1966 in sports

1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

[Alpine skiing]

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. 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.
[1966 American Football League|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 – 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]

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

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">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 –
* Texas Western wins 72–65 over Kentucky
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.
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
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]

July 24 – Tony Lema, American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana

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

British Amateur – Bobby Cole
U.S. Amateur – Gary Cowan

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]

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
Grand National – Anglo

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:
# 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
# The Derby – Charlottown
# St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
United States Triple Crown Races:
# 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 – 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]

[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

England

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

France

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

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 – 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

Awards