Sport & Athletes
Test your knowledge of Track and Field World Record Holders with a free trivia word search from thewordfind.com. Read each clue, work out the answer, then find it hidden in the letter grid — every puzzle is freshly generated, so no two plays are ever quite the same. Don't know an answer? Tap the hint button in-game to reveal the first letter, or just scan the grid — every answer is hiding in there somewhere. Between the clues and the full answer key below, this topic doubles as a quick study guide — good for a trivia night, a classroom quiz, or just picking up something new about Track and Field World Record Holders along the way.
Play This Puzzle →A few sample clues
At those same 2009 World Championships in Berlin, _ _ _ _ _ Bolt also lowered the 200m world record to 19.19 seconds.
This Venezuelan athlete's triple jump of 15.74 meters, achieved in Belgrade in 2022, is the women's world record.
_ _ _ _ _
Ethiopia's Lamecha '_ _ _ _ _' set the men's 3000m steeplechase world record of 7:52.11 at the 2023 Paris Diamond League.
This Swiss multi-eventer scored 6670 points to set the indoor heptathlon world record at the 2026 World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
This Ukrainian pole vaulter broke the world record 35 times across his career, indoors and outdoors, between 1984 and 1994.
_ _ _ _ _
All 100 questions in this topic, with answers — use it to study, or just browse. Every actual play of the puzzle only pulls a random handful of these into one game, so knowing them all here won't spoil which ones show up or where they're hidden in the grid. Play it here.
This Russian sprinter set the women's indoor 60m world record of 6.92 seconds in Madrid in 1993.
PRIVALOVAThis Ethiopian runner set the women's indoor 1500m world record of 3:53.09 in Liévin in 2021.
TSEGAYThis Chinese athlete set the women's 20km race walk world record of 1:23:49 in Huangshan in 2021.
YANGThis American shot putter set the outdoor world record of 23.56 meters in Los Angeles in 2023.
CROUSERThis Jamaican sprinter's indoor 200m time of 21.87 seconds, set in Liévin in 1993, remains the women's world record.
OTTEYThis American heptathlete, born Jacqueline Joyner, competed under her married name Joyner-'_ _ _ _ _ _' and scored 7291 points at the 1988 Seoul Olympics — still the world record.
KERSEEThis Lithuanian discus thrower broke his own world record with a throw of 75.56 meters in Ramona, California, in 2025.
ALEKNAThis Kenyan runner set the men's 800m world record of 1:40.91 while winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
RUDISHABefore Alison dos Santos broke it in 2026, this Norwegian's iconic 45.94-second run at the Tokyo Olympics had been the 400m hurdles world record since 2021.
WARHOLMAmerican hurdler _ _ _ _ _ _ McLaughlin-Levrone ran 50.37 seconds to set the 400m hurdles world record at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
SYDNEYBefore Duplantis's era, France's _ _ _ _ _ _ Lavillenie cleared 6.16 meters indoors in Donetsk in 2014, breaking Sergey Bubka's 21-year-old world record.
RENAUDEthiopia's _ _ _ _ _ Gebrselassie set marathon world records of 2:04:26 and 2:03:59 in Berlin in 2007 and 2008.
HAILEOn a single afternoon in Ann Arbor in 1935, this American sprinter and long jumper set or tied six world records in under an hour.
OWENSThis Kenyan runner held the marathon world record twice, running 2:01:39 in Berlin in 2018 and then 2:01:09 in the same city in 2022.
KIPCHOGEThis Dutch runner set the women's indoor 400m world record of 49.17 seconds in Glasgow in 2024.
BOLBrazil's Alison _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ lowered the 400m hurdles world record to 45.80 seconds at the 2026 Weltklasse meeting in Zurich.
DOSSANTOSThis British runner's marathon time of 2:15:25, set in London in 2003, stood as the women's world record for sixteen years.
RADCLIFFEThis Bahamian quarter-miler's indoor 300m time of 31.56 seconds, set in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2022, is a current world best.
GARDINERThis Kenyan runner set the women's 5000m world record of 13:58.06 in Eugene in July 2025.
CHEBETThis East German athlete's discus throw of 76.80 meters in Neubrandenburg in 1988 is the women's world record, unbroken for decades.
REINSCHThis Ethiopian distance runner's half-marathon world record of 57:30, set in Valencia in 2024, remains unbeaten.
KEJELCHAThis American hurdler became the first man to break 13 seconds in the 110m hurdles, running 12.93 in Zurich in 1981.
NEHEMIAHThis East German hurdler's indoor 50m hurdles time of 6.58 seconds, set in Berlin in 1988, remains a world record decades later.
OSCHKENATThis Romanian athlete's indoor 3000m race walk time of 11:40.33, set in Bucharest in 1978, remains a world record.
STEFThis East German runner's 400m time of 47.60 seconds, set in Canberra in 1985, remains one of the longest-unbroken records in the sport.
KOCHThis Ukrainian athlete broke a 37-year-old record when she cleared 2.10 meters to set the women's high jump world record in Paris in 2024.
MAHUCHIKHThis Czech javelin thrower's mark of 98.48 meters, set in Jena, Germany, in 1996, remains unmatched today.
ZELEZNYThis British runner became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, clocking 3:59.4 in Oxford in 1954.
BANNISTERThis American hurdler's indoor 60m hurdles time of 7.27 seconds, run in Albuquerque in 2024, is the current world record.
HOLLOWAYThis Soviet hammer thrower's 1986 mark of 86.74 meters in Stuttgart is the longest-standing men's throwing world record still unbroken.
SEDYKHThis American hurdler broke the women's 100m hurdles world record with a time of 12.09 seconds at the 2026 Zurich Diamond League final.
RUSSELLThis American distance runner set the men's indoor 3000m world record of 7:22.91 in New York in February 2025.
FISHERThis Burkinabé athlete's indoor triple jump of 18.07 meters, set in Aubière, France, in 2021, is the current world record.
ZANGOThis American long jumper's indoor best of 8.79 meters, set in New York in 1984, is still the men's indoor world record.
LEWISThis Djiboutian runner set the men's indoor 1000m world record of 2:14.20 in Stockholm in 2016.
SOULEIMANThis American sprinter ran the anchor leg as the USA women set the 4x100m relay world record of 40.82 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics.
JETERSoviet athlete _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Lisovskaya threw the shot 22.63 meters in Moscow in 1987, a women's world record that still stands.
NATALYAThe same Kenyan runner, whose first name is '_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,' became the first woman under 29 minutes for 10,000m, running 28:54.14 in 2024.
BEATRICEThis Kenyan runner set the women's 1500m world record of 3:48.68 in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2025.
KIPYEGONCzech runner _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Kratochvílová ran 1:53.28 in Munich in 1983 — the oldest individual world record standing in track and field today.
JARMILAThis Ethiopian runner holds the women's indoor mile, 3000m, and 5000m world records, all set in the mid-2010s.
DIBABAThis Belgian athlete scored 5055 points to set the women's indoor pentathlon world record in Istanbul in 2023.
THIAMAmerican shot putter _ _ _ _ Crouser threw 22.82 meters indoors in Fayetteville in January 2021 to set the men's indoor world record.
RYANIn January 2026 in Boston, American Josh '_ _ _ _' broke the long-standing indoor 800m world record with a time of 1:42.50.
HOEYThis now-dissolved nation's women's quartet ran 3:15.17 to set the 4x400m relay world record at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, a mark still unbroken.
USSRSoviet athlete _ _ _ _ _ _ Chistyakova leapt 7.52 meters in Leningrad in 1988 to set a women's long jump world record that stands to this day.
GALINAThis French athlete's decathlon total of 9126 points, set in Talence in 2018, is the current world record.
MAYERKenya's _ _ _ _ Chepngetich lowered the marathon world record by nearly two minutes with a 2:09:56 finish at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
RUTHThis Caribbean nation's quartet ran 36.84 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics to set the men's 4x100m relay world record.
JAMAICAThis Kenyan runner set the women's 3000m steeplechase world record of 8:44.32 at the 2018 Monaco Diamond League.
CHEPKOECHThis Mozambican runner's indoor 1000m time of 2:30.94, set in Stockholm in 1999, is the women's world record.
MUTOLAThis Ugandan distance runner set the men's 5000m world record of 12:35.36 in Monaco in August 2020.
CHEPTEGEIThis Moroccan runner has held the men's 1500m world record of 3:26.00 since a 1998 race in Rome.
GUERROUJThis American sprinter set the men's indoor 60m world record of 6.34 seconds in Albuquerque in 2018.
COLEMANThis American sprinter's 44.52-second run in Fayetteville in February 2026 was the first ratified men's indoor 400m world record in two decades.
MCRAEBritain's _ _ _ _ _ Hodgkinson clocked 1:54.87 in Liévin in February 2026 to break the women's indoor 800m world record.
KEELYNicknamed the 'Czech Locomotive,' this runner won three distance gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics while setting Olympic and world records.
ZATOPEKThis British middle-distance runner held the world records in the 800m, 1500m, and mile simultaneously for a stretch in 1979.
COEThis Finnish 'Flying Finn' set 22 official world records across middle- and long-distance events during the 1920s.
NURMIRunning from an outer lane, South Africa's Wayde van _ _ _ _ _ _ _ clocked 43.03 seconds to break the 400m world record at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
NIEKERKIn June 2026 in Eugene, American hurdler Ja'Kobe '_ _ _ _ _' broke the 110m hurdles world record with a time of 12.75 seconds.
THARPIn April 2026, Kenya's Sabastian '_ _ _ _' became the first man to run a record-legal marathon under two hours, clocking 1:59:30 in London.
