2001 in sports

Alpine skiing

• Alpine Skiing World Cup
• * Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
• * Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia

  American football

• Super Bowl XXXV – the Baltimore Ravens won 34–7 over the New York Giants
• *Location: Raymond James Stadium
• *Attendance: 71,921
• *MVP: Ray Lewis, LB
• XFL is founded by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, but the league folded that same year, after the Los Angeles Xtreme won the league's only championship.
• Orange Bowl :
• * The Oklahoma Sooners won 13–2 over the Florida State Seminoles in the BCS National Championship Game
• Memorial Stadium, former home of the Baltimore Colts and Baltimore Ravens is demolished
• INVESCO Field at Mile High opens up on September 10, 2001, as the Denver Broncos defeated the New York Giants 31–20.
• September 30 – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a 6th round, 199th pick from the 2000 NFL draft, makes his first professional start after 8-year quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered a severe injury in a Week 2 game vs. the New York Jets. This would mark a turning point for both the franchise and the NFL, as Brady would lead the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title 5 months later and would lead them to 8 more appearances and 5 more titles in the next 17 years.
• On December 16, 2001, Bottlegate occurs

  Association football

• Confederations Cup – Held one year before the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, this tournament served as a prelude, for both South Korea & Japan and the participating nations. France defeated Japan to win the tournament.
• Champions' League – Bayern Munich won 5–4 on penalties, in the final against Valencia, after a 1–1 draw at the end of the match. This was Bayern Munich's 4th European Cup title.
• UEFA Cup – Liverpool won 5–4 after extra-time, in the final against Alavés, with an unfortunate own goal/golden goal by Delfi Gelí. This was Liverpool's third UEFA Cup title.
• European Super Cup – Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3–2, winning the cup for the second time.
• Intercontinental Cup – Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors 1–0, winning the cup for the second time.
• Asian Champions Cup – Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings won their first Asian Champions Cup crown, defeating Júbilo Iwata 1–0. They also lifted the 2001 Asian Super Cup.
• The world record for largest victory in an international football match was set by Australia in a 0–22 victory against Tonga on April 9. Australia set this record again with a 31–0 victory against American Samoa on April 11. The unbalanced nature of these matches prompted changes to the FIFA qualification process.

  Athletics

• May – Roman Šebrle breaks a 9.000 points barrier in decathlon event.
• August – 2001 World Championships in Athletics held at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  Australian rules football

• Australian Football League
• * Fremantle equals St. Kilda's 1910 record for the worst start by a team that did not suffer a winless season, beginning with seventeen losses before a huge comeback upset over third-placed Hawthorn. It was equalled by in 2013.
• * The Brisbane Lions win the 105th AFL premiership beating Essendon 15.18 to 12.10.
• * Brownlow Medal awarded to Jason Akermanis

  Baseball

• World Series – only 4 seasons old, the Arizona Diamondbacks became the youngest franchise to win a World Series by defeating the New York Yankees 4 games to 3. Series co-MVPs were Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, both of Arizona.
• The Seattle Mariners tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs’ record with 116 regular season wins.
• Barry Bonds set the record for most home runs in a season with 73.
• Season MVPs – National League: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners.
• Rookies of the Year – National League: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle.
• Cy Young Award – National League: Randy Johnson, Arizona. American League: Roger Clemens, New York.
• Japan Series – The Yakult Swallows defeat the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes 4 games to 1. The Swallows' Atsuya Furuta is named Series MVP.

  Basketball

• NBA –
• * The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers only loss in the postseason comes in Game 1 of the Finals, which the 76ers win in overtime.
• * October 30 – Michael Jordan returns to the National Basketball Association with the Washington Wizards after 3½ years.
• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
• * Duke wins 82–72 over Arizona
• WNBA Finals –
• * Los Angeles Sparks win 2 games to 0 over the Charlotte Sting, earning the franchise's first championship
• Euroleague Final:
• * In the first Euroleague to be operated by Euroleague Basketball, Kinder Bologna defeats TAU Cerámica 3–2 in the best-of-five series.
• Suproleague Final:
• * In the only edition of the rival FIBA-sponsored competition, Maccabi Tel Aviv defeats Panathinaikos 81–67 in the one-off final.
• Chinese Basketball Association finals:
• * Bayi Rockets defeat Shanghai Sharks, 3 games to 1
• National Basketball League Finals:
• * Wollongong Hawks defeated the Townsville Crocodiles 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.
• After a season of conflict between ULEB and FIBA, the two bodies settle their feud, with the Suproleague merging into the Euroleague.

