1958 in sports

American football

NFL Championship – December 28 the Baltimore Colts won 23-17 over the New York Giants in overtime. The game is later called the "Greatest game ever played".

Artistic gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Men's all-around champion: Boris Shakhlin, USSR

Women's all-around champion: Larisa Latynina, USSR

Team competition champions: men's – USSR; women's – USSR

Association football

February 6 – Munich air disaster. 23 people died as a result of the crash at Munich airport including 7 Manchester United players:

Geoff Bent (25)

Roger Byrne (28)

Eddie Colman (21)

Mark Jones (24)

David Pegg (22)

Tommy Taylor (26)

Liam Whelan (22)

Duncan Edwards (21), who died of his injuries on 21 February

Also killed was former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Frank Swift (44), who was then a reporter

FIFA World Cup

1958 World Cup held in Sweden. Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in the final.

Europe

European Cup – Real Madrid beat A.C. Milan 3-2.

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – FC Barcelona beat London XI 8-2 on aggregate.

England

First Division – Wolverhampton Wanderers win the 1957–58 title.

FA Cup – Bolton Wanderers beat Manchester United 2-0.

Athletics

Sixth European Championships, held from August 19 to August 24 in Stockholm, Sweden

Australian rules football

Victorian Football League

Collingwood wins the 62nd VFL Premiership (Collingwood 12.10 (82) d Melbourne 9.10 (64))

Brownlow Medal was awarded to Neil Roberts (St Kilda)

Baseball

January 29 – The Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella suffers a broken neck in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. His spinal column is nearly severed and his legs are permanently paralyzed.

January 30 – Commissioner Ford Frick announces that players and coaches, rather than the fans, will vote for the All-Star teams.

April 15 – San Francisco Giants pitcher Rubén Gómez won baseball's first regular season game on the West Coast. He started the first game in San Francisco history, beating Don Drysdale and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-0 shutout at Seals Stadium. The two teams moved from New York after the 1957 season.

World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 3 over the Milwaukee Braves. The Series MVP is pitcher Bob Turley of New York.

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –

Kentucky wins 84-72 over Seattle

NBA Finals:

St. Louis Hawks win 4 games to 2 over the Boston Celtics

A FIBA European Champions Cup (present day of Euro Basketball League), first official game held on February 22, and ASK Riga won first season on title.

Boxing

December 10 – Light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore is knocked down three times in the first round and once more in the fifth round by Yvon Durelle but Moore held on to come back to knock out Durelle in the 11th round.

Canadian football

The Canadian Football League is officially established in its present form.

Grey Cup – Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 35-28 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Cycling

Tour de France won by Charly Gaul of Luxembourg

September 13 – death in a racing accident of Russell Mockridge (30), Australian racing cyclist

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships:

Men's champion: David Jenkins, United States

Ladies' champion: Carol Heiss, United States

Pair skating champions: Barbara Wagner & Robert Paul, Canada

Ice dancing champions: June Markham & Courtney Jones, Great Britain

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer

U.S. Open – Tommy Bolt

British Open – Peter Thomson

PGA Championship – Dow Finsterwald

PGA Tour money leader – Arnold Palmer – $42,608

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Joe Carr

U.S. Amateur – Charles Coe

Women's professional

Women's Western Open – Patty Berg

LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright

U.S. Women's Open – Mickey Wright

Titleholders Championship – Beverly Hanson

LPGA Tour money leader – Beverly Hanson – $12,639

Harness racing

United States Pacing Triple Crown races:

1. Cane Pace – Raider Frost
2. Little Brown Jug – Shadow Wave
3. Messenger Stakes – O'Brien Hanover

United States Trotting Triple Crown races:

1. Hambletonian – Emily's Pride
2. Yonkers Trot – Spunky Hanover
3. Kentucky Futurity – Emily's Pride

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:

Pacers: Free Hall

Horse racing

Tim Tam, who had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, fractured a sesamoid bone and lost his chance for the Triple Crown when he hobbled across the finish line in second place at the Belmont Stakes.

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Kerstin

Grand National – Mr What

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Baystone

Canada – Queen's Plate won by Caledon Beau

France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Ballymoss

Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sindon

English Triple Crown Races:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Pall Mall
2. Epsom Derby – Hard Ridden
3. St. Leger Stakes – Alcide

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Tim Tam
2. Preakness Stakes – Tim Tam
3. Belmont Stakes – Cavan

Ice hockey

January 18 – Willie O'Ree makes his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He is the first Black Canadian to play in the National Hockey League.

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Dickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens

Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings

Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4-2 over the Boston Bruins

World Hockey Championship

Men's champion: Whitby Dunlops from Canada defeat the Soviet Union

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux 6-2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Motor racing

NASCAR Championship – Lee Petty in the #42 Plymouth

USAC Racing

30 May – Jimmy Bryan wins the 42nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Belond AP Special Salih–Offenhauser

Pat O'Connor is killed in a massive fifteen-car pileup on Lap One.

Tony Bettenhausen wins the season championship

Formula One – Mike Hawthorn (Great Britain) is World Drivers' Champion, driving for Ferrari.

February 23 – Cuban rebels kidnap 5-time Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

24 Hours of Le Mans – Olivier Gendebien / Phil Hill win, sharing a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa

Rally racing – the team of Guy Monraisse / Jacques Feret won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Renault

Pétanque

The sport's international federation is founded in Marseille

Rugby league

1958 New Zealand rugby league season

1958 NSWRFL season

1957–58 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1958–59 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

64th Five Nations Championship series is won by England

Skiing

Men's FIS World Championships:

Downhill: Toni Sailer (Austria)

Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer (Austria)

Slalom: Josl Rieder (Austria)

Combined: Toni Sailer (Austria)

Women's FIS World Championships:

Downhill: Lucille Wheeler (Canada)

Giant Slalom: Lucille Wheeler (Canada)

Slalom: Inge Bjoernbakken (Norway)

Combined: Frieda Dänzer (Switzerland)

Swimming

June 29 – US swimmer Nancy Ramey sets the first official world record in the women's 200m butterfly at a meet in Los Angeles, clocking 2:40.5.

September 13 – Tineke Lagerberg from the Netherlands takes over the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Naarden, the Netherlands – 2:38.9.

Tennis

Australia

Australian Men's Singles Championship – Ashley Cooper (Australia) defeats Malcolm Anderson (Australia) 7–5, 6–3, 6–4

Australian Women's Singles Championship – Angela Mortimer Barrett (Great Britain) defeats Lorraine Coghlan Robinson (Australia) 6–3, 6–4

England

Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Ashley Cooper (Australia) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11

Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Althea Gibson (USA) defeats Angela Mortimer (Great Britain) 8–6, 6–2

France

French Men's Singles Championship –

French Women's Singles Championship –

USA

American Men's Singles Championship –

American Women's Singles Championship –

Davis Cup

1958 Davis Cup –  United States 3–2  Australia at Milton Courts (grass) Brisbane, Australia

Yacht racing

The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Columbia defeats British challenger Sceptre, of the Royal Yacht Squadron, 4 races to 0; it is the first Cup series held in the era of the 12-metre yacht.

Multi-sport events

Asian Games held in Tokyo, Japan

British Empire & Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff, United Kingdom

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Herb Elliott, Track and field

Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Althea Gibson, Tennis