In snooker, which player made the fastest officially recognised 147 break, in 1997?

Ronnie O’Sullivan made the fastest officially recognised 147 break in 1997.

O’Sullivan completed the break in 5 minutes and 8 seconds during the 1997 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre. He made it against Mick Price in the first round, and the performance became one of the most celebrated displays of rapid break-building in snooker.

The usual timing convention measures from the first ball being struck until the final ball of the break is potted. O’Sullivan’s speed came from a very quick rhythm, decisive shot selection and exceptional cue-ball control. A fast maximum still requires the same scoring sequence as any other standard 147: fifteen red-black combinations followed by the six colours.

The record is not the same as the first televised maximum or the first professional maximum. Cliff Thorburn achieved the first televised 147 in 1983, while Steve Davis made the first officially recognised professional maximum in 1982. O’Sullivan’s distinction is speed, and his time remains the benchmark most often cited for the fastest official 147.