1917 in sports

Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War I

1917 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football

College championship

• College football national championship – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (coached by John Heisman)
• Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, opens

Association football

Europe

• There is no major football in Europe due to World War I

Norway

• Foundation of Rosenborg BK at Trondheim

Athletics

Men's 1500 metres

• John Zander (Sweden) breaks the world record by running a time of 2:19.1

Australian rules football

VFL Premiership:

• Collingwood wins the 21st VFL Premiership: Collingwood 9.20 (74) d Fitzroy 5.9 (39) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

South Australian Football League:

• not contested due to World War I

West Australian Football League:

• 15 September: South Fremantle 6.5 (41) defeats East Fremantle 3.8 (26) for their second consecutive WAFL premiership.

Bandy

Sweden

• Championship final – IFK Uppsala 11–2 AIK

Baseball

World Series

• 6–15 October — The Chicago White Sox (AL) defeat the New York Giants (NL) to win the 1917 World Series by 4 games to 2.

Boxing

Events

• Ted "Kid" Lewis regains the World Welterweight Championship and holds it until 1919.
• Al McCoy loses the World Middleweight Championship title to Mike O'Dowd, who knocks him out in the 6th round at Brooklyn
• Benny Leonard, widely regarded as the greatest-ever lightweight, defeats Freddie Welsh at New York to win the World Lightweight Championship, which he holds until he retires in 1925
• Another great champion, Pete Herman defeats Kid Williams over 20 rounds at New Orleans to take the World Bantamweight Championship, which he holds until 1920

Lineal world champions

• World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
• World Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky
• World Middleweight Championship – Al McCoy → Mike O'Dowd
• World Welterweight Championship – Jack Britton → Ted "Kid" Lewis
• World Lightweight Championship – Freddie Welsh → Benny Leonard
• World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
• World Bantamweight Championship – Kid Williams → Pete Herman
• World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

Canadian football

Grey Cup

• not contested due to World War I

Cricket

Events

• There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I

India

• Bombay Quadrangular – Europeans shared with Parsees

Cycling

Tour de France

• not contested due to World War I

Giro d'Italia

• not contested due to World War I

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Golf

Events

• All major championships are cancelled due to World War I

Handball

• The first official handball match was played on December 2 in Berlin, Germany.

Horse racing

England

• Grand National – not held due to World War I
• 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Diadem
• 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gay Crusader
• The Derby – Gay Crusader
• The Oaks – Sunny Jane
• St. Leger Stakes – Gay Crusader

Australia

• Melbourne Cup – Westcourt

Canada

• King's Plate – Belle Mahone

Ireland

• Irish Grand National – Pay Only
• Irish Derby Stakes – First Flier

USA

• Kentucky Derby – Omar Khayyam
• Preakness Stakes – Kalitan
• Belmont Stakes – Hourless

Ice hockey

Stanley Cup

• 17–26 March — Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) defeats Montreal Canadiens (NHA) in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 1

Events

• Allan Cup – Toronto Dentals
• 10 November — after Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto NHA team, refuses to sell, the NHA votes to suspend operations
• 26 November — in a secret meeting, several owners of the NHA form the National Hockey League (NHL) to force out the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts NHA team. Toronto's Arena Gardens will operate a temporary franchise in Toronto while Quebec Bulldogs becomes an NHL member but is suspended for the inaugural season.
• 19 December — the opening NHL games are played to begin the new league's inaugural season

Motor racing

Events

• No major races are held anywhere worldwide due to World War I

Multi-sport events

Far Eastern Championship Games

• Third Far Eastern Championship Games held in Tokyo, Empire of Japan

Rowing

The Boat Race

• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – not contested due to World War I
• International Eight Boat Race - England v Australia. Rowed Putney To Hammersmith, London, 20th Oct. 1917. Won By Australia by 3/4 length.

Rugby league

England

• All first-class competitions are cancelled due to World War I

Australia

• NSW Premiership – Balmain (outright winner)

New Zealand

• 1917 New Zealand rugby league season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship

• Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War I

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• French Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Lindley Murray (USA) defeats Nathaniel Niles (USA) 5–7 8–6 6–3 6–3
• American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Marion Vanderhoef Morse (USA) 4–6 6–0 6–2

Davis Cup

• 1917 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested

References