List of sports
| sport | date of origin | place of origin | governance | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobatics | see notes | USA | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |
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notes — Aerobatics evolved from early exhibition flying (1900s) and barnstorming (1920s). | ||||
| Air racing | 23 May 1909 | Port-Aviation airport, Paris | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |
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notes — The purpose of the inaugural air racing event on 23 May 1909 was to travel furthest, not fastest. | ||||
| Alpine and nordic skiing | see notes | see notes | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |
|
notes — The difference between nordic and alpine skiing is essentially in the way that the ski is attached to the skier's boot. The purpose of nordic skiing is to walk on the snow and, to facilitate this, only the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding so that the heel of the boot can rise off the ski and a walking action is possible. In alpine skiing, the purpose of which is to slide downhill, the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel and walking is therefore very difficult. Alpine skiing evolved from the older nordic skiing after ski lifts were first introduced in 1908; without the need for a free-heel binding to walk up the hill, a new style of fixed-heel ski could be developed to enhance and accelerate the skier's movement downhill. Nordic skiing disciplines are cross-country skiing, ski jumping and nordic combined; alpine skiing disciplines are downhill, the three slalom varieties and alpine combined. See the individual entries per discipline. | ||||
| Alpine combined | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
|
notes — | ||||
| American football | 6 November 1869 (college); 26 September 1920 (NFL) |
New Jersey | National Football League (NFL; professional) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA; college) |
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notes — American football evolved from rugby football and the first-ever game was between teams from Rutgers and Princeton, two New Jersey universities. | ||||
| Archery | ||||
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| Association football | ||||
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| Athletics | ||||
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| Australian rules football | ||||
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| Auto racing | ||||
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| Badminton | ||||
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| Ballooning | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Bandy | ||||
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| Baseball | ||||
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| Basketball | ||||
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| Basque pelota | ||||
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| Beach volleyball | ||||
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| Biathlon | ||||
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| Billiards | ||||
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| BMX freestyle | ||||
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| BMX racing | ||||
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| Boat racing | ||||
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| Bobsleigh | ||||
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| Boules | ||||
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| Bowling | ||||
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| Bowls | ||||
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| Boxing | ||||
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| Canadian football | Canada | |||
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| Canoeing | ||||
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| Caving | ||||
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| Chess | ||||
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| Climbing | ||||
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| Contract bridge | ||||
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| Cricket | unknown | south-east England | International Cricket Council (ICC) | |
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notes — Cricket is believed to have originated in the medieval period; the earliest definite reference in 1597 confirms that it was being played c.1550. | ||||
| Croquet | ||||
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| Cross-country running | ||||
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| Cross-country skiing (nordic) | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Curling | ||||
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| Cycling | ||||
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| Darts | ||||
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| Diving | ||||
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| Dog sledding | ||||
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| Drag racing | ||||
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| Dragon boat racing | ||||
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| Draughts | ||||
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| Dressage | ||||
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| Drone racing | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Eventing | ||||
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| Fell running | ||||
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| Fencing | ||||
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| Field hockey | ||||
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| Figure skating | ||||
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| Fishing | ||||
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| Fives | ||||
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| Floorball | ||||
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| Formula E | ||||
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| Formula One | ||||
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| Freestyle skiing | ||||
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| Freestyle wrestling | ||||
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| Gaelic football | ||||
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| Giant slalom skiing (alpine) | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Gliding | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Golf | ||||
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| Greco-Roman wrestling | ||||
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| Greyhound racing | ||||
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| Gymnastics | ||||
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| Handball | ||||
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| Hang gliding | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Harness racing | ||||
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| High diving | ||||
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| Hillclimbing | ||||
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| Horse racing | ||||
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| Hovercraft racing | ||||
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| Hurling | ||||
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| Ice dancing | ||||
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| Ice hockey | ||||
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| Ice skating | ||||
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| IndyCar Series | ||||
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| Jet skiing | ||||
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| Judo | ||||
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| Kabaddi | ||||
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| Karate | ||||
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| Kart racing | ||||
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| Kayaking | ||||
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| Kickboxing | ||||
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| Kite flying | ||||
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| Kitesurfing | ||||
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| Korfball | ||||
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| Lacrosse | ||||
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| Lawn mower racing | ||||
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| Luge | ||||
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| Martial arts | ||||
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| Mixed martial arts | ||||
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| Modern pentathlon | ||||
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| Motocross | ||||
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| Motor rallying | ||||
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| Motorcycle racing | ||||
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| Mountain biking | ||||
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| Netball | ||||
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| Nordic combined | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Open water swimming | ||||
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| Orienteering | ||||
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| Parachuting | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Paragliding | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) | |||
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| Pigeon racing | ||||
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| Polo | ||||
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| Pool | ||||
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| Powerboating | ||||
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| Rackets | ||||
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| Racquetball | ||||
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| Radio-controlled car racing | ||||
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| Radio-controlled model aircraft racing | ||||
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| Rafting | ||||
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| Rallycross | ||||
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| Rallying | ||||
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| Real tennis | ||||
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| Road cycling | ||||
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| Rodeo | ||||
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| Roller hockey | ||||
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| Roller skating | ||||
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| Rounders | ||||
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| Rowing | ||||
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| Rugby league | ||||
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| Rugby union | ||||
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| Sailing | International Sailing Federation (ISAF), which became World Sailing on 14 November 2015 | |||
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| Sandboarding | ||||
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| Scuba diving | ||||
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| Shinty | ||||
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| Shooting | ||||
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| Short track speed skating | ||||
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| Show jumping | ||||
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| Skateboarding | ||||
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| Skeleton | ||||
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| Ski jumping (nordic) | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Slalom skiing (alpine) | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Slot car racing | ||||
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| Snooker | ||||
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| Snowboarding | ||||
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| Snowmobile racing | ||||
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| Softball | ||||
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| Speed skating | ||||
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| Speed skiing | ||||
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| Speedway | ||||
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| Sports car racing | ||||
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| Squash | ||||
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| Stock car racing | ||||
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| Sumo | ||||
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| Surfing | ||||
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| Super giant slalom skiing (alpine) | Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) | |||
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| Swimming | ||||
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| Synchronized swimming | ||||
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| Table football | ||||
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| Table tennis | ||||
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| Taekwondo | ||||
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| Tennis | ||||
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| Touring car racing | ||||
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| Track cycling | ||||
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| Trampoline | ||||
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| Triathlon | ||||
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| Truck racing | ||||
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| Tug of war | ||||
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| Volleyball | ||||
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| Water polo | ||||
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| Water skiing | ||||
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| Weightlifting | ||||
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| Wheelchair racing | ||||
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| White water rafting | ||||
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| Windsurfing | ||||
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| Yachting | 17th century | Netherlands | International Sailing Federation (ISAF), which became World Sailing on 14 November 2015 | |
|
notes — The origin of sailing is prehistoric but sailboat racing in modern times began in the 17th century Netherlands and the words "yacht" and "yachting" are derived from the Dutch word jacht (meaning "hunt"). | ||||