can be linked, and the wording is written fresh rather than copied.
- Can I read them in one sitting?
- The page lists the newest first and the search box narrows by word. Every fact links onward to a quiz, game or calculator on the same subject, so it works as a browse or as a jumping-off point.