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)
Association football
Cup Finals
Copa Libertadores final - Penarol 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 Generalisimo final - Atletico Madrid 3-2 Real Madrid
League Winners
: Racing Club
: Santos
: Tottenham Hotspur
: AS Monaco
: Juventus
: Feyenoord
: Benfica
: Dynamo Kyiv
: Real Madrid
: Fenerbahce
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 14 1/2 to 9 1/2 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 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:
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
References