1940 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
The 10th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are cancelled due to World War II
NFL championship
Chicago Bears defeat Washington Redskins 73–0 in the NFL championship game.
This game still holds records for the highest score and biggest win in National Football League history.
College championship
College football national championship – Minnesota Golden Gophers, Stanford Indians and Tennessee Volunteers (shared)
La Liga – won by Athletic Aviación Club
Serie A – won by S.S. Ambrosiana-Inter
Primeira Liga – won by F.C. Porto.
There is no major football competition in England, Scotland or France due to World War II. In England, several regional leagues are set up but statistics from these are not counted in players’ figures.
The 1940 Summer Olympics to be held in Helsinki, were cancelled due to outbreak of World War II. The major international athletics event of the year was thus the annual Finland-Sweden athletics international, held at the new Helsinki Olympic Stadium, exceptionally held as a triple international between Finland, Sweden and Germany.
Victorian Football League
28 September: Melbourne wins the 44th VFL Premiership, defeating Richmond 15.17 (107) to 10.8 (68) in the 1940 VFL Grand Final.
Brownlow Medal awarded to Des Fothergill (Collingwood) and Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne)
South Australian National Football League
28 September: Sturt 14.16 (100) defeat South Adelaide 11.13 (79) for their fifth SANFL premiership, but their last until 1966.
Western Australian National Football League
17 August: Claremont become the first team to score 200 points in a senior WANFL match when they kick 33.22 (220) against Swan Districts.
12 October: Claremont 13.13 (91) defeat South Fremantle 9.20 (74) for their third successive WANFL premiership.
The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 1940 World Series by 4 games to 3
NBL Championship
Akron Firestone Non-Skids win three games to two over the Oshkosh All-Stars
Events
The eighth South American Basketball Championship in Montevideo is won by Uruguay.
Events
4 October – Henry Armstrong loses the last of his three world titles when defeated by new World Welterweight Champion Fritzie Zivic over fifteen rounds in New York City
Lineal world champions
World Heavyweight Championship – Joe Louis
World Light Heavyweight Championship – Billy Conn
World Middleweight Championship – vacant
World Welterweight Championship – Henry Armstrong → Fritzie Zivic
World Lightweight Championship – Lou Ambers → Lew Jenkins
World Featherweight Championship – Joey Archibald → Harry Jeffra
World Bantamweight Championship – vacant → Lou Salica
World Flyweight Championship – vacant
England
Because of World War II, no first-class cricket is played in England from 1940 to 1944, and the Minor Counties Championship is similarly not contested until 1946.
Australia
Sheffield Shield – New South Wales
Most runs – Don Bradman, 1475 @ 122.61 (HS 267)
Most wickets – Clarrie Grimmett 73 @ 22.65 (BB 6–57)
India
Ranji Trophy – Maharashtra defeats United Provinces by ten wickets.
Bombay Pentangular – Hindus
New Zealand
Plunket Shield – Auckland
South Africa
The Currie Cup is not contested, but a total of nineteen first-class friendly matches are held. Inter-provincial cricket is abandoned after the 1939–40 season until the end of the war.
Most runs – Eric Rowan, 590 @ 147.50 (HS 306 not out)
Most wickets – Norman Gordon 28 @ 14.92 (BB 6–61)
West Indies
No first-class cricket is played in the 1939–40 season due to the outbreak of World War II, though in later years a few matches are arranged.
Tour de France
not contested due to World War II
Giro d'Italia
Fausto Coppi
World Figure Skating Championships
not contested due to World War II
Men's professional
Masters Tournament – Jimmy Demaret
U.S. Open – Lawson Little
British Open – not played due to World War II
PGA Championship – Byron Nelson
Men's amateur
British Amateur – not played due to World War II
U.S. Amateur – Dick Chapman
Women's professional
Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
Titleholders Championship – Helen Hicks
March 2 – in his final race, Seabiscuit wins the $121,000 Santa Anita Handicap
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Roman Hackle
Grand National – Bogskar
Hurdle races
Champion Hurdle – Solford
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Old Rowley
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Willie the Kid
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – not held due to World War II
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Turkhan
English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Djebel
- Epsom Derby – Pont l'Eveque
- St. Leger Stakes – Turkhan
United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Gallahadion
- Preakness Stakes – Bimelech
- Belmont Stakes – Bimelech
The New York Rangers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 2 to win the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.
Indianapolis 500 – Wilbur Shaw wins the 28th running of the May classic in the Boyle Racing Headquarters Special Maserati.
1940 Winter Olympics
The 1940 Winter Olympics, due to take place at Sapporo, are cancelled due to World War II
1940 Summer Olympics
The 1940 Summer Olympics, due to take place at Tokyo, are cancelled due to World War II
The Boat Race
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II
1940 New Zealand rugby league season
1940 NSWRFL season
1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1940–41 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War II
Speed Skating World Championships
not contested due to World War II
Australia
Australian Men's Singles Championship – Adrian Quist (Australia) defeats Jack Crawford (Australia) 6–3, 6–1, 6–2
Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Thelma Coyne Long (Australia) 5–7, 6–4, 6–0
England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested
France
French Men's Singles Championship – not contested
French Women's Singles Championship – not contested
USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Don McNeill (USA) defeats Bobby Riggs (USA) 4–6, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5
American Women's Singles Championship – Alice Marble (USA) defeats Helen Jacobs (USA) 6–2, 6–3
Davis Cup
1940 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Tom Harmon, College football
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Alice Marble, Tennis
