In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis. A winning streak that extends through a single season is known as a perfect season.
The longest winning streak in any professional sports may have been Jahangir Khan's 555 consecutive wins in squash from 1981 to 1986. Currently, Esther Vergeer is on a 418-match winning streak in wheelchair tennis since January 30, 2003, which included a streak of 250 consecutive sets won.
A winning streak is not to be confused with an unbeaten streak, where teams can tie as well as win and keep their streak. For example, if a football team wins four games in a row, plays a draw, wins three more, plays two draws in a row, and then loses, they had a 10-game unbeaten streak. Their longest winning streak in this sequence was four. If a sports league declares overtime losses different from regulation losses in that they are scored like ties (such as ice hockey leagues where there is both a 4-on-4 overtime and a penalty shootout to break ties), an unbeaten streak (unlike a winning streak) continues if at the end of regulation, the game is tied. This is because losses in overtime and shootout are declared regulation ties, and teams accumulate one point for the draw. As such, if a team wins four consecutive games, then loses two consecutive games in overtime, then loses in a shootout, and then wins three consecutive games, that team has a ten-game unbeaten streak (seven wins and three ties at the end of regulation).
Aquatic Sports[]
Diving[]
Olympics[]
Men's 3m Springboard[]
11 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1972 Munich, West Germany
Men's 10m Platform[]
7 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1956 Melbourne, Australia
Women's 3m Springboard[]
8 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1960 Rome, Italy
World Championships[]
Women's 3m Springboard[]
5 consecutive titles at World Championships — Guo Jingjing
- Streak started 2001 Fukuoka, Japan
- Retired, 2011
Note: gold medalist in the same event at Athens and Beijing Olympics
Women's 3m Springboard Synchro[]
5 consecutive titles at World Championships — Guo Jingjing
- Streak started 2001 Fukuoka, Japan
- Retired, 2011
Note: gold medalist in the same event at Athens and Beijing Olympics
Women's 10m Springboard Synchro[]
5 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 2001 Fukuoka, Japan
Swimming[]
Olympics[]
Men's 4×100m Medley Relay[]
12 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1960 Rome, Italy (Inaugural Competition)
Note: excluding boycotted Moscow Olympics
Women's 4×100m Freestyle Relay[]
6 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1960 Rome, Italy
- Streak ended 1988 Seoul, South Korea
Note: excluding boycotted Moscow Olympics
World Championships[]
Men's 4×100m Freestyle Relay[]
8 consecutive titles at World Championships — USA
- Streak started 1973 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
- Streak ended 2001 Fukuoka, Japan
College (USA)[]
31 consecutive NCAA Men's Division III titles — Kenyon College
- Streak started 1980
- Streak ended 2011
Synchronized Swimming[]
6 consecutive World Championships team titles — Russia
- Streak started 1998 Perth, Australia
Archery[]
Women's Team[]
6 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — South Korea
- Streak started 1988 Seoul, South Korea (Inaugural Team Competition)
5 consecutive world championships titles — South Korea [1]
- Streak started 2001 Beijing, China
Athletics[]
Men's 400m Hurdles[]
122 races — Edwin Moses
- Streak started September 2, 1977 Düsseldorf, West Germany
- Streak ended June 4, 1987 Madrid, Spain (second to Danny Harris)
Note: this streak included an Olympic gold medal and two improvements of his own world records.
Long-distance running[]
75 races — Emil Zatopek[1]
- Streak started 26 September 1948 (10,000 m race in Bucharest)
- Streak ended 11 July 1951 (second place in a 3000 m race in Prague)
Men's Discus Throw[]
4 consecutive Olympic titles — Al Oerter
- Streak started 1956 Melbourne, Australia
- Streak ended 1976 Montreal, Canada
Men's Long Jump[]
65 consecutive competitions - Carl Lewis
- Ended by Mike Powell when he jumped his 8.95M world record during the 1991 World Championships[2]
4 consecutive Olympic titles — Carl Lewis
- Streak started 1984 Los Angeles, USA
- Streak ended 2000, Sydney, Australia
8 consecutive Olympic titles — USA
- Streak started 1924 Paris, France
- Streak ended 1964 Tokyo, Japan
Men's Pole Vault[]
6 consecutive World Championships — Sergey Bubka
- Streak started 1983 Helsinki, Finland
- Streak ended 1999 Seville, Spain
16 consecutive Olympic titles — USA
- Streak started 1896 Athens, Greece
- Streak ended 1972 Munich, West Germany
Men's Cross Country[]
5 consecutive World Championships (tie)
- Paul Tergat
- Streak started 1995, Durham, United Kingdom
- Streak ended 2000, Vilamoura, Portugal
- Kenenisa Bekele
- Streak started 2002, Dublin, Ireland
- Streak ended 2007, Mombasa, Kenya
Men's 110 Meter Hurdles[]
9 consecutive Olympic titles — USA
- Streak started 1932 Los Angeles, USA
- Streak ended 1976 Montreal, Canada
Men's High Jump[]
8 consecutive Olympic titles — USA
- Streak started 1896 Athens, Greece
- Streak ended 1932 Los Angeles, USA
Men's 4×100m Relay[]
8 consecutive Olympic titles — USA
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1960 Rome, Italy
Men's 3000m Steeplechase[]
7 consecutive Olympic titles - Kenya
- Streak started 1984 Los Angeles, USA
Women's high jump[]
140 to 150 competitions [3] — Iolanda Balaş
- Streak started December 1956
- Streak ended June 1967
Note: this streak included 2 Olympic gold medals and 14 improvements of the world record.
Auto racing[]
Formula One[]
7 wins — Michael Schumacher
- Streak started May 30, 2004
- Streak ended August 29, 2004
World Rally Championship[]
7 consecutive World Championships — Sébastien Loeb
- Streak started 2004
NASCAR Cup Series[]
10 wins — 1967 Richard Petty
Note: Many NASCAR Cup Series records are differentiated between pre-1972 and post-1972 records. Three major changes were made for that season:
- The schedule was shortened from 48 to 31 races. (The Sprint Cup Series now has 36 races.)
- All dirt track races were removed from the schedule; since then, almost all Cup Series races have been held on oval tracks, with the remainder on road courses.
- A minimum race distance was established — originally 250 miles (402.3 km), later shortened to 300 km (186.4 miles).
Many NASCAR streaks came when the series had shorter races — some were under 100 miles. As a result, some NASCAR records are differentiated that way, similar to the NBA differentiating "fewest points" records with pre and post-1954 records, when the 24-second shot clock was introduced.
- Post-1972
4 wins (tie) (length of shortest race, in miles, in brackets):
- 1976 Cale Yarborough (216.8)
- 1981 Darrell Waltrip (250)
- 1987 Dale Earnhardt (250)
- 1991 Harry Gant (250)
- 1992 Bill Elliott (300)
- 1993 Mark Martin (220.5)
- 1998 Jeff Gordon (220.5)
- 2007 Jimmie Johnson (263)
Note: In seven of the eight instances, at least one of the wins was in a 500-mile race. Mark Martin's 1993 streak ended at Darlington, where the Mountain Dew Southern 500 was stopped 16 laps early because of darkness.
Basketball[]
Olympics[]
7 Consecutive Men's titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1936 Berlin, Germany
- Streak ended 1972 Munich, West Germany
NBA[]
33 games — 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers
- Streak started November 5, 1971 (defeated Baltimore Bullets, 110-106)
- Streak ended January 7, 1972 (ended by Milwaukee Bucks, 104-120)
College (USA)[]
NCAA Women's Division I[]
All games[]
90 games — Connecticut
- Streak started November 18, 2008 (defeated Georgia Tech 82–71)
- Streak ended December 30, 2010 (defeated by Stanford 59-71)
Note: The Wayland Baptist University women's basketball team achieved a winning streak of 131 games which started November 7, 1953 and ended March 20, 1958 (ended by Nashville Business School 42-46). However, a national organizing structure for women's intercollegiate basketball did not exist until the AIAW was established in 1971; the NCAA did not begin organizing women's sports until 1981. Wayland Baptist instead played in competitions sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union.[4]
Regular-season games only[]
By NCAA convention, the "regular season" does not include games in conference tournaments or in any national postseason tournament.
71 games — Connecticut
- Streak started February 9, 2008 (defeated Seton Hall 82-36)
- Streak ended December 30, 2010 (defeated by Stanford 59-71)
NCAA Men's Division I[]
All games[]
88 games — UCLA
- Streak started January 30, 1971 (defeated UC Santa Barbara 74-61) following 82-89 loss to Notre Dame, January 23, 1971
- Streak ended January 19, 1974 (ended by Notre Dame 70–71)
Regular-season games only[]
By NCAA convention, the "regular season" does not include games in conference tournaments or in any national postseason tournament.
74 games — UCLA
- This streak was a subset of UCLA's overall winning streak of 88 games, with the same starting and ending date
An interesting streak is The University of North Carolina's home winning streak over Clemson University. Clemson is 0-55 in such games, never once beating the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The streak started in 1926.
Bat-and-ball games[]
Baseball[]
World Championships[]
Men[]
9 consecutive World Cup titles — Cuba
- Streak started 1984 Havana, Cuba
- Streak ended 2007 Taipei, Taiwan
Women[]
7 consecutive World Championships — USA
- Streak started 1986 Auckland, New Zealand
Major League Baseball[]
By a team[]
26 games — New York Giants
- Streak started September 7, 1916 (defeated Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-1)
- Streak ended September 30, 1916 (ended by Boston Braves, 3-8)
Note: The Giants tied the Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader 1-1 on September 18, 1916. Major League Baseball excludes all games which end in ties from their official statistics. The longest winning streak without ties in Major League Baseball is 21 games, achieved by the Chicago Cubs in 1935. The Oakland Athletics hold the American League record at 20 games, set in 2002.
