1983 in sports

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup:

Men’s overall season champion: Phil Mahre, United States

Women’s overall season champion: Tamara McKinney, United States

American football

January 3 – Tony Dorsett sets NFL record for longest run from scrimmage by rushing for 99 yard touchdown.

January 26 – death of Paul "Bear" Bryant, noted college football coach

Super Bowl XVII – The Washington Redskins win their first Super Bowl title, and first NFL title since 1942, 27-17 over the Miami Dolphins.

Sugar Bowl (1982 season)

The Penn State Nittany Lions won 27-23 over the Georgia Bulldogs to win the national championship

Michigan Panthers win United States Football League Championship, 24-22 over Philadelphia Stars

October 31 – death of George Halas, Chicago Bears founder and coach

Artistic gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –

Men’s all-around champion: Dmitry Bilozerchev, USSR

Women’s all-around champion: Natalia Yurchenko, USSR

Men’s team competition champion: China

Women’s team competition champion: USSR

Association football

World Club Championship – Grêmio (Brazil) 2-1 Hamburger SV (Germany)

UEFA Champions League – Hamburg 1-0 Juventus

Copa Libertadores de América – Two legs; 1st leg Peñarol 1-1 Grêmio; 2nd leg Grêmio 2-1 Peñarol; Grêmio won 3-2 on aggregate

UEFA Cup – Two legs; 1st leg Anderlecht 1-0 Benfica; 2nd leg Benfica 1-1 Anderlecht; Anderlecht won 2-1 on aggregate

Cup Winners' Cup – Aberdeen 2-1 Real Madrid (AET)

Super Cup – Two legs; 1st leg Hamburg 0-0 Aberdeen; 2nd leg Aberdeen 2-0 Hamburg; Aberdeen won 2-0 on aggregate

England - FA Cup – Manchester United won 2 - 2 (aet); 4 - 0 (replay) over Brighton & Hove Albion

FIFA decided to give to Mexico the right to host the Football World Cup 1986 after Colombia announced the reject to celebrate the event.

Athletics

January 18 – International Olympic Committee (IOC) restores medals to the family of Jim Thorpe

February 27 – Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan sets a new World Indoor Record for the mile, clocking 3:49.78 at East Rutherford in New Jersey

August 7 – 14 – The inaugural World Championships in Athletics are held in Helsinki, Finland

Australian rules football

Victorian Football League

June 18 – Fitzroy achieve an amazing win in a top-of-the-ladder clash with North Melbourne, winning 34.16 (220) to 10.10 (70) and more than doubling the previous biggest loss by an eventual minor premier of 69 points.

July 23 – Fitzroy with 12.6 (78) and St. Kilda with 7.1 (43) kick a record quarter aggregate of 19.7 (121) during the second quarter.

August 5 – Richmond’s Kevin Bartlett became the first player to play 400 VFL games against Collingwood. Only Michael Tuck has since equalled his achievement.

Hawthorn wins the 87th VFL Premiership, beating Essendon 20.20 (140) to 8.9 (57)

Brownlow Medal awarded to Ross Glendinning (North Melbourne)

Baseball

January 12 – Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal are elected to the Hall of Fame. Robinson, winner of 16 straight Gold Glove Awards and hero of the 1970 World Series, becomes the 14th player elected in his first year of eligibility. Marichal, the winningest Latin American pitcher in major league history, won 20 or more games six times and had an ERA of 2.50 or less six times.

World Series – Baltimore Orioles win their most recent World Series 4 games to 1 over the Philadelphia Phillies

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –

North Carolina State wins 54-52 over Houston

NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship

University of Southern California(USC) wins 69–67 over Louisiana Tech

NBA Finals – Philadelphia 76ers won 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Lakers

National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:

Canberra Cannons defeated the West Adelaide Bearcats 75–73 in the final.

Philippine Basketball League, as predecessor for PBA Developmental League, first officially game held on May 6.

Boxing

May 31 – death of Jack Dempsey, former world heavyweight champion

May 20 – for the first time ever, two world Heavyweight champions defend their titles the same night, at the same place: Larry Holmes retains the WBC title defeating future two time world champion Tim Witherspoon, and Michael Dokes retains his WBA title with a 15 round draw (tie) against former world champion Mike Weaver.

June 16 – Roberto Durán wins his third world title, knocking out WBA world Jr. Middleweight champion Davey Moore in eight rounds.

November 10 – Marvin Hagler retains his unified world Middleweight title with a 15 round unanimous decision over Roberto Durán. It was 1983’s most anticipated bout.

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts won 18-17 over the B.C. Lions

Vanier Cup – Calgary Dinos won 31-21 over the Queen's Golden Gaels

Cricket

Cricket World Cup – India beat West Indies by 43 runs.

