# 1917 in sports

    Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War I
1917 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## American football

College championship
* College football national championship – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (coached by John Heisman)
* Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, opens

## Association football

Europe
* There is no major football in Europe due to World War I
Norway
* Foundation of Rosenborg BK at Trondheim

## Athletics

Men's 1500 metres
* John Zander (Sweden) breaks the world record by running a time of 2:19.1

## Australian rules football

VFL Premiership:
* Collingwood wins the 21st VFL Premiership: Collingwood 9.20 (74) d Fitzroy 5.9 (39) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
South Australian Football League:
* not contested due to World War I
West Australian Football League:
* 15 September: South Fremantle 6.5 (41) defeats East Fremantle 3.8 (26) for their second consecutive WAFL premiership.

## Bandy

Sweden
* Championship final – IFK Uppsala 11–2 AIK

## Baseball

World Series
* 6–15 October — The Chicago White Sox (AL) defeat the New York Giants (NL) to win the 1917 World Series by 4 games to 2.

## Boxing

Events
* Ted "Kid" Lewis regains the World Welterweight Championship and holds it until 1919.
* Al McCoy loses the World Middleweight Championship title to Mike O'Dowd, who knocks him out in the 6th round at Brooklyn
* Benny Leonard, widely regarded as the greatest-ever lightweight, defeats Freddie Welsh at New York to win the World Lightweight Championship, which he holds until he retires in 1925
* Another great champion, Pete Herman defeats Kid Williams over 20 rounds at New Orleans to take the World Bantamweight Championship, which he holds until 1920
Lineal world champions
* World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
* World Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky
* World Middleweight Championship – Al McCoy → Mike O'Dowd
* World Welterweight Championship – Jack Britton → Ted "Kid" Lewis
* World Lightweight Championship – Freddie Welsh → Benny Leonard
* World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
* World Bantamweight Championship – Kid Williams → Pete Herman
* World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

## Canadian football

Grey Cup
* not contested due to World War I

## Cricket

Events
* There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I
India
* Bombay Quadrangular – Europeans shared with Parsees

## Cycling

Tour de France
* not contested due to World War I
Giro d'Italia
* not contested due to World War I

## Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships
* not contested due to World War I

## Golf

Events
* All major championships are cancelled due to World War I

## Handball

* The first official handball match was played on December 2 in Berlin, Germany.

## Horse racing

England
* Grand National – not held due to World War I
* 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Diadem
* 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gay Crusader
* The Derby – Gay Crusader
* The Oaks – Sunny Jane
* St. Leger Stakes – Gay Crusader
Australia
* Melbourne Cup – Westcourt
Canada
* King's Plate – Belle Mahone
Ireland
* Irish Grand National – Pay Only
* Irish Derby Stakes – First Flier
USA
* Kentucky Derby – Omar Khayyam
* Preakness Stakes – Kalitan
* Belmont Stakes – Hourless

## Ice hockey

Stanley Cup
* 17–26 March — Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) defeats Montreal Canadiens (NHA) in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 1
Events
* Allan Cup – Toronto Dentals
* 10 November — after Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto NHA team, refuses to sell, the NHA votes to suspend operations
* 26 November — in a secret meeting, several owners of the NHA form the National Hockey League (NHL) to force out the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts NHA team. Toronto's Arena Gardens will operate a temporary franchise in Toronto while Quebec Bulldogs becomes an NHL member but is suspended for the inaugural season.
* 19 December — the opening NHL games are played to begin the new league's inaugural season

## Motor racing

Events
* No major races are held anywhere worldwide due to World War I

## Multi-sport events

Far Eastern Championship Games
* Third Far Eastern Championship Games held in Tokyo, Empire of Japan

## Rowing

The Boat Race
* Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – not contested due to World War I
* International Eight Boat Race - England v Australia. Rowed Putney To Hammersmith, London, 20th Oct. 1917. Won By Australia by 3/4 length.

## Rugby league

England
* All first-class competitions are cancelled due to World War I
Australia
* NSW Premiership – Balmain (outright winner)
New Zealand
* 1917 New Zealand rugby league season

## Rugby union

Five Nations Championship
* Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War I

## Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships
* not contested due to World War I

## Tennis

Australia
* Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
England
* Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
* Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
France
* French Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
* French Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
USA
* American Men's Singles Championship – Lindley Murray (USA) defeats Nathaniel Niles (USA) 5–7 8–6 6–3 6–3
* American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Marion Vanderhoef Morse (USA) 4–6 6–0 6–2
Davis Cup
* 1917 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested