# 1948 in sports

1948 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## American football

* NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 7–0 over the Chicago Cardinals at Shibe Park in a blizzard
* Michigan Wolverines – college football national championship
* Cleveland Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills 49–7 in the All-America Football Conference championship game.

## Association football

Egypt
* Egyptian Premier League founded.
England
* First Division – Arsenal win the 1947–48 title.
* FA Cup – Manchester United beat Blackpool 4–2.

## Athletics

33 athletics events were contested at the Olympic Games in London, including debuts for the men's 10 km walk; and the women's 200 metres, long jump and shot put. Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands captured four gold medals.

## Australian rules football

Victorian Football League
* Melbourne wins the 52nd VFL Premiership, drawing the 1948 VFL Grand Final with Essendon 10.9 (69) to 7.27 (69), and winning the replay 13.11 (89) to Essendon's 7.8 (50)
* Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Morris (Richmond)
South Australian National Football League
* 2 October – Norwood wins its twenty-first SANFL premiership, defeating West Torrens 15.16 (106) to 7.7 (49)
* Magarey Medal awarded to Ron Phillips (North Adelaide)
Western Australian National Football League
* 9 October – South Fremantle wins its fourth premiership and second in succession, defeating West Perth 13.9 (87) to 9.9 (63)
* Sandover Medal awarded to Merv McIntosh (Perth)

## Baseball

* January 29 – Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs, and Phillies $500 each for signing high school players.
* February 27 – Hall of Fame election – voters select the recently deceased Herb Pennock, and Pie Traynor, as the newest inductees; Traynor is the first third baseman elected by the writers in 9 elections.
* August 16 – death of Babe Ruth
* World Series – Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.
* Negro World Series – Homestead Grays defeat the Birmingham Black Barons, 4 games to 1.
* College World Series - University of Southern California defeat Yale in the 2nd 2 games to 1

## Basketball

NCAA Basketball Championship
* Kentucky beat Baylor 58–42
BAA (NBA) Finals
* Baltimore Bullets over the Philadelphia Warriors (4–2)
NBL Championship
* Minneapolis Lakers over Rochester Royals (3–1)

## Boxing

* June 25 – At New York's Yankee Stadium – Joe Louis knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th round to retain his heavyweight title for the 25th time. Shortly after the bout, Louis announced his retirement from boxing.

## Field hockey

* Olympic Games (men's competition) in London, Great Britain
** Gold: India
** Silver: Great Britain
** Bronze: Netherlands

## Figure skating

* World Figure Skating Championships
** Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
** Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
** Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium

## Golf

Men's professional
* Masters Tournament – Claude Harmon
* PGA Championship – Ben Hogan
* U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
* British Open – Henry Cotton
Men's amateur
* British Amateur – Frank Stranahan
* U.S. Amateur – Willie Turnesa
Women's professional
* Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
* U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
* Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg

## Ice hockey

* NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Dartmouth College Big Green 8–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to win the first official NCAA championship
* Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings in 4 straight games to win their 5th Stanley Cup title.

## Horse racing

* Citation becomes the 8th horse to win the US Triple Crown
* Shiela's Cottage becomes the first mare to win the Grand National since 1902 and only the twelfth since the race's inception
Steeplechases
* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cottage Rake
* Grand National – Sheila's Cottage
Hurdle races
* Champion Hurdle – National Spirit
Flat races
* Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rimfire (horse)
* Canada – King's Plate won by Last Mark
* France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Migoli
* Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Nathoo
* English Triple Crown Races:
** 2,000 Guineas Stakes – My Babu
** The Derby – My Love
** St. Leger Stakes – Black Tarquin
* United States Triple Crown Races:
** Kentucky Derby – Citation
** Preakness Stakes – Citation
** Belmont Stakes – Citation

## Olympic Games

* 1948 Summer Olympics takes place in London, United Kingdom
** United States wins the most medals (84) and the most gold medals (38).
* 1948 Winter Olympics takes place in St. Moritz, Switzerland
** Norway, Sweden and Switzerland all win the most medals (10 each), and Norway and Sweden win the most gold medals (4 each).

## Radiosport

* First CQ World Wide DX Contest held in October and November. This annual event would go on to become the radio contest with the largest participation worldwide.

## Rowing

The Boat Race
* 27 March — Cambridge wins the 94th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

## Rugby league

Australia
* 1948 NSWRFL season
England
* 1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season/1948–49 Northern Rugby Football League season

## Rugby union

Five Nations Championship
* 54th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland who complete the Grand Slam, their last for 61 years.

## Snooker

* World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 84–61.

## Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships
* Men's All-round Champion – Odd Lundberg (Norway)
* Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)
1948 Winter Olympics (Men)
* 500m – gold medal: Finn Helgesen (Norway)
* 1500m – gold medal: Sverre Farstad (Norway)
* 5000m – gold medal: Reidar Liaklev (Norway)
* 10000m – gold medal: Åke Seyffarth (Sweden)
1948 Winter Olympics (Women)
* not contested

## Tennis

Australia
* Australian Men's Singles Championship – Adrian Quist (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
* Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Marie Toomey (Australia) 6–3, 6–1
England
* Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Bob Falkenburg (USA) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 7–5, 0–6, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
* Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–3, 8–6
France
* French Men's Singles Championship – Frank Parker (USA) defeats Jaroslav Drobný (Egypt) 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 7–5
* French Women's Singles Championship – Nelly Adamson Landry (USA) defeats Shirley Fry (USA) 6–2, 0–6, 6–0
USA
* American Men's Singles Championship – Pancho Gonzales (USA) defeats Eric Sturgess (South Africa) 6–2, 6–3, 14–12
* American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne (USA) defeats Louise Brough (USA) 4–6, 6–4, 15–13
Davis Cup
* 1948 Davis Cup – United States 5–0 Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

## Awards

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
* Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field