World Games facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The World Games

First event	1981 – Santa Clara, California, US
Occur every	4 years
Last event	2022 – Birmingham, Alabama, US
Next event	2025 – Chengdu, China
Purpose	To conduct multi-sport events for sports and disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games
Website	The World Games

The World Games are a big international sports event. They feature sports and activities that are not part of the Olympic Games. These games happen every four years, usually one year after the Summer Olympic Games. The event lasts for about 11 days.

The International World Games Association (IWGA) runs The World Games. The International Olympic Committee also supports them. In recent years, between 25 and 34 different sports have been part of the official program. Some sports that used to be in The World Games are now in the Olympics. This means they leave The World Games program. About 3,500 athletes from around 100 countries take part.

The World Games are different from other big sports events like the Olympics. Host cities do not need to build new places for the games. Athletes are chosen by their sport's international groups, not by national Olympic teams. To qualify, athletes usually need a top spot in world championships. This helps make sure the best athletes compete.

The event's official name is "The World Games," with a capital T.

The very first World Games happened in Santa Clara, California, USA, in 1981. The most recent one was in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, from July 7 to 17, 2022. This event was supposed to be in 2021. But it was moved to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

History of The World Games

How the Games Started

The idea for a sports event for non-Olympic sports came from a group called the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). They saw that many sports did not have a chance to be in the Olympics. So, these sports groups wanted their own big event. They called it The World Games.

In early 1979, these groups formed a team to plan the games. They looked for a place to hold the first event. In May 1979, they announced that Santa Clara, USA, would be the first host city.

The planning team later became the International World Games Association (IWGA) in 1985. The first World Games took place in Santa Clara, USA, in 1981. The opening ceremony had athletes marching by their sport, not by their country.

The first games included 15 sports. Some of these were badminton, casting, and taekwondo. The first medals were given out in tug-of-war. The team from England won the gold medal.

The Games in the 1900s

After the first games, a company called West Nally Group owned the rights to the event. They brought the second games to London in 1985.

For the third games in Karlsruhe, 1989, the West Nally Group still owned the rights. But the host city was in charge of the staff and volunteers. After this, the IWGA bought back the rights. Since then, the host cities have been in charge of organizing and paying for the games.

The 1997 games were planned for Port Elizabeth, South Africa. But Port Elizabeth decided not to host in 1994. This was due to the political situation there. Lahti in Finland offered to host instead. New sports like airsports, dancesport, and jujitsu started in Lahti. They have been part of the games ever since.

After the Lahti games, the IWGA and the IOC made an agreement in 2000. The IOC saw how important The World Games were. They agreed to support the host cities. They also agreed to work together on things like anti-doping. This agreement also said that sports not in the Olympics could be in The World Games. Another agreement was signed in 2016.

The Games in the 2000s

In 2001, the games were held in Akita, Japan. This was the first time they were held outside North America or Europe. A typhoon hit the city, causing some events to be delayed. For the first time, some national Olympic teams helped their athletes with hotel costs.

The 2005 games in Duisburg, Germany, were special. Athletes marched into the opening ceremony grouped by nation for the first time. Also, new standards were set. These included TV broadcasts of all sports. Sports were also grouped by type, like ball sports.

The 2013 games in Cali, Colombia, had many spectators. About 500,000 people watched the events. For example, the salsa dance finals were held in a packed Bullfight Ring. In these games, one event was canceled for the first time. The rhythmic gymnastics ribbon event was canceled due to worries about heat and air in the gym.

The 2017 games in Wrocław, Poland, were broadcast to 130 countries on the Olympic Channel. Some boules events were canceled. A storm damaged their venue, and it could not be fixed in time.

In 2015, it was announced that the 11th games would be in Birmingham, USA, in 2021. Birmingham won against cities like Lima, Peru. On April 2, 2020, the games were moved to 2022. This was to avoid clashing with the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus.

The Birmingham games were the first to include parasports. Wheelchair rugby was part of the program. Disabled athletes also took part in archery. The IWGA wants to work with the International Paralympic Committee. They hope to include more para-athletes in the future.

In 2019, it was announced that The World Games in 2025 will be in Chengdu, China.

What Makes the Games Special

Event Locations

To make hosting easier, cities do not have to build new places for The World Games. This helps keep the event sustainable.

For example, Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham hosted some events in 2022. This used to be a factory. Athletes stayed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Many of UAB's sports facilities were used for events.

Past locations have included the Lahti City Theatre for bodybuilding. Also, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, an old factory in Duisburg, was used. The Wrocław Zoo and Wrocław's Philharmonic Hall also hosted events.

Sometimes, new places are built or fixed up for The World Games. For the 2017 World Games in Wrocław, a new swimming pool was built. The Olympic Stadium, built in 1928, was updated. It is still used for American football. For the 2009 World Games, Kaohsiung built a new stadium. It was the first stadium in the world to use solar energy for power.

How Athletes are Chosen

Athletes are chosen for The World Games by their sport's international group. This is different from other events where national groups choose athletes. The goal is to pick the best athletes. It also aims to have many countries represented.

International groups must send their top athletes. The World Games wants to include sports only if the best athletes in the world are there.

International World Games Association

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is the main group that runs The World Games. Its main office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. English is its official language.

The IWGA has 39 international sports groups as members. It also works closely with Local Organising Committees (LOCs). These are temporary groups that organize each World Games. The IWGA is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

Ceremonies and Parties

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony officially starts The World Games. Until Duisburg in 2005, athletes marched in by sport. Since 2005, they march in by nation. They go in alphabetical order, with the host country and judges last.

An athlete from the host country takes the Athletes' Oath. The head of the judges takes the Judges' Oath. Flags are shown, speeches are given, and the games are officially opened. These are all required parts of the ceremony. There is often music and art too. For example, over 400 artists performed at the 2017 World Games opening in Wroclaw.

Athlete Party

Since 1993, an athlete party has been held in the middle of the games. This party lets all athletes join at least one ceremony. They can attend the opening, the party, or the closing ceremony.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony ends The World Games. It happens after the last awards ceremony. Speeches are given. The next host city is introduced. The flag of the Games is given to the next host city's leaders. In Wroclaw, the second part of the ceremony was a concert by local artists.

Past and Future Games

Overview of The World Games Editions

Year	Edition	Host City	Opened by	Sports	Nations	Athletes	Top Nation
1981	1	United States, Santa Clara	Kim Un-yong	15	58	1400 (est) or 1546	United States
1985	2	United Kingdom, London	Charles Palmer	20	51	1410	Italy
1989	3	West Germany, Karlsruhe	Juan Antonio Samaranch	18	50	1359	Italy
1993	4	Netherlands, The Hague	Kevan Gosper	21	67	2026	Germany
1997	5	Finland, Lahti	Juan Antonio Samaranch	20	70	2016	United States
2001	6	Japan, Akita	Toyama Atsuko	22	80	2380	Russia
2005	7	Germany, Duisburg	Otto Schily	26	93	3149	Russia
2009	8	Chinese Taipei, Kaohsiung	Ma Ying-jeou	25	84	2908	Russia
2013	9	Colombia, Cali	Angelino Garzón	26	91	3103	Italy
2017	10	Poland, Wrocław	Thomas Bach	27	102	3430	Russia
2022	11	United States, Birmingham	Randall Woodfin	30	99	3457	Germany
2025	12	China, Chengdu		35
2029	13	Germany, Karlsruhe

Sports at The World Games

Official Sports

Before 2022, only the IWGA chose the official sports. Only sports whose international groups were part of the IWGA could be chosen. Since 2022, both the IWGA and the host city choose the official sports. This means some sports whose groups are not part of the IWGA can now be included.

A rule says that "only events that are not on the program of the Olympic Games can be included." For example, canoe polo is in The World Games. But canoe sprint is in the Olympics. Both are run by the same international group. Sports that need snow or ice cannot be in The World Games.

Some sports have been in every World Games. These include bowling, finswimming, trampoline, tumbling, karate, powerlifting, roller sports, tug of war, and water skiing. Bowling and water skiing will not be in the 2025 games.

Invitational Sports

Besides the official sports, the host city can invite other sports. They work with the IWGA to do this. These invited sports could include those whose international groups were not IWGA members. Before Birmingham 2022, these were called "invitational sports."

Starting in Birmingham 2022, there is no longer a difference between official and invitational sports. Host cities can still pick up to five extra sports. But these are now called "official" sports. Also, the host city can choose "display sports." The IWGA President said that in Birmingham, invited sports were part of the official program. For example, Birmingham chose men's lacrosse, duathlon, flag football, and wushu. For the first time, a Paralympic sport was included. A wheelchair rugby tournament was held.

Some sports started as invitational sports and later became official. This often happened when their international groups joined the IWGA. Examples include lyonnaise boules sports, beach handball, sumo, and indoor tug of war.

Sports Also in the Olympics

Some sports or activities have been in both The World Games and the Olympics. These include badminton, baseball and softball, karate, rugby, sport climbing, taekwondo, target archery, triathlon, beach volleyball, and water polo. Target archery is in both now. But The World Games only has events not in the Olympics.

Other Sports Shown

Besides official and invited sports, other sports have been shown at The World Games. Some were part of "The World Games Garden." These include Wheel Gymnastics, Ring Tennis, Skateboard, and Baton twirling.

List of Sports

Bold means the sport will be in the 2025 World Games.

Medal Winners

Top Countries by Medals

This table shows the top ten countries with the most medals up to the 2022 World Games.

Top ten total medal ranking

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Italy	166	171	153	490
2	Germany	162	118	156	436
3	United States	161	137	115	413
4	Russia	137	110	72	319
5	France	114	116	121	351
6	China	78	59	29	166
7	Great Britain	65	65	95	225
8	Japan	65	49	65	179
9	Ukraine	58	59	54	171
10	Spain	47	49	49	145
Totals (10 entries)		1,053	933	909	2,895

Top Athletes by Medals

This table shows the top ten athletes with the most medals.

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Sport	Years Active	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Jurgen Kolenda	Germany	Finswimming	1981–1985	11	0	0	11
2	Steve Rajeff	United States	Casting	1981–2005	8	4	3	15
3	Serguei Akhapov	Russia	Finswimming	1989–2005	8	4	1	13
4	Bart Swings	Belgium	Speed skating	2013–2022	8	2	2	12
5	Danny Wieck	Germany	Life saving	2013-2022	6	1	2	9
6	Magali Rousseau	France	Life saving	2013-2022	6	1	1	8
6	Patrice Martin	France	Waterski	1981–2001	6	1	1	8
8	Anna Poliakova	Russia	Sumo	2009–2017	6	0	0	6
9	Marcello Saporiti	Italy	Life saving	1989–1993	5	2	2	9
10	Vasilisa Kravchuk	Russia	Finswimming	2005–2013	5	2	1	8

See also

In Spanish: Juegos Mundiales para niños