# 1991 in sports

1991 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## Alpine skiing

* Alpine Skiing World Cup
** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
** Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria

## American football

* Super Bowl XXV – the New York Giants (NFC) won 20–19 over the Buffalo Bills (AFC)
** Location: Tampa Stadium
** Attendance: 73,813
** MVP: Ottis Anderson, RB (New York)
* Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills is named the NFL MVP
* Orange Bowl (1990 season):
** The Colorado Buffaloes won 10–9 over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the AP Poll national championships
* Desmond Howard, University of Michigan wide receiver seals the Heisman Trophy with a 93-yard punt return in Michigan's 31–3 hammering of Ohio State.
* World Bowl '91: London Monarchs won 21–0 over the Barcelona Dragons in the inaugural World Bowl.
* Quarterback Stan Gelbaugh of the London Monarchs is named the World League of American Football's inaugural seasons Most Valuable Player

## Artistic gymnastics

* World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –
** Men's all-around champion: Grigory Misutin, USSR
** Women's all-around champion: Kim Zmeskal, United States
** Men's team competition champion: USSR
** Women's team competition champion: USSR

## Association football

* European Cup – Red Star Belgrade beat Olympique de Marseille 5–3 on penalties (0–0 aet)
* FIFA Women's World Cup – United States won 2–1 over Norway

## Athletics

* 1991 World Championships in Athletics held in Tokyo
* 30 August – Track & Field World Championship Mike Powell breaking Bob Beamon's 23-year-old Long Jump world record with a mark of 29' 4 1/2"

## Australian rules football

* Australian Football League
** The Adelaide Crows join the league
** 25 April – North Melbourne and Sydney kick between them 32.18 (210) in the first half. It is the record aggregate score for a half of VFL/AFL football.
** 2 June – Carlton kick their first goal with 33 second to go against Footscray, the closest a team has come to finishing goalless since Richmond kicked 0.8 (8) in 1961 against St. Kilda.
** 8 September – Hawthorn beat West Coast 18.16 (124) to 15.11 (101) in the first final outside Melbourne.
** 1991 AFL Grand Final (28 September) – Hawthorn wins the 95th AFL premiership beating West Coast 20.19 (139) to 13.8 (86) in the only Grand Final at VFL Park.
** Brownlow Medal awarded to Jim Stynes (Melbourne)
* 7 October – death of Darren Millane, who played for Collingwood between 1984 and 1991, from a car crash in Prahran.

## Baseball

* Dave Righetti breaks Sparky Lyle's major league record for left-handers of 238 career saves.
* 1 May – Nolan Ryan pitchers his seventh career no hitter with a 3–0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays
* 28 July – Dennis Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitches the 13th perfect game in major league history, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–0.
* World Series – The Minnesota Twins win 4 games to 3 over the Atlanta Braves. The series MVP is Jack Morris of Minnesota.
* Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles is named AL MVP
* Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves is named NL MVP
* Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox is named AL Cy Young award winner. It is his third of six in his career
* Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves is named NL Cy Young award winner
* Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins is named AL Rookie of the Year
* Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros is named NL Rookie of the Year

## Basketball

* NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – Duke wins 72–65 over Kansas
* Larry Johnson of UNLV is named Naismith College Player of the Year
* 9 February – Dee Brown win the Gatorade Slam Dunk Contest
* 10 February – NBA All-Star Game is held in Charlotte, North Carolina
* 12 June – NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers to earn the franchise's first championship, starting a run of six titles in eight seasons.
* Michael Jordan is named the NBA MVP, his second of 5 awards.
* 7 November – Lakers' superstar Magic Johnson announces he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, thus ending his career in the NBA.
* National Basketball League (Australia) Finals: Perth Wildcats defeated the Eastside Melbourne Spectres 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.
* 17 December – The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148 to 80, the largest margin of victory in any NBA game.

## Boxing

* 3 March – Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a seventh-round TKO
* 19 April – Evander Holyfield defeats George Foreman to retain WBC, WBA & IBF Heavyweight titles
* 7 to 12 May – 29th European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Gothenburg, Sweden
* 3 June – Thomas Hearns defeats Virgil Hill with a unanimous decision to win WBA Light Heavyweight title
* 1 June at Palm Springs, California – Terry Norris knocked out Donald Curry in the 8th Round to win the WBC Super Welterweight Championship.
* 28 June Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a rematch with a 12-round unanimous decision
* 2 to 18 August – Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba.
* 5 October – James Toney defeats Michael Nunn with a TKO to win IBF Middleweight title
* James Toney is named Ring Magazine fighter of the year

## Canadian football

* Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 36–21 over the Calgary Stampeders
* B.C. Lions Quarterback Doug Flutie is named CFL Most Outstanding Player
* Vanier Cup – Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks win 25–18 over the Mount Allison Mounties

## Cricket

* South Africa readmitted to the International Cricket Council following the abolition of apartheid, and play their first international game since 1970.

## Cycling

* Giro d'Italia won by Franco Chioccioli of Italy
* Tour de France – Miguel Indurain of Spain
* UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Gianni Bugno of Italy

## Dogsled racing

* Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
** Rick Swenson won with lead dog: Goose

## Field hockey

* Men's Champions Trophy: Germany
* Women's Champions Trophy: Australia

## Figure skating

* World Figure Skating Championships –
** Men's champion: Kurt Browning, Canada
** Ladies' champion: Kristi Yamaguchi, United States
** Pair skating champions: Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev, Soviet Union
** Ice dancing champions: Isabelle Duchesnay & Paul Duchesnay, France

## Golf

Men's professional
* Master – Ian Woosnam
* U.S. Open – Payne Stewart
* British Open – Ian Baker-Finch
* PGA Championship – John Daly
* PGA Tour money leader – Corey Pavin – $979,430
* Senior PGA Tour money leader – Mike Hill – $1,065,657
* Ryder Cup – United States team won 14½ – 13½ over the Europe in team golf.
Men's amateur
* British Amateur – Gary Wolstenholme
* U.S. Amateur – Mitch Voges
* European Amateur – Jim Payne
* Tiger Woods, at age 15, won his first USGA title, the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Women's professional
* Nabisco Dinah Shore – Amy Alcott
* LPGA Championship – Meg Mallon
* U.S. Women's Open – Meg Mallon
* Classique du Maurier – Nancy Scranton
* LPGA Tour money leader – Pat Bradley – $763,118

## Harness racing

* North America Cup – Precious Bunny
* United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
** Cane Pace – Silky Stallone
** Little Brown Jug – Precious Bunny
** Messenger Stakes – Die Laughing
* United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
** Hambletonian – Giant Victory
** Yonkers Trot – Crown's Invitation
** Kentucky Futurity – Whiteland Janice
* Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
** Pacers: Mark Ranover
** Trotters: Fraggle Rock

## Horse racing

Steeplechases
* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Garrison Savannah
* Grand National – Seagram
Flat races
* Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Let's Elope
* Canadian Triple Crown Races:
** Queen's Plate – Dance Smartly
** Prince of Wales Stakes – Dance Smartly
** Breeders' Stakes – Dance Smartly
** Dance Smartly becomes the country's third consecutive Triple Crown winner.
* France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Suave Dancer
* Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Generous
* Japan – Japan Cup won by Golden Pheasant
* English Triple Crown Races:
** 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Mystiko
** The Derby – Generous
** St. Leger Stakes – Toulon
* United States Triple Crown Races:
** Kentucky Derby – Strike the Gold
** Preakness Stakes – Hansel
** Belmont Stakes – Hansel
* Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
** Breeders' Cup Classic – Black Tie Affair
** Breeders' Cup Distaff – Dance Smartly
** Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Arazi
** Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Pleasant Stage
** Breeders' Cup Mile – Opening Verse
** Breeders' Cup Sprint – Sheikh Albadou
** Breeders' Cup Turf – Miss Alleged

## Ice hockey

* Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
* Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues
* Stanley Cup
** Pittsburgh Penguins win 4 games to 2 over the Minnesota North Stars
* Conn Smythe Trophy – Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
* World Hockey Championship
** Men's champion: Sweden defeated Canada
** Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated the USSR
* Sheffield Steelers formed
* San Jose Sharks formed
* Northern Michigan University wins the NCAA Division I title in hockey, 8–7 in the third overtime against Boston University.

## Lacrosse

* The Detroit Turbos defeat the Baltimore Thunder to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship

## Radiosport

* The Friendship Radiosport Games held in Portland, Oregon, United States was the first international Amateur Radio Direction Finding competition held in the Americas.
* Third European High Speed Telegraphy Championship held in Neerpelt, Belgium.

## Rugby League

* Penrith Panthers defeat two-time defending premiers Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium. It is Penrith's first premiership since their admission in 1967.
* Wigan retained their title in the English Rugby League competition, with Oldham, Sheffield Eagles and Rochdale Hornets being relegated. To date this is Rochdale's last appearance in the top flight.

## Rugby Union

* 97th Five Nations Championship series is won by England who complete the Grand Slam
* Australia wins the 1991 Rugby World Cup

## Snooker

* World Snooker Championship – John Parrott beats Jimmy White 18–11
* World rankings – Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1991/92

## Swimming

* The sixth FINA World Championships, held in Perth, Australia (3 January – 13)
* Eleventh Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba (12–18 August)
* 20th European LC Championships, held in Athens, Greece (18–25 August)
* Fourth Pan Pacific Championships, held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (22–25 August)
* First European Sprint Championships, held in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (6–8 December)
* 13 December – Steve Crocker sets the first official world record in the men's 50m freestyle (short course) in Sheffield, United Kingdom, clocking 25.64.

## Taekwondo

* World Championships held in Athens, Greece

## Tennis

* 20 June – death of Michael Westphal (26), German player
* Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
** Australian Open – Boris Becker
** French Open – Jim Courier
** Wimbledon championships – Michael Stich
** U.S. Open – Stefan Edberg
* Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
** Australian Open – Monica Seles
** French Open – Monica Seles
** Wimbledon championships – Steffi Graf
** U.S. Open – Monica Seles
* Davis Cup – France won 3–1 over the United States in world tennis.

## Triathlon

* ITU World Championships held in Gold Coast, Queensland
* ITU World Cup (eleven races) started in the United States Virgin Islands and ended in Mexico
* ETU European Championships held in Geneva, Switzerland

## Volleyball

Men's competition
* FIVB World League: Italy
* Asia Volleyball Championship: Japan
* Men's European Volleyball Championship: USSR
* Pan American Games: Cuba
Women's competition
* Asia Volleyball Championship: China
* Women's European Volleyball Championship: USSR
* Pan American Games: Cuba

## Water polo

* FINA Men's World Water Polo Championship: USA
* FINA Women's World Water Polo Championship: Netherlands

## Multi-sport events

* Eleventh Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba
* Fifth All-Africa Games held in Cairo, Egypt
* Eleventh Mediterranean Games held in Athens, Greece
* Sixteenth Summer Universiade held in Sheffield, United Kingdom
* Fifteenth Winter Universiade held in Sapporo, Japan
* Sixteenth Southeast Asian Games held in Manila, Philippines

## Awards

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
* Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Monica Seles, Tennis
* Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – Michael Jordan
* James E. Sullivan Award – Olympic Long Jumper Mike Powell