By a pitcher[]
24 consecutive winning decisions — Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
- Streak started July 17, 1936 (defeated Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0)
- Streak ended May 30, 1937 (ended by Brooklyn Dodgers, 3-10)
Note: Hubbell's streak was achieved in 27 games as he also pitched three no-decisions. In baseball, only losing decisions can end winning streaks by pitchers.
College (USA)[]
NCAA Division I[]
34 games (tie):
- Texas
- Streak started February 18, 1977 (defeated Texas Wesleyan 3-1)
- Streak ended March 26, 1977 (defeated by Rice 3-4)
- Florida Atlantic
- Streak started February 19, 1999 (defeated Clemson 3-0)
- Streak ended March 17, 1999 (defeated by Florida 9-4)
NCAA Division II[]
46 games — 2000 Savannah State University
NCAA Division III[]
44 games — 2008 Trinity College (Connecticut)
NAIA[]
41 games — 1990 Point Park College (Pittsburgh, PA)
Cricket[]
Test[]
16 matches — Australia
- Streak started October 17, 1999 (defeated Zimbabwe by 10 wickets at Harare) (scorecard)
- Streak ended March 15, 2001 (lost to India by 171 runs at Calcutta) (scorecard)
Note: Australia equalled this record with another 16 wins in a row from December 2005 until January 2008.
ODI[]
21 matches — Australia
- Streak started January 11, 2003 (defeated England by 7 runs at Hobart) (scorecard)
- Streak ended May 25, 2003 (lost to West Indies by 31 runs at Port of Spain) (scorecard)
World Cup[]
25 matches[5] — Australia
- Streak started June 20, 1999 (defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets at Lord's) (scorecard)
- Streak ended March 5, 2011 (no result against Sri Lanka at Colombo) (scorecard)
Twenty20 International[]
8 matches - England
- Streak started May 6 2010 (defeated Pakistan by 6 wickets at Bridgetown) (scorecard)
- Streak ended January 14 2011 (lost to Australia by 4 runs at Melbourne) (scorecard)
International Cricket (All Forms)[]
20 matches (17 ODIs and 3 tests) - Australia[6]
- Streak started January 11, 2003 (defeated England by 7 runs in an ODI at Hobart) (scorecard)
- Streak ended May 13, 2003 (lost to West Indies by 3 wickets in a test match at St John's) (scorecard)
Domestic or Club Twenty20[]
25 matches - Sialkot Stallions (Pakistan)[7]
- Streak started February 24, 2006 (defeated Lahore Eagles by 8 wickets at Karachi) (scorecard)
- Streak ended October 14, 2010 (lost to Rawalpindi Rams by 13 runs at Lahore) (scorecard)
Combat sports[]
Boxing[]
Professional[]
87 — Julio César Chávez (light welterweight)[8]
- Streak started 5 February 1980 (defeated Andres Felix) (Chávez's first professional bout)
- Streak ended 10 September 1993 (draw with Pernell Whitaker)
Note: After two more wins Chávez lost to Frankie Randall on 29 January 1994 to end an unbeaten streak of 90 matches.
Longest unbeaten streak [9]
103 — Jimmy Wilde (flyweight) [10]
- Streak started 26 December 1910 (defeated Les Williams) (Wilde's first professional bout)
- Streak ended 25 January 1915 (defeated by Tancy Lee)
Note: all fights were in the UK against boxers of the UK. The records for international fights are:
93 — Pedro Carrasco (lightweight)[11]
- Streak started 22 April 1964 (defeated Giuliano Scatolini)
- Streak ended 18 February 1972 (defeated by Mando Ramos)
91 — Sugar Ray Robinson (middleweight)[12]
- Streak started 19 February 1943 (defeated Jackie Wilson)
- Streak ended 10 July 1951 (ended by Randy Turpin)
Olympics[]
3 consecutive Olympic gold medals (tie)
- László Papp
- Streak started 1948 London, UK
- Streak ended 1960 Rome, Italy
- Teófilo Stevenson
- Streak started 1972 Montreal, Canada
- Streak ended 1984 Los Angeles, USA (boycotted by Cuba)
- Félix Savón
- Streak started 1992 Barcelona, Spain
- Streak ended 2004, Athens, Greece
7 consecutive Olympic heavyweight titles — Cuba
- Streak started 1972 Munich, West Germany
- Streak ended 2008 Beijing, China
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles and Seoul Olympics
World Championship[]
6 consecutive heavyweight World Championships — Félix Savón
- Streak started 1986 Reno, USA
- Streak ended 1999 Houston, USA
Note: winner of 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals (1992–2000)
Judo[]
6 consecutive titles at World Championships — Ryoko Tani
- Streak started 1993 Hamilton, Canada
- Streak ended 2005 Cairo, Egypt
Mixed Martial Arts[]
Men[]
20 fights — Miguel Torres
- Streak started March 27, 2000
- Streak ended November 22, 2003
Women[]
22 fights — Megumi Fujii
- Streak started August 9, 2004
- Streak ended October 28, 2010, at Bellator 34
Longest unbeaten streak
32 fights (30 wins, 1 draw, 1 no contest) — Igor Vovchanchyn
- Streak started January 23, 1996
- Streak ended May 1, 2000
Wrestling[]
Olympics[]
Men's Freestyle[]
187 consecutive matches including 1964 Tokyo Olympics — Osamu Watanabe
Note: The only modern Olympian to go unbeaten throughout his entire career.
