1969 in sports

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup:

Men's overall champion: Karl Schranz, Austria

Women's overall champion: Gertrud Gabl, Austria

American football

College football's centennial year was marked by racial strife.

January 1 - Rose Bowl (1968 season)

The Ohio State Buckeyes won 27-16 over the Southern California Trojans to win the college football national championship

January 12 - The American Football League New York Jets upset the NFL's heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III by a score of 16-7, after quarterback Joe Namath "guaranteed" a victory.

September 28 - Minnesota Vikings' Quarterback Joe Kapp became the last player to throw seven touchdowns in a single game.

Kansas City Chiefs 17-7 Oakland Raiders for 1969 AFL championship.

Minnesota Vikings 27-7 Cleveland Browns for the 1969 NFL championship.

November 22, 1969 - College Football - Michigan upsets #1 ranked Ohio State 24-12 sending Michigan to the Rose Bowl

December 6, 1969 - College Football - #1 Texas beats #2 Arkansas 15-14 in the then Game of the Century. Texas would remain #1 for the rest of the season and were the AP 1969 National Champions following their Cotton Bowl win.

Association football

September 26 – the Bolivian soccer team is killed in a plane crash near La Paz, Bolivia

European Cup – A.C. Milan 4 - 1 AFC Ajax

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – Newcastle United beat Újpesti Dózsa 6-2 on aggregate

England - First Division Champions: Leeds

England - FA Cup – Manchester City won 1-0 over Leicester City

Germany - Bundesliga – Bayern Munich

Italy - Serie A: Fiorentina

Scotland - First Division Champions: Celtic

Scotland - FA Cup: Celtic won 4-0 over Rangers

Spain - La Liga: Real Madrid

Ecuador - Ecuadorian Serie A Champions: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito

Athletics

September – 1969 European Championships in Athletics held in Athens

Australian rules football

Victorian Football League

April 12: Carlton become the first team to score 200 points in a VFL match when they kick 30.30 (210) to Hawthorn 12.10 (82). Alex Jesaulenko kicks 6.12 (48).

Richmond wins the 73rd VFL Premiership (Richmond 12.13 (85) d Carlton 8.12 (60))

Brownlow Medal awarded to Kevin Murray (Fitzroy)

Bandy

1969 Bandy World Championship is held in Sweden and won by  Soviet Union.

Baseball

March 1 – Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees announces his retirement.

April 14 – Montreal Expos outfielder Mack Jones hit a three-run home run and two-run triple that highlighted an 8-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the Expos' first home victory as a franchise at Jarry Park. Jones' blast was also the first MLB home run hit outside the United States.

July 20 – San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry, some six years after his manager quipped, "They'll put a man on the moon before he hits a home run", hits the first home run of his career just hours after Neil Armstrong lands on the moon.

World Series – the New York Mets win 4 games to 1 over the Baltimore Orioles.

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –

UCLA wins 92-72 over Purdue

NBA Finals –

Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers

1969 ABA Finals –

Oakland Oaks defeat Indiana Pacers 4 games to 1

Boxing

June 23 - Joe Frazier scored a 7th round TKO over Jerry Quarry.

August 26 - José Nápoles retained the World Welterweight Championship in a 15 round decision over Emile Griffith.

August 31 – death of Rocky Marciano (45), Italian-American World Heavyweight boxing champion, in an air crash

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders won 29-11 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Vanier Cup – Manitoba Bisons won 24-15 over the McGill Redmen

Cricket

February 20 - Australia defeat the West Indies at Sydney in the Fifth Test Match to win the series 3-1

March 8 Rioting stops the final match of England's tour of Pakistan on the third day. The match is abandoned and the series drawn.

July 15 - England defeat the West Indies at Headingley in the Third Test Match to win the series 2-0

August 26 - England defeat New Zealand at The Oval in the Third Test Match to win the series 2-0

Learie Constantine becomes the first cricketer and the first person of Afro-Caribbean descent to be given a life peerage.

