Let this pool player's record inspire you to try your own on World Trick Shot Day

Today is World Trick Shot Day and one person likely to be celebrating is Nick Nikolaidis (Canada).

The pool fan loves sinking seemingly impossible shots so much that he claimed the world record for most pool trick shots completed in one hour with an incredible 71.

That’s more than one every minute.

Lining up one difficult shot after another, Nick seemed to be able to make the balls bend to his will as he took on the challenge in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada, in November 2024.

The balls curved around others and ricocheted off the sides of the table before landing squarely in the pocket.

Nick beat the record of 69 that was set earlier in the year by pool playing aficionado Florian Kohler (France).

Florian, a trick shot champion who goes by the nickname “Venom”, still has the most pool trick shots completed in 24 hours and 48 hours records, and perhaps he’ll be compelled to take the one hour title back now that it’s passed into different hands.

Find more stories about people at the top of their game in our Sports and Fitness section.

World Trick Shot Day, held on the first Tuesday in December every year, is traditionally more about basketball, but of course, we love all kinds of trick shots here!

The day was originated by basketball legends the Harlem Globetrotters, who are no strangers to record breaking themselves.

If you’re feeling inspired to attempt a trick shot record of your own, here’s a few you could try out:

• Longest cornhole backwards shot – 18 m (59 ft 0.6 in) by Osman Gürcü (Türkiye)
• Longest paintball target shot - 110 m (363 ft) by Eli Haecker (USA)
• Longest croquet shot – currently unclaimed, minimum set at 25 m (82 ft)
• Longest basketball shot (female) - currently unclaimed, minimum set at 27 m (88 ft 6 in)
• Farthest golf shot hit with a putter - 255.2 yards (233.35 m) by Rory McIlroy (UK)
• Farthest under the legs basketball shot - 19.43 m (63 ft 9.13 in) by Corey “Thunder” Law (USA)

Find out more about how to Be Part of It and break a world record here.