1960 in sports

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

Years in sports
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1960 in sports
Air sports American football Aquatic sports Association football Athletics Australian rules football Badminton Baseball Basketball Canadian football Chess Climbing Combat sports Sumo Cricket 1959–60 1960 1960–61 Cycling Dance sports Darts Equestrianism Esports Field hockey Flying disc Golf Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey Ice sports Korfball Lumberjack sports Mind sports Modern pentathlon Motorsport Orienteering Paralympic sports Precision sports Shooting Racquetball Roller sports Sailing Skiing Speedway Rugby league‎ Rugby union Snooker 1959–60 1960–61 Strength sports Weightlifting Squash Table tennis Tennis Triathlon Volleyball

• 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:
  • Men's combined champion: Guy Périllat, France
  • Women's combined champion: Ann Heggtveit, Canada, who becomes the first non-European to win a world championship title in Alpine skiing.

• NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 17–13 over the Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field in Philadelphia
• Cotton Bowl Classic (1959 season):
  • The Syracuse Orangemen won 23–17 over the Texas Longhorns to win the college football national championship.
• National Football League names Pete Rozelle commissioner of the league. The league expands to Dallas for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St.Paul for the 1961 season. The Chicago Cardinals relocate to St. Louis.
• The American Football League (AFL) played its first season
• 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

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

• 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)

• 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.

NBA Finals

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

• 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.^[2]

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

• Tour de France – Gastone Nencini of Italy^[3]
• Giro d'Italia – Jacques Anquetil of France

• Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy^[4]
  • Gold Medal: Pakistan
  • Silver Medal: India
  • Bronze Medal: Spain

• 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

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

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

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:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Martial
  2. The Derby – St. Paddy^[5]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – St. Paddy
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Venetian Way
  2. Preakness Stakes – Bally Ache
  3. Belmont Stakes – Celtic Ash

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

• 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.

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 –  Australia 4–1  Italy at White City Stadium (grass) Sydney, Australia

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

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