The UK has hosted the Olympic Games on three occasions: 1908, 1948 and 2012.

Tap for more →

Athletes from the UK, its overseas territories and Crown dependencies compete as Great Britain, or Team GB.

Tap for more →

Captained the English football team that won the World Cup in 1966.

Captained the English cricket team and holds a number of English Test cricket records, both for batting and for bowling.

Won gold medals in rowing in five consecutive Olympic Games and is one of Britain’s greatest Olympians.

Scottish cyclist who has won six gold and one silver Olympic medals, plus 11 world championship titles.

Cyclist who in 2012 became the first Briton to win the Tour de France. He has won seven Olympic medals, including gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

British distance runner, born in Somalia, who won gold medals in the 2012 Olympics for the 5,000m and 10,000m: the first Briton to win Olympic gold in the 10,000m.

Won the 2012 Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon, which includes seven different track and field events, and holds a number of British athletics records.

Scottish tennis player who in 2012 won the men’s singles in the US Open: the first British man to win a singles Grand Slam title since 1936.

Tap for more →

Cricket originated in England and is now played in many countries. Games can last up to five days and can still end in a draw.

Tap for more →

Football has a long history in the UK; the first professional clubs were formed in the late 19th century. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have separate leagues.

Tap for more →

Very popular in the UK today, with two types: union and league, each with separate leagues and national teams in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (who play with the Irish Republic).

Tap for more →

One of the more popular sports in the UK. England has the highest number of registered golf courses in Europe (1,872 as of 2017), followed by Germany (731); Scotland has 560, Ireland 405 and Wales 145.

Tap for more →

The first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa in 1872.

Tap for more →

A very long history in Britain, with a long association with royalty.

Tap for more →

Sailing continues to be popular in the UK, reflecting its maritime heritage. Sir Francis Chichester was the first person to sail single-handed around the world (1966/67); two years later Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first to do so without stopping.

Tap for more →

A long history of motor sport in the UK, for both cars and motorcycles. Motor-car racing in the UK started in 1902, and the UK continues to be a world leader in motor-sport technology.

Tap for more →

Increasingly popular in the UK. Many people go abroad to ski and there are also dry ski slopes throughout the UK.

Tap for more →

Many sporting events take place at major stadiums such as Wembley Stadium in London and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Tap for more →

The most famous cricket competition is the Ashes, a series of Test matches played between England and Australia.

Home of the British Grand Prix, held near the village of Silverstone. A Formula 1 Grand Prix event is held there in the UK each year.

Tap for more →