6 consecutive Men's heavyweight Olympic titles — USSR
- Streak started 1964 Tokyo, Japan
- Streak ended 1992 Barcelona, Spain
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles Olympics
Men's Greco-Roman[]
13 years including 3 consecutive Olympics titles (1988–1996) — Alexander Karelin [2]
- Streak started 1988
- Streak ended 2000 Sydney, Australia — lost to Rulon Gardner
6 consecutive Men's heavyweight Olympic titles — USSR
- Streak started 1972 Munich, West Germany
- Streak ended 2000 Sydney, Australia
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles Olympics
World Championships[]
Men's Freestyle[]
6 consecutive titles at World Championships — Sergey Beloglazov [3]
- Streak started 1981 Skopje, Yugoslavia
- Streak ended 1989 Martigny, Switzerland
19 consecutive team titles at World Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1967 New Delhi, India
- Streak ended 1993 Toronto, Canada
Men's Greco-Roman[]
9 consecutive titles at World Championships — Alexander Karelin
- Streak started 1989 Martigny, Switzerland
- Streak ended 2000 Retired after Sydney Olympics
Note: winner of 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals (1988–1996)
21 consecutive team titles at World Championships — USSR and Russia
- Streak started 1973 Tehran, Iran
- Streak ended 2001 Patras, Greece
Women's Freestyle[]
6 consecutive team titles at World Championships — Japan
- Streak started 2002 Chalcis, Greece
- Streak ended 2009 Herning, Denmark
College (USA)[]
159 matches — Cael Sanderson, Iowa State
Note: never lost a single NCAA match in entire collegiate career (1998–2002)
High school (USA)[]
459 consecutive matches — Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida[13][14]
- Streak started January 28, 1974
- Streak ended January 5, 2008
Sumo[]
69 matches — Futabayama Sadaji
- Streak started January 7, 1936
- Streak ended January 3, 1939 (ended by Akinoumi Setsuo)
Cycling[]
Women[]
5 consecutive Women's sprint world championships - Félicia Ballanger
- Streak started 1995 Bogotá, Colombia
- Streak ended 2000 Manchester, United Kingdom
Note: winner of 3 Olympic gold medals in cycling
15 consecutive Women's sprint world championships - USSR
- Streak started 1958 Paris, France
- Streak ended 1973 San Sebastian, Spain
Equine sports[]
Dressage[]
7 consecutive Olympic Team titles — Germany
- Streak started 1984 Los Angeles, USA
9 consecutive World Championships — Germany
- Streak started 1974 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Streak ended 2010 Lexington, Kentucky
Horse racing[]
By a racehorse[]
56 races — Camarero[15]
- Streak started April 19, 1953
- Streak ended August 1, 1955
By a jockey[]
12 races — Gordon Richards
- Streak started October 3, 1933
- Streak ended October 5, 1933
Football[]
Association football[]
International[]
19 FIFA World Cup appearances — Brazil
- Streak started 1930, Uruguay (Inaugural World Cup)
Note: Brazil is the only national football team to have played in every World Cup.[4]
15 consecutive FIFA World Cup second round qualifications — Germany
- Streak started 1954, Switzerland
15 games — Spain[16]
- Streak started June 26, 2008 (defeated Russia, 3-0)
- Streak ended June 24, 2009 (ended by United States, 0-2)
Note: Spain (7 Feb 2007 - 24 Jun 2009) also shares with Brazil (16 Dec 1993 - 21 Jan 1996) the unbeaten record of 35 games. Brazil's loss at the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was by the under-23 (Olympic) team, but is officially counted as a loss of the national team.[17] Otherwise the Brazil national team wouldn't lose until 30 May 1997 (2:4 vs Norway), thus extending it to 45 games.
National leagues[]
Uruguayan League[]
32 games — 1940-1942 Nacional
Portuguese Liga[]
29 games — 1971-1973 S.L. Benfica[18]
A-League[]
28 games — 2010- present Brisbane Roar
Croatian League[]
28 games — 2007-2008 Dinamo Zagreb[18]
Scottish Premier League[]
25 games — 2003-2004 Celtic F.C.[18]
Copa do Brasil-Campeonato Paranaense[]
24 games — 2011-still running Coritiba Foot Ball Club
Eredivisie[]
22 games — 1987-1988 PSV Eindhoven[18]
Serie A[]
17 games — 2006-2007 F.C. Internazionale Milano[18]
La Liga[]
16 games — 2010-2011 F.C. Barcelona [19]
Fußball-Bundesliga[]
15 games — 2005-2006 Bayern Munich[18]
Premier League[]
14 games — Arsenal F.C.[18]
- Streak started February 10, 2002
- Streak ended August 18, 2002
Major League Soccer[]
15 games — Los Angeles Galaxy[20]
- Streak started September 7, 1997
- Streak ended May 17, 1998
Note: This streak was achieved when MLS used a shootout rule to eliminate tie games. Only one of those wins was achieved through a shootout. After the 1999 season, MLS abolished the shootout in favor of the international model of letting regular-season ties stand.