Asian Cricket Council formed.

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Giuseppe Saronni of Italy

Tour de France – Laurent Fignon of France

UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Greg LeMond of the United States

Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –

Rick Mackey won with lead dogs: Preacher & Jody

Field hockey

Men’s European Nations Cup held at Amstelveen won by the Netherlands

Men’s Champions Trophy held at Karachi won by Australia

Pan American Games (Men’s Competition) held in Caracas won by Canada

Women’s World Cup held in Kuala Lumpur won by the Netherlands

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –

Men’s champion: Scott Hamilton, United States

Ladies’ champion: Rosalynn Sumners, United States

Pair skating champions: Elena Valova & Oleg Vasiliev, Soviet Union

Ice dancing champions: Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean, Great Britain

Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie

All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Cork

National Camogie League: Dublin

Gaelic football

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Dublin 1-10 died Galway 1-8

National Football League – Down 1-8 died Armagh 0-8

Ladies' Gaelic football

All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry

National Football League: Kerry

Hurling

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Kilkenny 3-18 died Cork 1-13

National Hurling League –

Golf

Men’s professional

Masters Tournament – Seve Ballesteros

U.S. Open – Larry Nelson

British Open – Tom Watson

PGA Championship – Hal Sutton

PGA Tour money leader – Hal Sutton ($426,668)

Senior PGA Tour money leader – Don January ($237,571)

Ryder Cup – United States won 14½ - 13½ over Europe in team golf.

Men’s amateur

British Amateur – Philip Parkin

U.S. Amateur – Jay Sigel

Women’s professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore – Amy Alcott

LPGA Championship – Patty Sheehan

U.S. Women’s Open – Jan Stephenson

Classique Peter Jackson Classic – Hollis Stacy

LPGA Tour money leader – JoAnne Carner ($291,404)

Harness racing

Ralph Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –

# Cane Pace – Ralph Hanover

# Little Brown Jug – Ralph Hanover

# Messenger Stakes – Ralph Hanover

United States Trotting Triple Crown races –

# Hambletonian – Duenna

# Yonkers Trot – Joie De Vie

# Kentucky Futurity – Power Seat

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –

Pacers: Gammalite

Trotters: Scotch Notch

Horse racing

February 8 – champion racehorse Shergar is kidnapped from Ballymany Stud, near the Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland. No trace of the horse has ever been found.

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Bregawn

Grand National – Corbiere

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Kiwi

Canada – Queen's Plate won by Bompago

France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by All Along

Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Shareef Dancer

Japan – Japan Cup won by Stanerra

English Triple Crown Races:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Lomond
2. Epsom Derby – Teenoso
3. St. Leger Stakes – Sun Princess

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Sunny's Halo
2. Preakness Stakes – Deputed Testimony
3. Belmont Stakes – Caveat

Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL’s Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup – New York Islanders win 4-0 over the Edmonton Oilers

World Hockey Championship –

Men’s champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia

Junior Men’s champion: USSR defeated Czechoslovakia

Motor racing

Stock car racing –

NASCAR Championship – Bobby Allison

Cale Yarborough won the Daytona 500

CART Racing – Al Unser won the season championship

Indianapolis 500 – Tom Sneva

Formula One Championship – Nelson Piquet of Brazil

24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Vern Schuppan / Al Holbert / Hurley Haywood won, driving a Porsche 956

Rally racing – Hannu Mikkola in an Audi won the World Rally Championship

the team of Walter Röhrl /Christian Geistdörfer won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia 037

Drag racing – Gary Beck won the NHRA Top Fuel championship.

Touring car racing –

Peter Brock and Larry Perkins successfully defended their Bathurst 1000 title in Australia; they and co-driver John Harvey won the race in a Holden Commodore. It was Brock’s seventh and Perkins’ second Bathurst win.

Radiosport

First European High Speed Telegraphy Championships held in Moscow, Russia.

Rugby league

1983 KB Cup

1983 New Zealand rugby league season

1983 NSWRFL season

1982–83 Rugby Football League season / 1983–84 Rugby Football League season

1983 State of Origin series

Rugby union

89th Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Ireland

Snooker

World Snooker Championship – Steve Davis beats Cliff Thorburn 18-6

World rankings – Steve Davis becomes world number one for 1983/84

Swimming

Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela

Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men’s results:

# Australian Open – Mats Wilander

# French Open – Yannick Noah

# Wimbledon championships – John McEnroe

# US Open – Jimmy Connors

Grand Slam in tennis women’s results:

# Australian Open – Martina Navratilova

# French Open – