1966 in sports explained

1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

• FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
  • Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
  • Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

American football

• Orange Bowl (1965 season):
  • The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
• June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
• AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.
• 1966 NCAA University Division football season:
  • November 19 – The top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.

Artistic gymnastics

• World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
  • Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR
  • Women's all-around champion: Věra Čáslavská, Czechoslovakia
  • Men's team competition champion: Japan
  • Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia

Association football

England

• FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday

International

• World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
• FIFA decide to give the right to host the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively

Athletics

• July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
• August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
• September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
• December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)

Baseball

See main article: 1966 in baseball.

• Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become the Atlanta Braves.
• January 20 – The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
• Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
• Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
• Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award
  • • Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
• World Series – Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
• College World Series – Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8–2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player

Basketball

• NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
  • Texas Western wins 72–65 over Kentucky
• NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
• NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain
• A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.
• A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir) basketball league were merger.
• An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.

Boxing

• March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
• April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15-round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
• May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
• August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd-round KO
• September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
• November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
• Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
• Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
• Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
  • Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
  • Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain

Golf

• July 24 – Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
• U.S. Open – Billy Casper
• British Open – Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
• PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
• PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $121,945

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Bobby Cole
• U.S. Amateur – Gary Cowan

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
• LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
• U.S. Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
• Titleholders Championship – Kathy Whitworth
• LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $33,517

Harness racing

• Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
  2. Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
  3. Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian – Kerry Way
  2. Yonkers Trot – Polaris
  3. Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Chamfer Star
  • Trotters: Yamamoto

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
• Grand National – Anglo

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
  2. The Derby – Charlottown^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
  2. Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
  3. Belmont Stakes – Amberoid

Ice hockey

• 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: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6–1 in Minneapolis

Motorsport

See main article: 1966 in motorsport and List of 1966 motorsport champions.

Orienteering

• First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.^[2]

Rugby league

• 1966 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1966 NSWRFL season
• 1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

• 72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.

Speed skating

• January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche (Australia) defeats István Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
• French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
• American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968

Davis Cup

• 1966 Davis Cup – 4–1 at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia

Volleyball

• 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia

Multi-sport events

• Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
• 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica^[3]
• Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year - Jim Ryun, running

Notes and References

1. Web site: Epsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica . www.britannica.com . 3 January 2022 . en.
2. Web site: World Orienteering Championships 1966 . . 25 September 2017.
3. Web site: Our Games Commonwealth Games Federation . thecgf.com . 4 January 2022 . en . 4 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220104004327/https://thecgf.com/games . dead .