1960 in sports

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

Cotton Bowl (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 relocates to St. Louis, Missouri.

December 26-NFL Championship – Philadelphia Eagles won 17-13 over the Green Bay Packers

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

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

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.

Canadian football

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

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Cycling

Tour de France - Gastone Nencini of Italy

Giro d'Italia - Jacques Anquetil of France

Field Hockey

Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy

Gold Medal: Pakistan

Silver Medal: India

Bronze Medal: Spain

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
4. Kentucky Futurity

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. Epsom Derby – St. Paddy
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 Memorial 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: United States is crushed by Canada

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5-3 in Boston, Massachusetts

Motor racing

Stock car racing –

Junior Johnson won the Daytona 500

NASCAR Championship - Rex White in the #4 Chevrolet

30 May – Jim Rathmann wins the 44th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Ken-Paul Special Watson-Offenhauser

USAC Racing - A.J. Foyt wins the season championship

Formula One – Jack Brabham (Australia) repeats as World Drivers' Champion, in a Cooper T51-Climax.

24 hours of Le Mans – Olivier Gendebien / Paul Frère won, sharing a Ferrari 250 TR

Rally racing - the team of Walter Schock / Rolf Moll win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mercedes 220SE.

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 –

French Women's Singles Championship –

USA

American Men's Singles Championship –

American Women's Singles Championship –

Davis Cup

1960 Davis Cup –  Australia 4–1  Italy 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