In recent years, we have attended many world records in athletics. Whether due to the integration of new technologies in shoes, the evolution of training methods or more knowledge about sports nutrition, records are falling faster and faster.
So far in 2024, at least 13 athletics world records have been established, and last year there were 19, counting only official World Athletics events in the absolute category.
So which countries have the most records in the world? Considering the official list offered by World Athletics, we counted how many records each country has, which we detail below.
The country with the largest number of records in the world is USA with a total of 27. The Americans hold 10 female records, 16 male records and one in the mixed relay.
Second on the list is Kenya with 20 records, followed closely by Ethiopia with 18. The two African countries stand out above all in long-distance races, with records in almost every distance from 3,000 meters to the marathon.
In fourth place is Russia there are 8, followed by missing Soviet Union with 6 and Jamaica with 5.
Seventh place is shared by three countries with 4 records: China, Netherlands and the missing German Democratic Republic.
Further down the rankings there are six countries with 3 records, four countries with 2 and twenty countries with one record each. Included in this last group Spainthanks to María Pérez’s world record in the 35 km walk (2h37:15).
Countries with world records in athletics
- United States: 27
- Kenya: 20
- Ethiopia: 18
- Russia: 8
- USSR: 6
- Jamaica: 5
- China: 4; Netherlands: 4; German Democratic Rep.: 4
- France: 3; Lithuania: 3; Norway: 3; United Kingdom: 3; Sweden: 3; Uganda: 3
- Bahamas: 2; Canada: 2; Morocco: 2; Czech Republic: 2
- Bahrain: 1; Belgium: 1; Bulgaria: 1; Burundi: 1; Czechoslovakia: 1; Cuba: 1; Denmark: 1; Spain: 1; Slovenia: 1; Italy: 1; Japan: 1; Mexico: 1; Mozambique: 1; Namibia: 1; Nigeria: 1; Poland: 1; Romania: 1; South Africa: 1; Venezuela: 1; Djibouti: 1
This classification includes only world records approved by World Athletics in the absolute category.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
