Interesting facts in sports: the careers of shooters, the speed of strikes, and the future of Formula 1. Read 15 surprising stories in the “Did you know what?” section.
Cool facts about sports
- A professional career in shooting often lasts for decades, as success in this sport depends directly on honed skills and vast experience. The most striking example is Italian Giovanni Pellielo, who has competed in eight consecutive Olympic Games (from 1992 to 2020). He has managed to climb the podium four times, winning his last medal at the age of 50.
- Kicks performed by taekwondo masters are considered the fastest in martial arts. The recorded world speed record in this sport is close to 220 km/h, which is comparable to the strongest kick of a professional soccer player.
Spain is the undisputed world capital of padel tennis. The country has over 20,000 specialized courts, and the number of players exceeds 6 million. In terms of popularity, this sport is second only to soccer in Spain.- The Russian Empire made its mark in Olympic sailing history even before the revolution. In 1912, at the Stockholm Games, the crew of the yacht Gallia II, led by helmsman Joseph Schomaker, won bronze in the 10-meter yacht class.
- In Japan in the late 1970s, there was an unusual surge in popularity of performances featuring trained bears. These clumsy artists demonstrated judo techniques in circus arenas and on television shows, vividly illustrating the victory of flexibility and technique over brute physical strength.
- The world owes much of the active development of women’s judo to the wife of the founder of this martial art. Jigoro Kano began attracting women to the sport in the 1920s, and his wife Sumako played a key role in this, becoming one of the first and most devoted students.
The Rugby World Cup is unique in that it has an official duplicate copy. The backup trophy was made in case the original was lost. It is noteworthy that for a long time, it was the copy that was more often displayed for public viewing, while the original traveled around the world with the reigning champions.
Many people mistakenly believe that synchronized swimming coaches direct athletes from the poolside. In fact, a pre-recorded soundtrack is used for underwater coordination. In addition to music, it includes special sound signals — claps or whistles — that help swimmers stay in sync even when they cannot see each other.- The most serious challenge for a triathlete is not muscle exhaustion. The main reason for dropping out of the race is gastrointestinal problems. The transition from cycling to running causes a tremendous shock to the body, which often leads to digestive disorders.
- Extreme triathlons have even reached Antarctica. In the conditions of the icy continent, the swimming stage is replaced by cross-country skiing on snow or swimming in a specially prepared ice hole. The water temperature there stays around zero, and even the use of wetsuits does not save athletes from the enormous risk of hypothermia.
- In traditional Okinawan karate schools, such as Goju-ryu, the emphasis is on low kicks. However, there was a technique that was considered deadly and rarely used in sport — a heel kick to the groin (kinteki-geri). In real combat, this was considered the most effective and lightning-fast way to neutralize an attacker, so learning it was a top priority.
- Kyokushin is rightly considered one of the toughest styles of karate, as evidenced by the grueling hyakunin kumite test. The essence of this test is to fight 100 two-minute bouts without a break, each time with a new opponent. Throughout history, only about a dozen brave souls in the world have managed to complete this marathon.
- Women’s softball made its Olympic debut in 1996, but was dropped from the program after the 2008 Beijing Games. It returned only 12 years later in Tokyo, where the Japanese hosts sensationally defeated the Americans, who had dominated the sport for decades. Softball was again absent from Paris in 2024, but it will return to the Olympic program in Los Angeles in 2028.
Contrary to popular belief, softball is not exclusively a women’s sport. Historically, men were the first to play it, and they were the ones who created the first professional leagues. The men’s world championship was first held in 1966, just one year after the women’s, and men still compete in softball at the highest level.- Starting in the 2026 season, Formula 1 race cars will undergo significant changes, becoming noticeably more compact. The wheelbase will be reduced by 20 centimeters (to 3.4 m), the body width will be reduced by 10 cm (to 1.9 m), and the minimum permissible weight will be reduced by 30 kg (to 770 kg). The new tires will also be narrower — 25 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear. This is expected to significantly reduce drag and give the cars their former agility and maneuverability in corners.
