1961 in sports

**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)

### 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 –
    1. Cane Pace - Cold Front
    1. Little Brown Jug - Henry T. Adios
    1. Messenger Stakes - Adios Don
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
    1. Hambletonian - Harlan Dean
    1. Yonkers Trot - Duke Rodney
    1. 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:
    1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Rockavon
    1. Epsom Derby – Psidium
    1. St. Leger Stakes – Aurelius
- United States Triple Crown Races:
    1. Kentucky Derby – Carry Back
    1. Preakness Stakes – Carry Back
    1. 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 pass

## 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:
    1. Australian Open - Roy Emerson
    1. French Open - Manuel Santana
    1. Wimbledon championships - Rod Laver
    1. US Open - Roy Emerson
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
    1. Australian Open - Margaret Court
    1. French Open - Ann Haydon Jones
    1. Wimbledon championships - Angela Mortimer Barrett
    1. 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