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 or innate 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. Some examples of gen ...

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

, 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 British reference book published annually, list ...

'' and other world records organizations collates and publishes notable records of many.

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 events, including

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

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 ru ...

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

World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

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

decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...

), 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 AJ Bell 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 South Shie ...

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 exploit glitches ...

for the fastest achieved time in the game and category.

Sports

Some sports have world records recognised by their respective

sports governing bodies A sports governing body is a sports organisation that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sports governing bodies come in various forms and have a variety of regulatory functions, including disciplinary action for rule infractions and dec ...

: * List of One Day International cricket records *

List of world records in athletics World records in Sport of athletics, 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 athletics at the Summer Olymp ...

* List of junior world records in athletics * List of world records in masters athletics *

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 fo ...

List of IPC world records in athletics World records in disability athletics are ratified by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). In Para-athletics competitions, athletes are given a class depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classes are as follows: * 11� ...

* List of world records in canoeing * List of world records in chess *

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 reco ...

* List of world records in juggling *

List of world records in rowing There are no world records in rowing 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 2,000m. On-water records Rowing times are stro ...

List of world records in speed skating A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, bu ...

List of world records in swimming The world records in swimming are ratified by World Aquatics (formerly known as FINA), the international governing body of swimming. Records can be set in long course (50 metres) or short course (25 metres) swimming pools. World Aquatics reco ...

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 swimmin ...

List of world records in Olympic weightlifting This is a list of world records in Olympic weightlifting. These records are maintained in each Olympic weightlifting#Competition, weight class for the snatch (weightlifting), snatch lift, clean and jerk lift, and the total for both lifts. The In ...

References

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

Terminology

Sports

See also

References