20 Little-Known Facts About Sports, People and Places
Sports Trivia:
1. The shortest Olympic event is the 60m sprint which lasts for just 7 seconds!
2. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history.
3. The first ever World Cup match took place in 1930 between Uruguay and Argentina.
4. Golf balls have dimples because they help reduce drag and increase distance when hit.
5. The fastest serve in tennis history was clocked at a speed of 163.7 mph by Sam Groth in 2012.
Little-Known Facts About Famous Athletes:
6. Usain Bolt’s full name is actually “Usain St Leo Bolt.”
7. Cristiano Ronaldo has a degree in sports science from the University of Lisbon.
8. Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam title before she turned 20 years old.
Unusual Rules in Popular Sports:
9. In cricket, if the ball hits a bird during play, it is considered a dead ball and six runs are awarded to the batting side.
10. In baseball, there is no time limit for a game to end, meaning that games can go on forever until one team wins.
The Origins of Common Sporting Terms:
11. The term “throw-in” in football comes from the early days of the sport where players would throw the ball back into play instead of kicking it.
12. The word “goal” in hockey comes from the Irish language and means “target.”
Interesting Stories Behind Stadium Names:
13. The Rose Bowl stadium got its name after a contest was held to find a new name for the venue, with the winning entry being “Tournament of Roses Stadium.”
14. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was originally built as a racecourse before being converted into a cricket ground.
Quirky Traditions and Superstitions in Sports:
15. Many athletes have superstitious rituals they follow before competing, such as wearing lucky socks or listening to specific songs.
16. In golf, some players will not step on the putting green with their left foot first.
Influential People Who Shaped the World of Sports:
17. Adolf Hitler banned Jewish athletes from participating in the Olympics, leading to the creation of the Maccabiah Games.
18. Billie Jean King fought for equal pay for women in tennis and helped found the Women’s Tennis Association.
Fascinating Records and Achievements in Sports History:
19. The longest tennis match in history lasted over 11 hours and ended with a score of 70-68.
20. The most goals scored in a single soccer match was 145, with Brazilian club Corinthians beating Botafogo 145-0 in 1920.