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Felice Gimondi of Italy

Tour de France - Eddy Merckx of Belgium

UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Harm Ottenbros of Netherlands

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –

Men's champion: Tim Wood, United States

Ladies' champion: Gabrielle Seyfert, Germany

Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulanov, Soviet Union

Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament - George Archer

U.S. Open - Orville Moody

British Open - Tony Jacklin

PGA Championship - Raymond Floyd

PGA Tour money leader - Frank Beard - $164,707

Ryder Cup - United States and Britain tied 16 all in team golf.

Men's amateur

British Amateur - Michael Bonallack

U.S. Amateur - Steve Melnyk

Women's professional

LPGA Championship - Betsy Rawls

U.S. Women's Open - Donna Caponi

Titleholders Championship - not played

LPGA Tour money leader - Carol Mann - $49,152

Harness racing

United States Pacing Triple Crown races –

1. Cane Pace - Kat Byrd
2. Little Brown Jug - Laverne Hanover
3. Messenger Stakes - Bye Bye Sam

Lindy's Pride won the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –

1. Hambletonian - Lindy's Pride
2. Yonkers Trot - Lindy's Pride
3. Kentucky Futurity - Lindy's Pride

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –

Pacers: Richmond Lass

Horse racing

February 11 – Diana Crump becomes first woman jockey to ride against men in USA racing

February 22 – Barbara Jo Rubin becomes the first female winner of a USA race

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – What A Myth

Grand National – Highland Wedding

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rain Lover

Canada – Queen's Plate won by Jumpin Joseph

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

Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Prince Regent

English Triple Crown Races:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Right Tack
2. Epsom Derby – Blakeney
3. St. Leger Stakes – Intermezzo

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Majestic Prince
2. Preakness Stakes – Majestic Prince
3. Belmont Stakes – Arts and Letters

Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins

Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4 games to 0 over the St. Louis Blues

World Hockey Championship

Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat Cornell University Big Red 4-3 in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Goalie Karen Koch is signed to a professional contract with the Marquette Iron Rangers to become the first woman to play professional hockey in North America, if not the world.

Motor racing

July 27 – death of Moisés Solana, Mexican race car driver in a racing accident

Stock car racing –

NASCAR Championship

February 23 – LeeRoy Yarbrough wins the Daytona 500 in the #98 Mercury

May 25 – LeeRoy Yarbrough wins the World 600 in the #98 Mercury

David Pearson (#17) wins the driving championship. It is Pearson's third and final title, tied with Lee Petty.

USAC Racing

30 May – Mario Andretti wins the 54th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the STP Oil Treatment Special Hawk–Cosworth

Mario Andretti wins the season championship

Formula One – Jackie Stewart (Scotland) wins World Drivers' Champion, driving a Matra MS10–Cosworth for Ken Tyrrell.

24 hours of Le Mans – Jacky Ickx / Jackie Oliver win, sharing a Ford GT-40

Rally racing - the team of Björn Waldegård / Lars Helmer win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Porsche 911S

Drag racing –

Don Prudhomme wins the NHRA's Top Fuel Funny Car championship

Steve Carbone wins Top Fuel at the NHRA World Finals

Rugby league

1969–70 European Rugby League Championship

1969 New Zealand rugby league season

1969 NSWRFL season

1968–69 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1969–70 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

75th Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales

Snooker

World Snooker Championship reverts to a knockout format. John Spencer beats Gary Owen 37-24

Tennis

June 6 – death of Rafael Osuna, Mexican tennis player, in an air crash

June 21 – death of Maureen Connolly (34), first winner of the women's Grand Slam

Australian Rod Laver, one of only two men to ever win the Grand Slam in tennis wins it for the second time

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:

1. Australian Open - Rod Laver (Australia)
2. French Open - Rod Laver
3. Wimbledon championships - Rod Laver
4. US Open - Rod Laver

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

1. Australian Open - Margaret Court
2. French Open - Margaret Court
3. Wimbledon championships - Ann Haydon Jones
4. US Open - Margaret Court

Davis Cup – United States wins 5-0 over Romania in world tennis.

Awards

ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: Mario Andretti, race car driver

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Tom Seaver, Major League Baseball

Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Debbie Meyer, Swimming