1941 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II
Minnesota Golden Gophers – college football national champions.
Chicago Bears win 37–9 over New York Giants for the NFL championship.
Chicago Bears win only meeting vs. Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. On January 23, 2011, they will meet again in the playoffs. It is the biggest rivalry in American football.
At a college game in Youngstown, Ohio, game officials use a penalty flag for the first time.
La Liga won by Atlético Aviación
German football championship won by SK Rapid Wien
Serie A won by Bologna
Primeira Liga won by Sporting CP
There is no major football competition in England, Scotland or France due to World War II. In England, several regional leagues are played but statistics from these are not counted in players’ figures.
Victorian Football League
Melbourne wins the 45th VFL Premiership, beating Essendon 19.13 (127) to 13.20 (98) in the 1941 VFL Grand Final
Brownlow Medal awarded to Norman Ware (Footscray)
South Australian National Football League:
4 October: Norwood 14.16 (100) beats Sturt 10.11 (71) for their nineteenth premiership but first since 1929.
Western Australian National Football League:
11 October: West Perth 14.14 (98) beat East Fremantle 10.17 (77) to win their eighth WANFL premiership.
New York Yankees win the World Series, beating Brooklyn Dodgers by 4 games to 1
Ted Williams records a season batting average of .406; it is the last time any major leaguer will hit over .400
Joe DiMaggio’s 56–game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16)
NBL Championship
Oshkosh All-Stars win three games to none over the Sheboygan Redskins
Events
Ninth South American Basketball Championship in Mendoza is won by Argentina.
Events
The highlight of the year is the World Heavyweight title fight between two current world champions, Joe Louis and Billy Conn, won by Louis with a 13th round knockout.
Lineal world champions
World Heavyweight Championship – Joe Louis
World Light Heavyweight Championship – Billy Conn
World Middleweight Championship – vacant → Tony Zale
World Welterweight Championship – Fritzie Zivic → Freddie "Red" Cochrane
World Lightweight Championship – Lew Jenkins → Sammy Angott
World Featherweight Championship – Harry Jeffra → Joey Archibald → Albert "Chalky" Wright
World Bantamweight Championship – Lou Salica
World Flyweight Championship – vacant
England and South Africa
There is no first-class cricket in England or South Africa due to World War II.
India
Ranji Trophy – Maharashtra defeats Madras by six wickets.
Bombay Pentangular – Hindus
Australia
During the 1940–41 season, although the Sheffield Shield is not contested, a number of interstate cricket matches are played for patriotic funding. For the 1941–42 season, seven three-day interstate matches are scheduled but only one is played before the urgency of the Pacific War puts an end to Australian first-class cricket until November 1945.
New Zealand and West Indies
New Zealand abandons the Plunket Shield for 1940–41 but here, and in the West Indies, a small number of first-class matches are arranged and played each season until after the war without being part of an official competition.
Tour de France
not contested due to World War II
Giro d'Italia
not contested due to World War II
World Figure Skating Championships
not contested due to World War II
Men's professional
Masters Tournament – Craig Wood
U.S. Open – Craig Wood
British Open – not played due to World War II
PGA Championship – Vic Ghezzi
Men's amateur
British Amateur – not played due to World War II
U.S. Amateur – Bud Ward
Women's professional
Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
Titleholders Championship – Dorothy Kirby
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Poet Prince
Grand National – not held due to World War II
Hurdle races
Champion Hurdle – Seneca
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Skipton
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Budpath
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Le Pacha
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sol Oriens
English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Lambert Simnel
- Epsom Derby – Owen Tudor
- St. Leger Stakes – Sun Castle
United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Whirlaway
- Preakness Stakes – Whirlaway
- Belmont Stakes – Whirlaway
Stanley Cup – Boston Bruins defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 0.
Indianapolis 500 – Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose share the Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special Wetteroth-Offenhauser in the 29th running of the May classic. Due to WWII, the next race will not take place until 1946.
The Boat Race
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II
1941 New Zealand rugby league season
1941 NSWRFL season
1940–41 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1941–42 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 – not contested
Australian Women's Singles Championship – not contested
England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested
France
French Men's Singles Championship – Bernard Destremau (France) defeats Henri Cochet (France) 8–6, 6–2
French Women's Singles Championship – Alice Weiwers (Luxembourg) † details to be ascertained
USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Bobby Riggs (USA) defeats Frank Kovacs (USA) 5–7, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3
American Women's Singles Championship – Sarah Palfrey Cooke (USA) defeats Pauline Betz Addie (USA) 7–5, 6–2
Davis Cup
1941 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Betty Hicks Newell, golf
