Title: 1961 in sports Content: 1961 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. ==American football== * AFL Championship – Houston Oilers won 10-3 over the San Diego Chargers * NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 37-0 over the New York Giants * NCAA I-A Championship – ** University of Alabama (AP)(UPI) ** Ohio State (FWAA) ==Association football== ===Cup Finals=== * Copa Libertadores final - Peñarol won 2-1 on aggregate against Palmeiras * European Cup final - Benfica 3-2 Barcelona * FA Cup final – Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Leicester City * Copa del Generalísimo final - Atletico Madrid 3-2 Real Madrid ===League Winners=== * : Racing Club * : Santos * : Tottenham Hotspur * : AS Monaco * : Juventus * : Feyenoord * : Benfica * : Dynamo Kyiv * : Real Madrid * : Fenerbahçe ==Baseball== * January 16 – Mickey Mantle becomes the highest paid player in Major League Baseball by signing a contract that will pay him $75,000 per season. * April 11 – The former Washington Senators play their first home game in Metropolitan Stadium as the Minnesota Twins * July 13 – In his majors debut, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Mack Jones tied a post-1900 National League record by collecting three singles and a double in his first game. * Roger Maris hits 61 home runs during the regular season, breaking Babe Ruth's mark of 60 that had stood since 1927 * October - World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 1 over the Cincinnati Reds. The series MVP is Whitey Ford of the Yankees. ==Basketball== * NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – ** Cincinnati wins 70-65 over Ohio St. * NBA Finals|NBA Finals – ** Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 over the St. Louis Hawks ==Boxing== * June 3 in Los Angeles, California - Emile Griffith knocked out Gaspar Ortega in the 12th round to retain the Welterweight Championship ==Canadian football== * Grey Cup – Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21-14 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats ==Cycling== * August 1 – death of Adrie Voorting (aged 30), Dutch road bicycle and track cyclist * Giro d'Italia won by Ercole Baldini of Italy * Tour de France - Jacques Anquetil of France * World Cycling Championship – Rik Van Looy of Belgium ==Figure skating== * The World Figure Skating Championships in Prague are cancelled after the entire USA team of skaters, officials, leaders and chaperones are killed in a plane crash on 15 February en route to the competition. * Among the dead are: **Bradley Lord (21), USA men's figure skating champion; **Maribel Vinson-Owen, USA women's figure skating champion and coach; **Maribel Yerxa Owen (20), USA women's figure skating champion; **Laurence Owen (16), USA women's figure skating champion. ==Golf== Men's professional * Masters Tournament - Gary Player becomes the first international golfer to win the Masters. * U.S. Open - Gene Littler * British Open - Arnold Palmer * PGA Championship - Jerry Barber * PGA Tour money leader - Gary Player - $64,540 * Ryder Cup - United States wins 14½ to 9½ over Britain in team golf. Men's amateur * British Amateur - Michael Bonallack * U.S. Amateur - Jack Nicklaus Women's professional * Women's Western Open - Mary Lena Faulk * LPGA Championship - Mickey Wright * U.S. Women's Open - Mickey Wright * Titleholders Championship - Mickey Wright * LPGA Tour money leader - Mickey Wright - $22,236 ==Harness racing== * United States Pacing Triple Crown races – *# Cane Pace - Cold Front *# Little Brown Jug - Henry T. Adios *# Messenger Stakes - Adios Don * United States Trotting Triple Crown races – *# Hambletonian - Harlan Dean *# Yonkers Trot - Duke Rodney *# Kentucky Futurity - Duke Rodney * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship – ** Pacers: Massacre ==Horse racing== Steeplechases * Cheltenham Gold Cup – Saffron Tartan * Grand National – Nicolaus Silver Flat races * Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Lord Fury * Canada – Queen's Plate won by Blue Light * France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Molvedo * Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Your Highness * English Triple Crown Races: *# 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Rockavon *# Epsom Derby – Psidium *# St. Leger Stakes – Aurelius * United States Triple Crown Races: *# Kentucky Derby – Carry Back *# Preakness Stakes – Carry Back *# Belmont Stakes – Sherluck ==Ice hockey== * Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens * Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens * Stanley Cup – Chicago Black Hawks win 4 games to 2 over the Detroit Red Wings * World Hockey Championship – ** Men's champion: Trail Smoke Eaters from Canada * NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Denver Pioneers defeat St. Lawrence University Saints 12-2 in Denver, CO ==Motor racing== * Stock car racing – ** Marvin Panch wins the Daytona 500 in the Smokey Yunick-owned and -prepared Pontiac ** NASCAR Championship - Ned Jarrett (Chevrolet) * USAC Racing ** 30 May – A.J. Foyt wins his first 45th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Bowes Seal Fast Special Trevis-Offenhauser **A.J. Foyt wins the driving championship * Formula One – Phil Hill (United States) wins World Drivers' Champion, driving for Ferrari. * 24 hours of Le Mans – Olivier Gendebien / Phil Hill win, sharing a Ferrari 250TR * Rally racing - the team of Maurice Martin / Roger Bateau win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Panhard PL17 * Drag racing ** Pete Robinson won Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals ** Jack Chrisman wins Top Eliminator at the first Winternats with NHRA's first sub-9 sec passNo. 23: Jack Chrisman , National Hot Rod Association; written in 2001, retrieved 4 March 2008. ==Radiosport== * First European Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships held in Stockholm, Sweden. This event was the first organized international competition in the sport. ==Rugby union== * 67th Five Nations Championship series is won by France ==Swimming== * August 13 – USA's Becky Collins breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 2:32.8. * August 19 – US swimmer Carl Robie takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) from his compatriot Michael Troy at a meet in Los Angeles, California, clocking 2:12.6. ==Tennis== * Grand Slam in tennis men's results: *# Australian Open - Roy Emerson *# French Open - Manuel Santana *# Wimbledon championships - Rod Laver *# US Open - Roy Emerson * Grand Slam in tennis women's results: *# Australian Open - Margaret Court *# French Open - Ann Haydon Jones *# Wimbledon championships - Angela Mortimer Barrett *# US Open - Darlene Hard * Davis Cup – Australia won 5-0 over Italy in world tennis. ==Multi-sport events== * Pan Arab Games held in Casablanca, Morocco * Second Summer Universiade held in Sofia, Bulgaria ==Awards== * Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Roger Maris, Major League Baseball * Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Wilma Rudolph, Track and field