Speed Sports - the highest ranked
Which sports are ranked highest for speed? This list is based on an analysis of 60 sports by an expert team at ESPN. What else but the track and field event of pure sprinting could lead this list of sports needing speed. Other individual sports where the aim is to go as fast as you can are also high on this list.
Out of the team sports, fast paced ice hockey leads the way. It is surprising to see middle distance running so high on the list, even higher than sprint cycling. I am not sure about alpine skiing being on this list, as it is not the athlete producing the speed of that event, it is just gravity. You don't see skydiving here for the same reason. See rankings for other components of fitness. We have also created our own listing of top speed and power rated sports, based on what you, the website visitor, think. It is not the same.
| ranking | sport | rating (/10) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track and Field: Sprints | 9.88 |
| 2 | Speed Skating | 8.88 |
| 3 | Swimming (all strokes): Sprints | 7.88 |
| 4 | Ice Hockey | 7.75 |
| 5 | Track and Field: Middle Distance | 7.75 |
| 6 | Cycling: Sprints | 7.5 |
| 7 | Skiing: Alpine | 7.38 |
| 8 | Basketball | 7.25 |
| 9 | Soccer | 7.25 |
| 10 | American Football | 7.13 |
| 11 | Lacrosse | 7 |
| 12 | Track and Field: Long, Triple jumps | 6.75 |
| 13 | Tennis | 6.75 |
| 14 | Bobsledding/Luge | 6.75 |
| 15 | Baseball/Softball | 6.5 |
| 16 | Boxing | 6.38 |
| 17 | Martial Arts | 6.38 |
| 18 | Track and Field: Pole Vault | 6.13 |
| 19 | Track and Field: High Jump | 6.13 |
| 20 | Field Hockey | 6 |
Related Pages
- Sports ranked by other ESPN factors of success
- Sporting components of athleticism
- A discussion about the Components of Fitness
- What is the Fittest Sport?
- Sport Specific Fitness
- Sport Specific Fitness Testing
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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