Australian rules football[]
Australian Football League[]
23 wins — 1952-53 Geelong Cats
Gridiron football[]
American football[]
National Football League[]
Consecutive Games Won (Regular Season and Playoffs)
21 games — New England Patriots
- Streak started October 5, 2003 (defeated Tennessee Titans, 38-30)
- Streak ended October 31, 2004 (ended by Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-34)
Consecutive Regular Season Games Won
23 games — Indianapolis Colts
- Streak started November 2, 2008 (defeated New England Patriots, 18-15)
- Streak ended December 27, 2009 (ended by New York Jets, 15-29)
United Football League[]
Consecutive Regular Season Games Won
6 games - Florida Tuskers
College football[]
NCAA Division I
47 games — Oklahoma Sooners
- Streak started October 10, 1953 (defeated Texas, 19-14)
- Streak ended November 16, 1957 (ended by Notre Dame, 0-7)
Longest unbeaten streak
63 games (59-0-4) — Washington Huskies
- Streak started November 28, 1907 (tied Idaho, 0-0)[21]
- Streak ended November 3, 1917 (ended by California, 0-27)
NCAA Division II
40 games — Grand Valley State Lakers
- Streak started August 27, 2005 (defeated Ferris State 30-10)
- Streak ended December 8, 2007 (ended by Northwest Missouri State, 16-34)
Note: This streak includes playoff games.
NCAA Division III
55 games — Mount Union Purple Raiders
- Streak started September 2, 2000 (defeated Allegheny, 48-21)
- Streak ended December 20, 2003 (defeated by St. John's (MN), 6-24)
Note: This streak includes playoff games. Mount Union also holds the record for most consecutive regular season victories, winning 110 games between 1994-2005.
Arena football[]
AF2[]
24 wins — Quad City Steamwheelers
- Streak started April 15, 2000 (defeated Tulsa Talons, 66-27)
- Streak ended May 12, 2001 (ended by Tulsa Talons, 47-49)
American Indoor Football Association[]
Consecutive Games Won (Regular Season and Playoffs) 16 wins — Baltimore Mariners
- Streak started March 6, 2010 (defeated Harrisburg Stampede, 55-48)
Consecutive Regular Season Games Won 15 wins — Baltimore Mariners
- Streak started June 27, 2009 (defeated D.C. Armor, 70-22)
United Indoor Football[]
40 games — Sioux Falls Storm
- Streak started July, 2005
- Streak ended March 29, 2008 (ended by Omaha Beef, 18-34)
Canadian football[]
Canadian Football League[]
22 games — Calgary Stampeders
- Streak started August 25, 1948
- Streak ended October 22, 1949
Note: The streak only includes the regular season. It was also achieved back when the Stampeders played in the Western Interprovincial Football Union, which later became the Canadian Football League West Division. The CFL was not formally founded until 1958, although the records of the WIFU and the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in Eastern Canada (forerunner to the Canadian Football League East Division) were incorporated into the league.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport football[]
19 games — Laval Rouge et Or[22]
- Streak started Sept. 25, 2004 (defeated Acadia Axemen 21-18)
- Streak ended Nov. 19, 2005 (ended by Saskatchewan Huskies 27-29)
Note: The streak also includes playoff games.
Rugby union[]
Test matches[]
- All nations
18 matches — Lithuania[23]
- Streak began on May 27, 2006 with a 23–17 away win over Hungary.
- Streak ended on May 8, 2010 with a 27–16 loss to Ukraine in Šiauliai.
- "Tier 1" nations
17 matches (tie)
- New Zealand:
- Streak began on September 18, 1965 with a 20–3 win over South Africa in Auckland.
- Streak ended in July 1970 with a 17–6 loss to South Africa in Pretoria.
- South Africa:
- Streak began on August 23, 1997 with a 61–22 win over Australia in Pretoria.
- Streak ended on December 6, 1998 with a 13–7 loss to England at Twickenham.
Rugby league[]
NRL - Canterbury Bulldogs (17) - Round 3 to Round 21 2002
- However it was found that the Bulldogs had breached the NRL salary cap and they were subsequently stripped of all competition points resulting from this streak, resulting in the New Zealand Warriors being awarded the Minor Premiership in their stead.
Golf[]
Men's Major Championships[]
4 consecutive wins - Tiger Woods
- Streak started 2000 U.S. Open
- Streak ended 2001 Masters
In 1930, Bobby Jones won the 4 major championships that he, as an amateur, was eligible to enter - the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, the British Amateur Championship and the U.S. Amateur Championship.
PGA Tour[]
11 wins — 1945 Byron Nelson
LPGA Tour[]
5 wins (tie):
1978 — Nancy Lopez
2004-2005 — Annika Sörenstam
Gymnastics[]
Women[]
10 consecutive Women's Team all-around titles at Olympic Games — USSR and Unified Team
- Streak started 1952 Helsinki, Finland
- Streak ended 1996 Atlanta, USA
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles Olympics
Hockey[]
Ice hockey[]
World Championships[]
9 consecutive World Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1963 Stockholm, Sweden
- Streak ended 1972 Prague, Czechoslovakia
National Hockey League[]
Longest Winning Streak by a Team
17 games — Pittsburgh Penguins
- Streak started March 9, 1993 (defeated Boston Bruins, 3-2)
- Streak ended April 15, 1993 (ended by New Jersey Devils, 6-6†)
Note: Pittsburgh tied New Jersey 6-6 on April 10, 1993 to end the regular season. They won an additional three games to start the 1993 playoffs before losing for the first time in 21 games on April 25, 1993 to New Jersey, 1-4.
Longest Unbeaten Streak by a Team
35 Games — Philadelphia Flyers
- Streak started October 14, 1979 (defeated Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3)
- Streak ended January 6, 1980 (ended by Minnesota North Stars, 1-7†)
Note: The 35 game stretch includes 10 ties.
Longest Winning Streak By a Goaltender
17 games — 1975-1976 Gilles Gilbert, Boston Bruins
Canadian Hockey League[]
25 games — 1984 Kitchener Rangers[24]
Note: The London Knights hold the CHL record for the longest unbeaten streak with 31 games in 2004. During that streak, the Knights compiled a record of 29-0-2-0.[25]
American Hockey League[]
18 games — Syracuse Crunch[26]
- Streak started Mar. 9, 2008
- Streak ended Oct. 17, 2008
Note: The longest winning streak in one season was achieved by the Philadelphia Phantoms with 17 games between Oct. 22, 2004 and Nov. 27, 2004.
Federal Hockey League[]
21 games — New York Aviators
- Streak started Dec. 31, 2010 (Defeated Danbury Whalers 8-1)
- Streak ended February 25, 2011 (Defeated by Danbury Whalers 4-1)
Austrian Hockey League[]
17 games — EC KAC[27]
- Streak started Oct. 8, 2010
- Streak ended Dec. 10, 2010
Elite Ice Hockey League[]
22 games — Cardiff Devils
- Streak started October 30, 2010 (defeated Hull Stingrays, 7-4)
- Streak ended January 16, 2011 (ended by Dundee Stars, 2-1)
Lacrosse[]
National Lacrosse League[]
22 games — Buffalo Bandits
- Streak started Feb. 8, 1992
- Streak ended Feb. 5, 1994
Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association[]
33 games-- Sonoma State University
- Streak started February 2002
- Streak ended April 2003
Boy's High School Lacrosse[]
68 games-- Summit High School, Summit, NJ
- Streak started April 2009
Mind sports[]
Chess[]
25 games — 1873-1882 Wilhelm Steinitz
Racquet sports[]
Badminton[]
Women's Singles[]
7 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 2001 Seville, Spain
Women's Doubles[]
9 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1997 Glasgow, United Kingdom
5 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — China
- Streak started 1996 Atlanta, USA
Men's Team[]
5 consecutive titles at the World Team Championships — Indonesia
- Streak started 1994 Jakarta, Indonesia
- Streak ended 2004 Jakarta, Indonesia
Women's Team[]
6 consecutive titles at the World Team Championships — China
- Streak started 1998 Hong Kong, China
- Streak ended 2010 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Squash[]
555 matches — Jahangir Khan
- Streak started 1981 (defeated Geoff Hunt)
- Streak ended 1986 (ended by Ross Norman)
Note: This is the longest winning streak in sports history (in number of wins).
NB: Heather McKay (Australia) may hold a claim to having the longest winning streak as she went unbeaten for 19 years (1962–1981)
Table Tennis[]
Men's Doubles[]
10 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1993 Gothenburg, Sweden
5 consecutive titles at Olympics Games — China
- Streak started 1988 Seoul, South Korea (Inaugural Competition)
Notes: The doubles events were replaced by team events in 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Women's Singles[]
6 consecutive titles at World Championships — Angelica Rozeanu [5]
- Streak started 1950 Budapest, Hungary
- Streak ended 1956 Tokyo, Japan
6 consecutive titles at Olympics Games — China
- Streak started 1988 Seoul, South Korea (Inaugural Competition)
9 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1995, Tianjin, China
Women's Doubles[]
6 consecutive titles at World Championships — Mária Mednyánszky and Anna Sipos
- Streak started 1930 Berlin, Germany
- Streak ended 1936 Prague, Czechoslovakia
12 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1989, Dortmund, Germany
5 consecutive titles at Olympics Games — China
- Streak started 1988 Seoul, South Korea (Inaugural Competition)
Notes: The doubles events were replaced by team events in 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Women's Team[]
8 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1993 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Streak ended 2010 Moscow, Russia
Mixed Doubles[]
11 consecutive titles at World Championships — China
- Streak started 1991 Chiba City, Japan
Tennis[]
Professional[]
Men[]
46 matches — Guillermo Vilas (Open era record)[28]
- Streak started July 11, 1977 (defeated Alvin Gardener in Kitzbühel)
- Streak ended Oct 1, 1977 (ended by Ilie Năstase in Aix en Provence)
Note: Open era winning streaks on different playing surfaces are also recognized. Roger Federer holds the record for the longest winning streak on grass courts (65 matches) and hard courts (56 matches), Rafael Nadal holds the record for the longest winning streak on clay courts (81 matches), while Ivan Lendl holds the record for the longest winning streak on indoor courts (66 matches). Vilas won his 46 consecutive matches all on clay courts.[28] Also, John McEnroe has the record for best start to a year, going 42-0 in 1984. Novak Djokovic had 43-match winning streak until his loss to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the 2011 French Open, a streak that included a 41-0 start to 2011.