  Boxing

• March 3 – John Ruiz defeats Evander Holyfield in their second fight by a decision in 12 rounds, winning the WBA's World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first Hispanic to win the world Heavyweight title.
• April 22 – Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman: Hasim Rahman defeats Lennox Lewis in an upset win.
• June 3 to June 10 – World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Belfast, Northern Ireland
• September 29 – in a gala event dedicated to the victims and rescuers of 9/11, Bernard Hopkins defeats Félix Trinidad by a knockout in round 12 to unify the World Middleweight Championship

  Canadian football

• November 25 – the Calgary Stampeders win the 89th Grey Cup game, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 27–19 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
• November 29 – the UBC Thunderbirds win the Vanier Cup, defeating the Ottawa Gee-Gees 39–23.

  Cricket

• February 25 – death of Sir Donald Bradman, Australian Test cricketer who retains the highest Test match batting average of 99.94
• The Ashes – Australia defeats England 4–1
• V.V.S. Laxman becomes the first Indian to score 250 in a Test match as India fight back from following on to win the Second Test against Australia, ending the Australians' record 16 match winning streak. India goes on to win the series 2–1.
• County Championship – Yorkshire
• ICC Trophy – Netherlands

  Cycle racing

• Giro d'Italia won by Gilberto Simoni of Italy
• Tour de France won by Lance Armstrong of USA
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Óscar Freire of Spain

• UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tábor, Czech Republic
• * Men's Competition won by Erwin Vervecken
• * Women's Competition won by Hanka Kupfernagel

  Dogsled racing

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion
• * Doug Swingley with lead dogs: Stormy & ''Pepi''

  Field hockey

• Men's Champions Trophy: Germany
• Women's Champions Trophy: Argentina

  Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
• * Men's champion: Evgeni Plushenko, Russia
• * Ladies' champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
• * Pairs' champions: Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, Canada
• * Ice dance champions: Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio

  [Floorball]

• Women's World Floorball Championships
• * Champion: Finland
• Men's under-19 World Floorball Championships
• * Champion: Sweden
• European Cup
• * Men's champion: Helsingfors IFK
• * Women's champion: Balrog IK

  Gaelic Athletic Association

• Camogie
• * All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Tipperary
• * National Camogie League: Cork
• Gaelic football
• * All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Galhiway 0–17 died Meath 0–8
• * National Football League – Mayo 0–13 died Galway 0–12
• Ladies' Gaelic football
• * All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Laois
• * National Football League: Clare
• Hurling
• * All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Tipperary 2–18 died Galway 2–15
• * National Hurling League – Tipperary 1–19 beat Clare 0–17

  Golf

• Masters Tournament – Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer in history to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.
• U.S. Open – Retief Goosen
• British Open – David Duval
• PGA Championship – David Toms
• PGA Tour money leader – Tiger Woods – $5,687,777
• PGA Tour Player of the Year – Tiger Woods
• PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Charles Howell III
• Senior PGA Tour money leader – Allen Doyle – $2,553,582
• Ryder Cup postponed until 2002.

• British Amateur – Michael Hoey
• U.S. Amateur – Bubba Dickerson
• European Amateur – Stephen Browne

• Nabisco Championship – Annika Sörenstam
• LPGA Championship – Karrie Webb
• U.S. Women's Open – Karrie Webb
• Women's British Open – Se Ri Pak
• LPGA Tour money leader – Annika Sörenstam – $2,105,868

  Handball

• 2001 World Men's Handball Championship – won by France
• 2001 World Women's Handball Championship – won by Russia

  Harness racing

• North America Cup – Bettor's Delight
• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
• # Cane Pace – Four Starzz Shark
• # Little Brown Jug – Bettor's Delight
• # Messenger Stakes – Bagel Beach Boy
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
• # Hambletonian – Scarlet Knight
• # Yonkers Trot – Banker Hall
• # Kentucky Futurity – Chaising Tail
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
• * Pacers: Yulestar
• * Trotters: Take A Moment