1960 in sports

1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

• The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
• Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France
• Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria
• Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland
• The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
• Downhill: Heidi Biebl, West Germany
• Slalom: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
• Giant Slalom: Yvonne Rüegg, Switzerland
• FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
• Guy Périllat,
• Ann HeggtveitAlpine skiing.

American football

• NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay PackersFranklin Field
• Cotton Bowl Classic (1959 season):
• Syracuse OrangemenTexas Longhorns college football national championship.
• National Football LeaguePete RozelleDallasMinneapolis-St.PaulChicago CardinalsSt. Louis.
• American Football League
• First black pro football placekicker: Gene Mingo (Denver Broncos, AFL)
• First Hispanic pro football quarterback: Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders, AFL)
• AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 24–16 over the Los Angeles Chargers

Association football

• England – FA Cup – Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–0 over Blackburn Rovers
• The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2–1 to win the first European Football Championship

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
• Melbourne wins the 64th VFL Premiership to McDonalds (Melbourne 8.14 (62) d Collingwood 2.2 (14))
• Brownlow Medal awarded to John Schultz (Footscray)

Baseball

• World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is New York's Bobby Richardson.
• October 13 – 1960 World Series Game 7 at Forbes Field – Pittsburgh Pirates player Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run, and still the only player to do it in the decisive seventh game.
• The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

Basketball

NBA Finals

• Boston Celtics win four games to three over the St. Louis Hawks

Boxing

• March 16 – Flash Elorde won the world junior lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Harold Gomes in Quezon City, Philippines.
• June – Floyd Patterson recovered the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson, becoming the first-ever boxer to do so.
• September 5 – Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in boxing at the Rome Olympic Games.

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 34–9

Cycling

• Tour de France – Gastone Nencini of Italy
• Giro d'Italia – Jacques Anquetil of France

Field hockey

• Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy
• Gold Medal: Pakistan
• Silver Medal: India
• Bronze Medal: Spain

Figure Skating

• January 30 - US Figure Skating championship Civic Ice Arena in Seattle January 30
• US female championship won by Carol Heiss
• US male championship won by David Jenkins
• The Pairs won Nancy Ludington / Ron Ludington
• Ice dancing won Margie Ackles / Charles Phillips

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer
• U.S. Open – Arnold Palmer
• British Open – Kel Nagle
• PGA Championship – Jay Hebert
• PGA Tour money leader – Arnold Palmer – $75,263

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Joe Carr
• U.S. Amateur – Deane Beman

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Joyce Ziske
• LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright
• U.S. Women's Open – Betsy Rawls
• Titleholders Championship – Fay Crocker
• LPGA Tour money leader – Louise Suggs – $16,892

Harness racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
• # Cane Pace – Countess Adios
• # Little Brown Jug – Bullet Hanover
• # Yonkers Trot – Duke of Decatur
• # Kentucky Futurity – Elaine Rodney
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
• Pacers: Caduceus

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Pas Seul
• Grand National – Merryman II

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Park
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Puissant Chef
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Chamour
• English Triple Crown Races:
• # 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Martial
• # The Derby – St. Paddy
• # St. Leger Stakes – St. Paddy
• United States Triple Crown Races:
• # Kentucky Derby – Venetian Way
• # Preakness Stakes – Bally Ache
• # Belmont Stakes – Celtic Ash

Ice hockey

• The American Olympic men's ice-hockey team won the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal with a record of 7–0–0 during the tournament.
• 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: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
• Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
• World Hockey Championship
• Men's champion: Canada defeats the United States
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5–3 in Boston

Motorsport

Olympic Games

• 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
• USSR wins the most medals (103), and the most gold medals (43)
• 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, United States
• USSR wins the most medals (21), and the most gold medals (7)
• First Paralympic Games held in Rome, Italy
• Italy wins the most medals (80) and the most gold medals (29)
• First Winter Universiade held in Chamonix, France

Rugby league

• 1959–60 Kangaroo tour
• 1960 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season
• 1960 NSWRFL season
• 1960 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

• 66th Five Nations Championship series is shared by England and France

Swimming

• June 12 – Marianne Heemskerk from the Netherlands breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Leipzig, East Germany – 2:34.4.
• July 10 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Evansville, Indiana, clocking 2:15.0.
• July 23 – Thirteen days after breaking his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) Troy once again betters the world's best time in that event, this time at a meet in Toledo, Ohio clocking 2:13.4.
• August 4 – Less than a month before the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Troy again breaks the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course), when he clocks 2:13.2 at a meet in Detroit, Michigan.
• September 2 – Michael Troy wins the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy by breaking his own world record – 2:12.8.

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 7–5, 6–2

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Sandra Reynolds Price (South Africa) 8–6, 6–0

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) defeats Luis Ayala (Chile) 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
• French Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Yola Ramírez (Mexico) 6–3, 6–4

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 6–4, 9–7
• American Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–4, 10–12, 6–4

Davis Cup

• 1960 Davis Cup – 4–1 at White City Stadium (grass) Sydney, Australia

Volleyball

• 1960 FIVB Men's World Championship in Rio de Janeiro won by the USSR

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Rafer Johnson, Track and field
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Wilma Rudolph, Track and field

References