# 1964 in sports

1964 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## Alpine skiing

* Men's Olympic gold medal:
** Downhill: Egon Zimmermann, Austria
** Slalom: Josef Stiegler, Austria
** Giant Slalom: François Bonlieu, France
* Women's Olympic gold medal:
** Downhill: Christl Haas, Austria
** Slalom: Christine Goitschel, France
** Giant Slalom: Marielle Goitschel, France
* FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
** Men's combined champion: Ludwig Leitner, Germany
** Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

## American football

* NFL Championship: the Cleveland Browns won 27–0 over the Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Stadium
* Cotton Bowl (1963 season):
** The Texas Longhorns won 28–6 over the Navy Midshipmen to win the college football national championship
* Heisman Trophy – John Huarte QB, Notre Dame
* AFL Championship – Buffalo Bills win 20–7 over the San Diego Chargers

## Association football
### England

* FA Cup final – West Ham United won 3–2 over Preston North End

### International

* Spain beat the Soviet Union 2–1 to win the European Championship.
* In October during the celebration of the 1964 Summer Olympics FIFA gives the right to host the Football World Cup in 1970 to Mexico.
* The 1964 Jutland Series runs from 30 March to 15 November in Denmark

## Athletics

* March 6 – Tom O'Hara sets a new world record for the indoor mile run by completing it in 3 minutes and 56.4 seconds

## Australian rules football

* Victorian Football League
** Melbourne wins the 68th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 8.16 (64) d Collingwood 8.12 (60))
** Brownlow Medal awarded to Gordon Collis (Carlton)

## Baseball

* February 15 – death of Ken Hubbs (22), Chicago Cubs player, in an air crash just before the season began
* April 17 – The New York Mets play their first game at brand-new Shea Stadium and lose 4–3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Willie Stargell hits the first home run in the stadium's history, a second-inning solo shot off the Mets' Jack Fisher.
* June 21 – Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game in a 6–0 victory over the New York Mets.
* World Series – St. Louis Cardinals win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is pitcher, Bob Gibson of St. Louis.
* AL MVP – Brooks Robinson 3B, Baltimore Orioles
* NL MVP – Ken Boyer 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
* AL Rookie of the Year – Tony Oliva OF, Minnesota Twins
* NL Rookie of the Year – Dick Allen 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
* Cy Young Award – Dean Chance, Los Angeles Angels

## Basketball

* NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
** UCLA wins 97–83 over Duke
* Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year – Gary Bradds F, Ohio State
* NBA Finals – Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 over the San Francisco Warriors
* NBA MVP – Oscar Robertson G, Cincinnati Royals
* NBA Rookie of the Year – Jerry Lucas F, Cincinnati Royals

## Boxing

* February 25 in Miami Beach, Florida – Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston by TKO in the 7th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
* December 14 in Philadelphia, Joey Giardello won a 15-round decision over Rubin "Hurricane" Carter to win the World Middleweight title.

## Canadian football

* Grey Cup – B.C. Lions win 34–24 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

## Cycling

* Giro d'Italia won by Jacques Anquetil of France
* Tour de France – Jacques Anquetil of France
* UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Jan Janssen of Netherlands

## Field hockey

* Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Tokyo, Japan
** Gold Medal: India
** Silver Medal: Pakistan
** Bronze Medal: Australia

## Figure skating

* World Figure Skating Championships
** Men's champion: Manfred Schnelldorfer, Germany
** Ladies' champion: Sjoukje Dijkstra, Netherlands
** Pair skating champions: Marika Kilius & Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, Germany
** Ice dancing champions: Eva Romanová & Pavel Roman, Czechoslovakia

## Golf

Men's professional
* Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer
* U.S. Open – Ken Venturi
* British Open – Tony Lema
* PGA Championship – Bobby Nichols
* PGA Tour money leader – Jack Nicklaus – $113,285
Men's amateur
* British Amateur – Gordon Clark
* U.S. Amateur – William C. Campbell
Women's professional
* Women's Western Open – Carol Mann
* LPGA Championship – Mary Mills
* U.S. Women's Open – Mickey Wright
* Titleholders Championship – Marilynn Smith
* LPGA Tour money leader – Mickey Wright – $29,800

## Harness racing

* United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
** Cane Pace – Race Time
** Little Brown Jug – Vicar Hanover
** Messenger Stakes – Race Time
* Ayres won the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
** Hambletonian – Ayres
** Yonkers Trot – Ayres
** Kentucky Futurity – Ayres
* Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
** Pacers: Minuteman

## Horse racing

* Northern Dancer becomes the first Canadian–bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby
Steeplechases
* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
* Grand National – Team Spirit
Flat races
* Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Polo Prince
* Canada – Queen's Plate won by Northern Dancer
* France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Prince Royal
* Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Santa Claus
* English Triple Crown Races:
** 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Baldric
** The Derby – Santa Claus
** St. Leger Stakes – Indiana
* United States Triple Crown Races:
** Kentucky Derby – Northern Dancer
** Preakness Stakes – Northern Dancer
** Belmont Stakes – Quadrangle

## Ice hockey

* Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
* Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
* Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs won 4–3 over the Detroit Red Wings
* World Hockey Championship –
** Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
* NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Michigan Wolverines defeat University of Denver Pioneers 6–3 in Denver, Colorado

## Lacrosse

* Guelph Mohawks win the first Castrol Cup.
* Vancouver Carlings win the Mann Cup.
* Oshawa Green Gaels win the Minto Cup.

## Rugby league

* 1964 New Zealand rugby league season
* 1964 NSWRFL season
* 1963–64 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1964–65 Northern Rugby Football League season

## Rugby union

* 70th Five Nations Championship series is shared by Scotland and Wales

## Snooker

* The World Snooker Championship is revived in a challenge format:
** John Pulman beats Fred Davis 19-16
** John Pulman beats Rex Williams 40-33

## Swimming

* February 29 – in Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the women's 100m freestyle (long course) competition: 58.9 seconds.
* March 29 – Australia's Kevin Berry sets a new world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Sydney, clocking 2:06.9.
* July 12 – US swimmer Sharon Stouder breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) with one second, during a meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, clocking 2:28.1.
* August 2 – Sharon Stouder once again breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course), this time in Los Altos, California, clocking 2:26.4.
* October 18 – Kevin Berry breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) on the last day of the swimming competition at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, with a time of 2:06.6.

## Tennis

Australia
* Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
* Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Lesley Turner Bowrey (Australia) 6–3, 6–2
France
* French Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) 6–3, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
* French Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Court (Australia) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
UK
* Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) 6–4, 12–10, 4–6, 6–3
* Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Margaret Smith Court (Australia) 6–4, 7–9, 6–3
USA
* American Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) in straight sets 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
* American Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Carole Caldwell Graebner (USA) in straight sets 6–1, 6–0
Davis Cup
* 1964 Davis Cup – Australia 3–2 United States at Harold Clark Courts (clay) Cleveland, United States

## Volleyball

* Volleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics won by USSR (men) and Japan (women)

## Yacht racing

* The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Constellation defeats British challenger Sovereign, of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, 4 races to 0

## Multi-sport events

* 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan
** United States wins the most gold medals (36) but the Soviet Union wins the most overall medals (96).
** This Olympic opening ceremony is first time of live Olympic telecast program by geostationary communication satellite.
* 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria
** USSR wins the most medals (25), and the most gold medals (11).
* Third Winter Universiade held in Špindleruv Mlýn, Czechoslovakia

## Awards

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Don Schollander, Swimming
* Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Mickey Wright, LPGA golf
* ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: Don Schollander, Swimming
* Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – Ken Venturi – Golf