Germany is a world leader in tennis, track and field, cycling and Formula One auto racing. Germany has many excellent sports facilities for both players and spectators. Sports are also important in everyday life. One in three Germans is a member of a sports club.

For many years the German Sports Federation (Deutscher Sportbund) has sponsored physical fitness programs. Swimming is very popular and almost every town has a public Schwimmbad (swimming pool).

The national sport, soccer (Fussball), is played at thousands of amateur clubs, while professional matches are regularly attended by hundreds of thousands of spectators every week. The German national team has won the World Cup three times. The most famous team is Bayern Munich, whose record makes it one of the world's top clubs.

Tennis is also popular, thanks to players such as Boris Becker, who at the age of 17 was the youngest unseeded player to win at Wimbledon. He has since won a number of major tournaments, including two more at Wimbledon. Steffi Graf is another very successful player, who has won many women's tournaments.

Did you know?
	Michael Schumacher, the German racer for the Ferrari team, recently revived interest in Formula One racing when he won the World Championship two years in a row.

In winter, skiers flock to the German Alps. Germany has many popular ski resorts that attract skiers from around the world. Germans excel at winter sports, and have won Olympic gold medals for luge, bobsled and speed skating. Katarina Witt, a figure skater from East Germany, won the gold at the Calgary Olympics in 1988.

The varied geography of Germany makes it possible for sports enthusiasts to enjoy almost any sport. The mountainous areas have hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails. On the lakes and rivers, windsurfing and sailing are enjoyed. Cycling is another popular sport in summer and winter.