A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific

skill A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...

sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

, or other kind of activity. The book ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' and other world records organizations collates and publishes notable records of many. One of them is the World Records Union that is the unique world records register organization recognized by the Council of the Notariats of the European Union.

Terminology

In the United States, the form World's Record was formerly more common. The term The World's Best was also briefly in use. The latter term is still used in

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

events, including

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

and

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...

to describe good and bad performances that are not recognized as an official world record: either because it is not an event where the

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

tracks the record (e.g. the 150 m run or individual events in a

decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...

), or because it does not fulfill other rigorous criteria of an otherwise qualifying event (e.g. the

Great North Run The Great North Run (branded the Simplyhealth Great North Run for sponsorship purposes) is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and Sou ...

half-marathon, which has an excessive downhill gradient). The term is also used in video game

speedrunning Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. Speedrunning often involves following planned routes, which may incorporate sequence breaking and can exploit glit ...

for the fastest achieved time in the game and category.

Culture

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

is one country where world record-breaking has become something of a national fad. In India, the setting and breaking of records is also popular.

Sports

Some sports have world records recognised by their respective

sports governing bodies A sports governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sports governing bodies come in various forms and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule ...

: *

List of One Day International cricket records One Day International (ODI) cricket is played between international cricket teams who are Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the top four Associate members. Unlike Test matches, ODIs consist of one inning pe ...

List of world records in athletics World records in athletics are ratified by World Athletics. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking. Records are kept for all events contested at the Olympic Games and som ...

List of junior world records in athletics World U20 Records in the sport of athletics are ratified by World Athletics. Athletics records comprise the best performance of an athlete before the year of their 20th birthday. Technically, in all under 20 age divisions, the age is calculated " ...

List of world records in masters athletics Masters athletics is a class of the sport of athletics for athletes of over 35 years of age. The events include track and field, road running and cross country running. These are the current world records in various five-year-groups , maintained b ...

List of world youth bests in athletics Under-18 World Best Performances in the sport of athletics are the best marks set in competition by athletes aged 17 or younger throughout the entire calendar year of the performance. World Athletics (formerly IAAF) maintains an official list for ...

List of IPC world records in athletics World records in disability athletics are ratified by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). In Paralympic athletics competitions, athletes are given a class depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classes are as follows: ...

List of world records in canoeing Listed below are the canoe sprint world best times in Sprint canoe and Sprint kayak events. The ICF only acknowledge world best times set in finals of Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cups, Continental Championships and "other canoe spr ...

List of world records in chess The world records in chess listed here are achieved in organized tournament, match, or simultaneous exhibition play. Game length records Longest game The longest tournament chess game (in terms of moves) ever to be played was Nikolić–Arsovi� ...

List of cycling records Certified and recognized cycling records are those verified by the Union Cycliste Internationale, International Human Powered Vehicle Association and World Human Powered Vehicle Association, Guinness World Records, International Olympic Committee, ...

List of world records in track cycling World records in the sport of track cycling are ratified by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Item 3.5.001 of the UCI regulations defines the events in which world records are recognized. Men Records recognized by the UCI Key to tables: ...

List of world records in finswimming The following is the list of world records in finswimming recognised by the sport's governing body, Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS). CMAS does not recognise short course records. Requirements for recognition of record ...

* List of world records in juggling *

List of world records in rowing In rowing there are not world records due to the huge variability that weather conditions can have on times. Instead there are world best times, which are set over the international rowing distance of 2000 m. On water records Rowing times are st ...

List of world records in speed skating This list of speed skating records is an overview of the records currently held in various speed skating events, as ratified by the International Skating Union. World records Men * * Seven skaters have a recordea 3000m time below this world ...

List of world records in swimming The world records in swimming are ratified by FINA, the international governing body of swimming. Records can be set in long course (50 metres) or short course (25 metres) swimming pools. FINA recognizes world records in the following events fo ...

List of IPC world records in swimming The world records in disability swimming are ratified by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). These are the fastest performances in swimming events at meets sanctioned by the IPC. Races are held in four swimming strokes: freestyle, back ...

List of world records in Olympic weightlifting This is a list of world records in Olympic weightlifting. These records are maintained in each weight class for the snatch lift, clean and jerk lift, and the total for both lifts. The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) restructured it ...

List of world records in Drama A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...

References

* Records (superlatives) {{popular-culture-stub

Terminology

Culture

Sports

See also

References