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 w ...

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

, 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), competi ...

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 eve ...

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 ...

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 tracks the record (e.g. the 150 m run or individual events in a decathlon), 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 South ...

half-marathon, which has an excessive downhill gradient). The term is also used in video game speedrunning 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: * List of One Day International cricket records *

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 *

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 * List of IPC world records in athletics *

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 * List of world records in track cycling *

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 recor ...

* 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 * List of world records in swimming * List of IPC world records in swimming *

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