Women[]
74 matches — Martina Navratilova
- Streak started February 1984 (defeated Nancy Yeargin)
- Streak ended December 1984 (ended by Helena Suková)
Note: Chris Evert currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on clay courts (125 matches), that is also the longest winning streak on single surface (male or female).
10 consecutive US Open women's doubles titles — Margaret Osborne duPont
- Streak started 1941
- Streak ended 1951
Wheelchair[]
418 matches — Esther Vergeer
- Streak started January 30, 2003
College (USA)[]
NCAA Men's Team[]
137 Matches — University of Miami
- Streak started 1957 after loss to Presbyterian, March 23, 1957
- Streak ended April 3,1964 with 5-4 loss to Princeton
(Note: Miami had won 72 consecutive matches prior to the streak...and had a 59 match streak before that...meaning Miami won 268 of 270 matches over a 15-year period...1949-1964)
NCAA Women's Team[]
89 Matches — Stanford University
- Streak started 2003
- Streak ended 2007
Rowing[]
Men's Eights[]
8 consecutive titles at Olympic Games — USA
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1960 Rome, Italy
Sailing[]
America's Cup[]
25 Cups — United States
- Streak started 1851 (inaugural race), beating England
- Streak ended 1983 (beaten by Australia II from Australia).
Note: With 132 years, this is the longest winning streak (in years) in sports history.
Olympics[]
4 consecutive Olympic titles — Paul Elvstrøm
- Streak started 1948 London, Britain
- Streak ended 1964 Tokyo, Japan
Volleyball[]
Beach volleyball[]
112 match wins, 19 tournament wins — Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, United States
- Streak started August 24, 2007 (defeated Ania Ruiz and Yarleen Santiago; 21-11, 21-9)
- Streak ended August 31, 2008 (ended by Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh; 19-21, 21-10, 23-25)
College Volleyball (USA)[]
Division I[]
109 matches — Penn State women's volleyball
- Streak started September 21, 2007 [6]
- Streak ended September 11, 2010 by Stanford (28–26, 25–12, 25–18) in Gainesville, Florida[29]
Note: winner of 4 consecutive NCAA championships (2007–2010)
Division II[]
75 matches - Concordia University, Saint Paul women's volleyball
- Streak started August 29, 2008 vs UC San Diego in 3-1 win[7]
- Streak ended September 3, 2010 by Grand Valley State in an 0-3 loss [8]
Note: winner of 4 consecutive NCAA championships (2007–2010)
Weightlifting[]
Olympics[]
3 consecutive Olympic gold medals (tie)
- Naim Süleymanoğlu
- Streak started 1988 Seoul, South Korea
- Streak ended 2000 Sydney, Australia
- Pyrros Dimas
- Streak started 1992 Barcelona, Spain
- Streak ended 2004 Athens, Greece
- Kakhi Kakhiashvili
- Streak started 1992 Barcelona, Spain
- Streak ended 2004 Athens, Greece
- Halil Mutlu
- Streak started 1996 Atlanta, USA
- Streak ended 2008 Beijing, China
7 consecutive heavyweight Olympic titles — USSR
- Streak started 1960 Rome, Italy
- Streak ended 1992 Barcelona, Spain
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles Olympics
6 consecutive super heavyweight Olympic titles — USSR
- Streak started 1972 Munich, West Germany (Inaugural Competition)
- Streak ended 2000 Sydney, Australia
Note: excluding boycotted Los Angeles Olympics
World Championships[]
8 consecutive titles at World Championships — Vasiliy Alekseyev
- Streak started 1970 Columbus, USA
- Streak ended 1978 Gettysburg, USA
Winter Sports[]
Biathlon[]
8 consecutive women's relay World Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1984 Chamonix, France
- Streak ended 1993 Borovets, Bulgaria
Figure skating[]
3 consecutive Olympic gold medals (tie)
- Sonja Henie
- Streak started 1928 St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Streak ended 1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Irina Rodnina
- Streak started 1972 Sapporo, Japan
- Streak ended 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
- Gillis Grafström
- Streak started 1920 Antwerp, Belgium
- Streak ended 1932 Lake Placid, USA
Ladies[]
10 consecutive titles (1927–1936) at World Figure Skating Championships — Sonja Henie
Pairs[]
10 consecutive titles at World Figure Skating Championships — Irina Rodnina
- Streak started 1969 Colorado Springs, USA
- Streak ended 1979 Vienna, Austria — won by Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner
Note: winner of three consecutive Olympic titles from 1972 to 1980
10 consecutive titles at European Figure Skating Championships — Irina Rodnina
- Streak started 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany
- Streak ended 1979 Zagreb, Yugoslavia — won by Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakhrai
12 consecutive Olympic titles — USSR, Unified Team and Russia
- Streak started 1964 Innsbruck, Austria — Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov
- Streak ended 2010 Vancouver, Canada — won by Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo
Note: this streak includes a win reduced to a draw after the 2002 Olympics.
