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1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing edit
- FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
- Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
- Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France
American football edit
- Orange Bowl (1965 season):
- The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
- June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
- AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
- NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
- Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.
- 1966 NCAA University Division football season:
- November 19 – The top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.
Artistic gymnastics edit
- World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
- Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR
- Women's all-around champion: Věra Čáslavská, Czechoslovakia
- Men's team competition champion: Japan
- Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia
Association football edit
England edit
- FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday
International edit
- World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
- FIFA decide to give the right to host the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively
Athletics edit
- July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
- August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
- September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
- December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok
Australian rules football edit
- Victorian Football League
- St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)
Baseball edit
- Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become the Atlanta Braves.
- January 20 – The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
- Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
- Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
- Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award
- Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award
- Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award
- Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
- World Series – Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
- College World Series – Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8–2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
Basketball edit
- NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
- NBA Finals –
- Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
- NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain
- A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.[citation needed]
- A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir) basketball league were merger.[citation needed]
- An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.[citation needed]
Boxing edit
- March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
- April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15-round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
- May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
- August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd-round KO
- September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
- November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.
Canadian football edit
- Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
- Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Cycling edit
- Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
- Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
- Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
- UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany
Figure skating edit
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
- Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
- Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain
Golf edit
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
- U.S. Open – Billy Casper
- British Open – Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
- PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
- PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $121,945
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
- LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
- U.S. Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
- Titleholders Championship – Kathy Whitworth
- LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $33,517
Harness racing edit
Horse racing edit
Steeplechases
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
Ice hockey edit
- Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
- Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
- Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6–1 in Minneapolis
Motorsport edit
Orienteering edit
- First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.[2]
Rugby league edit
Rugby union edit
- 72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales
Snooker edit
- World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.
Speed skating edit
- January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband
Tennis edit
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
France
- French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche (Australia) defeats István Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
- French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
- American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
Davis Cup
- 1966 Davis Cup –
Australia 4–1 
India at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia
Volleyball edit
- 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia
Multi-sport events edit
- Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
- 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica[3]
- Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy
Awards edit
References edit
- ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "World Orienteering Championships 1966". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ "Our Games | Commonwealth Games Federation". thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.