SAWEThat same sprinter's 21.34-second run at the 1988 Seoul Olympics remains the women's 200m world record; her first name was '_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.'
FLORENCEThis Canadian sprinter's altitude-aided indoor 50m time of 5.56 seconds, run in Reno in 1996, remains a world best.
BAILEYNicknamed 'Flo-Jo,' this American sprinter set the still-unbeaten women's 100m world record of 10.49 seconds in Indianapolis in 1988.
JOYNERThis American long jumper's leap of 8.90 meters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics stood as the world record for 23 years, until Mike Powell broke it in 1991.
BEAMONMorocco's El Guerrouj, whose first name is '_ _ _ _ _ _,' also set the mile world record of 3:43.13 in Rome the following year, 1999.
HICHAMBefore McRae's 2026 mark, this American's 44.57-second indoor 400m from 2005 had stood as the world record for two decades.
CLEMENTThis nation's quartet set the men's 4x400m relay world record of 2:54.29 at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, a mark that has stood for over three decades.
USACzechoslovakia's _ _ _ _ _ _ Fibingerová threw the shot 22.50 meters indoors in Jablonec in 1977, a world record that still stands.
HELENAThis American athlete's indoor weight throw of 26.02 meters, set in Albuquerque in 2023, is a women's world best in that event.
PRICEThis British triple jumper's mark of 18.29 meters, set in Gothenburg in 1995, remains the men's world record.
EDWARDSThis Czech athlete's javelin throw of 72.28 meters in Stuttgart in 2008 remains the women's world record.
SPOTAKOVAThis Japanese athlete set the men's 20km race walk world record of 1:16:10 in Kobe in 2025.
YAMANISHIThis Cuban athlete has held the men's high jump world record of 2.45 meters since 1993, one of the longest-standing records in the sport.
SOTOMAYORThe men's 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set in Berlin in 2009, is held by Jamaica's Usain '_ _ _ _.'
BOLTIn March 2026 in Uppsala, Sweden's Armand _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ raised the pole vault world record to 6.31 meters, his fifteenth career world record.
DUPLANTISThis American long jumper's 8.95-meter leap in Tokyo in 1991 broke Bob Beamon's 23-year-old world record and still stands today.
POWELLCuba's _ _ _ _ _ _ Sotomayor set the indoor high jump world record of 2.43 meters in Budapest in 1989, two centimeters below his own outdoor mark.
JAVIERThis Denmark-based Kenyan-born runner set the men's indoor 800m world record of 1:42.67 in Paris in 1997, a mark that stood for nearly three decades.
KIPKETERWeeks later, the same Ugandan runner, whose first name is '_ _ _ _ _ _,' also broke the 10,000m world record in Valencia with a time of 26:11.00.
JOSHUAWeeks later, the same American runner, whose first name is '_ _ _ _ _,' also set the indoor 5000m world record of 12:44.09 in Boston.
GRANTRussia's _ _ _ _ _ _ Isinbayeva cleared 5.06 meters in Zurich in 2009 to set a women's pole vault world record that still stands.
YELENAThis American hurdler held the 400m hurdles world record in the early 1980s and remained unbeaten in the event for nearly ten years, from 1977 to 1987.
MOSESPoland's _ _ _ _ _ Wlodarczyk threw the hammer 82.98 meters in Warsaw in 2016 to set the women's world record.
ANITAThis East German long jumper's indoor leap of 7.37 meters in Vienna in 1988 remains the women's world record.
DRECHSLERThis Kenyan runner broke the marathon world record with a time of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, becoming the first man under 2:01.
KIPTUMNamibia's _ _ _ _ _ Fredericks set the indoor 200m world record of 19.92 seconds in Liévin, France, in 1996.
FRANKThe same Kenyan runner, whose first name is '_ _ _ _ _,' also broke the mile world record with a time of 4:06.91 in Paris in June 2025.
FAITHBefore Mahuchikh broke it in 2024, Bulgaria's _ _ _ _ _ _ Kostadinova had held the women's high jump world record of 2.09 meters since 1987 — 37 years.
STEFKAThis Bahamian hurdler set the women's indoor 60m hurdles world record of 7.65 seconds in Glasgow in 2024.
CHARLTONThis American pole vaulter's indoor clearance of 5.02 meters in Albuquerque in 2013 is a women's world best.
SUHRThis Swedish high jumper's indoor clearance of 2.08 meters in Arnstadt, Germany, in 2006 is the women's world record.
BERGQVISTBefore Ja'Kobe Tharp's 2026 breakthrough, this American hurdler held the 110m hurdles world record at 12.80 seconds for over a decade after setting it in Brussels in 2012.
MERRITTNorway's _ _ _ _ _ Ingebrigtsen set both the indoor 1500m (3:29.63) and indoor mile (3:45.14) world records on the same night in Liévin in February 2025.
JAKOB