14 consecutive titles at World Figure Skating Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1965 Colorado Springs, USA
- Streak ended 1979 Vienna, Austria
17 consecutive titles at European Figure Skating Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1965 Moscow, USSR
- Streak ended 1982 Lyon, France
Luge[]
105 consecutive women's World Cup races — Germany [9]
- Streak started December 6, 1997 — Barbara Niedernhuber at Igls
- Streak ended February 12, 2011 - Alex Gough at Paramonowo
11 consecutive women's singles World Championships — Germany
- Streak started 1995 Lillehammer, Norway
- Streak ended 2009 Lake Placid, USA
8 consecutive mixed team relay World Championships — Germany
- Streak started 2000 St. Moritz, Switzerland
Speed skating[]
Long track[]
53 consecutive 5000 m races — Hjallis Andersen [10]
- Streak started 19 March 1949 Tromsø, Norway
- Streak ended 2 January 1954 Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway (fall)
12 consecutive 10000m World Championships — Netherlands
- Streak started 1996 Hamar, Norway
9 consecutive men's allaround World Championships — Netherlands
- Streak started 1995 Baselga di Pinè, Italy
- Streak ended 2004 Hamar, Norway
15 consecutive women's allaround World Championships — USSR
- Streak started 1952 Kokkola, Finland
- Streak ended 1967 Deventer, Netherlands
Short track[]
83 consecutive world cup, world championship, and Olympic 500 m races — Wang Meng [11]
- Streak started September 30, 2005 Hangzhou, China
- Streak ended February 8, 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria (fall in semifinals)
Note: Wang Meng also has a current winning streak of six 500 m Short Track Speed Skating World Cups (2005–2010)
See also[]
- Losing streak (sport)
- Perfect season
References[]
- ↑ Win Streaks at Association of Road Racing Statisticians website
- ↑ http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016079.html
- ↑ The estimate ranges from 140 (Guinness Book of records before 1990) to 150 (same publication after that). She herself mentions a 142 competition streak.
- ↑ Longman, Jeré (December 18, 2010). "Before UConn, Before U.C.L.A., There Was Wayland Baptist". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/sports/ncaabasketball/19wayland.html?_r=1&sq=wayland&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all.
- ↑ Venkatramani, V., The Roar, "Highlights from our record WC streak", 9th March 2011, Retrieved March 27th 2011.
- ↑ ESPN Cricinfo Combined Test, ODI and T20I records, team records, Most consecutive wins, Retrieved 27th March 2011.
- ↑ ESPN Cricinfo Twenty20 matches, team records, most consecutive wins, Retrieved 27th March 2011.
- ↑ Julio César Chávez's record at oxRec.com
- ↑ Historic boxing statistics at theboxinghistorian.com
- ↑ Jimmy Wilde's record at BoxRec.com
- ↑ Pedro Carrasco's record at BoxRec.com
- ↑ Sugar Ray Robinson's record at BoxRec.com
- ↑ http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=758793
- ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=3183805
- ↑ http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/weekly-feature-articles/2005/August/05/Camareros-record-of-56-consecutive-wins-turns-50.aspx
- ↑ http://www.eloratings.net/Spain.htm
- ↑ http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=bra/fixturesresults/gender=m/index.html
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 http://soccerlens.com/the-longest-winning-streaks-in-football-history/6000/
- ↑ http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/futbol/temporada10-11/01/29/n110129115418.html"
- ↑ http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20071017&content_id=123994&vkey=news_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106
- ↑ http://www.gohuskies.com/photos/schools/wash/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/WASH_FB_Records.pdf
- ↑ http://www.cfl.ca/article/cis-top-10-rouge-et-or-still-undefeated
- ↑ "Lithuania set new Rugby World Record". International Rugby Board. 2010-04-26. http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/qualifying/news/newsid=2037051.html#lithuania+rugby+world+record. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ↑ http://www.chl.ca/chlrecordBook.php?award=19
- ↑ http://www.chl.ca/chlrecordBook.php?award=22
- ↑ http://ahlhalloffame.com/team-records-p139031
- ↑ http://www.erstebankliga.at/8f234634abc92fd30763c1e63b89d9bf.html?arrSave%5bArticleID%5d=6126
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Guillermo Vilas 1977 playing activity at atpworldtour.com
- ↑ Associated Press (2010-09-11). "Penn State's win streak ends at 109". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5562162. Retrieved 2010-09-11.