1960 in sports explained

1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

• The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
  • Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France
  • Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria
  • Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland
  • The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
  • Downhill: Heidi Biebl, West Germany
  • Slalom: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
  • Giant Slalom: Yvonne Rüegg, Switzerland
• FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
  • Men's combined champion: Guy Périllat, France
  • Women's combined champion: Ann Heggtveit, Canada, who becomes the first non-European to win a world championship title in Alpine skiing.

American football

• NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 17–13 over the Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field in Philadelphia
• Cotton Bowl Classic (1959 season):
  • The Syracuse Orangemen won 23–17 over the Texas Longhorns to win the college football national championship.
• National Football League names Pete Rozelle commissioner of the league. The league expands to Dallas for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St.Paul for the 1961 season. The Chicago Cardinals relocate to St. Louis.
• The American Football League (AFL) played its first season
• First black pro football placekicker: Gene Mingo (Denver Broncos, AFL)
• First Hispanic pro football quarterback: Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders, AFL)
• AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 24–16 over the Los Angeles Chargers

Association football

• England – FA Cup – Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–0 over Blackburn Rovers^[1]
• The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2–1 to win the first European Football Championship

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • Melbourne wins the 64th VFL Premiership to McDonalds (Melbourne 8.14 (62) d Collingwood 2.2 (14))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to John Schultz (Footscray)

Baseball

See main article: 1960 in baseball.

• World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is New York's Bobby Richardson.
• October 13 – 1960 World Series Game 7 at Forbes Field – Pittsburgh Pirates player Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run, and still the only player to do it in the decisive seventh game.
• The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

Basketball

NBA Finals

• Boston Celtics win four games to three over the St. Louis Hawks

Boxing

• March 16 – Flash Elorde won the world junior lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Harold Gomes in Quezon City, Philippines.
• June – Floyd Patterson recovered the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson, becoming the first-ever boxer to do so.
• September 5 – Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in boxing at the Rome Olympic Games.^[2]

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 34–9

Cycling

• Tour de France – Gastone Nencini of Italy^[3]
• Giro d'Italia – Jacques Anquetil of France

Field hockey

• Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy^[4]
  • Gold Medal: Pakistan
  • Silver Medal: India
  • Bronze Medal: Spain

Figure Skating

• January 30 - US Figure Skating championship Civic Ice Arena in Seattle January 30
  • US female championship won by Carol Heiss
  • US male championship won by David Jenkins
  • The Pairs won Nancy Ludington / Ron Ludington
  • Ice dancing won Margie Ackles / Charles Phillips

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer
• U.S. Open – Arnold Palmer
• British Open – Kel Nagle
• PGA Championship – Jay Hebert
• PGA Tour money leader – Arnold Palmer – $75,263

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Joe Carr
• U.S. Amateur – Deane Beman

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Joyce Ziske
• LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright
• U.S. Women's Open – Betsy Rawls
• Titleholders Championship – Fay Crocker
• LPGA Tour money leader – Louise Suggs – $16,892

Harness racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace – Countess Adios
  2. Little Brown Jug – Bullet Hanover
  3. Yonkers Trot – Duke of Decatur
  4. Kentucky Futurity – Elaine Rodney
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Caduceus

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Pas Seul
• Grand National – Merryman II

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Park
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Puissant Chef
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Chamour
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Martial
  2. The Derby – St. Paddy^[5]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – St. Paddy
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Venetian Way
  2. Preakness Stakes – Bally Ache
  3. Belmont Stakes – Celtic Ash

Ice hockey

• The American Olympic men's ice-hockey team won the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal with a record of 7–0–0 during the tournament.
• Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
• Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Canada defeats the United States
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5–3 in Boston

Motorsport

See main article: 1960 in motorsport and List of 1960 motorsport champions.

Olympic Games

• 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
  • USSR wins the most medals (103), and the most gold medals (43)
• 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, United States
  • USSR wins the most medals (21), and the most gold medals (7)
• First Paralympic Games held in Rome, Italy
  • Italy wins the most medals (80) and the most gold medals (29)
• First Winter Universiade held in Chamonix, France

Rugby league

• 1960 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season
• 1960 NSWRFL season
• 1960 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

• 66th Five Nations Championship series is shared by England and France

Swimming

• June 12 – Marianne Heemskerk from the Netherlands breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Leipzig, East Germany – 2:34.4.
• July 10 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Evansville, Indiana, clocking 2:15.0.
• July 23 – Thirteen days after breaking his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) Troy once again betters the world's best time in that event, this time at a meet in Toledo, Ohio clocking 2:13.4.
• August 4 – Less than a month before the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Troy again breaks the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course), when he clocks 2:13.2 at a meet in Detroit, Michigan.
• September 2 – Michael Troy wins the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy by breaking his own world record – 2:12.8.

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 7–5, 6–2

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Sandra Reynolds Price (South Africa) 8–6, 6–0

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) defeats Luis Ayala (Chile) 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
• French Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Yola Ramírez (Mexico) 6–3, 6–4

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 6–4, 9–7
• American Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–4, 10–12, 6–4

Davis Cup

• 1960 Davis Cup – 4–1 at White City Stadium (grass) Sydney, Australia

Volleyball

• 1960 FIVB Men's World Championship in Rio de Janeiro won by the USSR

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Rafer Johnson, Track and field
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Wilma Rudolph, Track and field

Notes and References

1. Web site: FA Cup final: Wigan's Whelan makes poignant Wembley return . BBC Sport . 25 June 2018 . 9 May 2013.
2. Web site: Muhammad Ali: The ultimate fighter . BBC Timelines . 25 June 2018 . en.
3. Book: Collection . The Horton . Shoulder to Shoulder: Bicycle Racing in the Age of Anquetil . 2015 . VeloPress . 9781937716721 . 182 . en.
4. Web site: hockey men - Olympic Hockey . International Olympic Committee . 25 June 2018 . en . 15 May 2018.
5. Web site: Epsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica . www.britannica.com . 3 January 2022 . en.