1966 in sports
1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
[Alpine skiing]
- FIS [Alpine World Ski Championships 1966|FIS Alpine World Ski Championships] –
- * Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
- * Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France
[American football]
- Orange Bowl :
- * 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 Classic (January)|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 Game|AFL Championship] – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
- NFL Championship Game|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 1966 [Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame Fighting Irish] and the second-ranked 1966 [Michigan State Spartans football team|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]
- 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]
England
- FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday
International
- 1966 [FIFA World Cup|World Cup] – England defeats Germany to win the World Cup Final">1966 FIFA World Cup">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">Sport of athletics">Athletics
- 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]
- Victorian Football League
- * St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership d Collingwood 10.13 )
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart
[Baseball]
- 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]
- NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
- * 1965–66 [Texas Western Miners men's basketball team|Texas Western] NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game|wins 72–65] over 1965–66 [Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|Kentucky]
- 1966 [NBA Finals|NBA Finals] –
- * Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics] won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
- NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers] center Wilt Chamberlain
- A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.
- A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional basketball league were merger.
- An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.
[Boxing]
- 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]
- 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">Cycle sport">Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
- Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
- Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
- 1966 [UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race] – Rudi Altig of Germany
[Figure skating]
- 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]
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
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]
- Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- # Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
- # Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
- # Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- # Hambletonian – Kerry Way
- # Yonkers Trot – Polaris
- # Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- * Pacers: Chamfer Star
- * Trotters: Yamamoto
[Horse racing]
SteeplechasesFlat 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:
- # 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
- # The Derby – Charlottown
- # St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- # Kentucky Derby|Kentucky Derby] – Kauai King
- # Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
- # Belmont Stakes – Amberoid
[Ice hockey]
- 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 Finals|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
[Orienteering]
- First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.
[Rugby league]
- 1966 Great Britain Lions tour
- 1966 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1966 NSWRFL season
- 1965–66 [Northern Rugby Football League season] / 1966–67 Northern [Rugby Football League season]
[Rugby union]
- 72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales
[Snooker]
- World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.
[Speed skating]
- January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova, Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband
[Tennis]
Australia- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson defeats Arthur Ashe 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court defeats Nancy Richey walkover
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana defeats Dennis Ralston 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King defeats Maria Bueno 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
- French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche defeats István Gulyás 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
- French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones defeats Nancy Richey 6–3, 6–1
- American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
- American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
- 1966 Davis Cup – 4–1 at Kooyong Stadium Melbourne, Australia
[Volleyball]
- 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia
[Multi-sport event]s
- Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
- 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica
- Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy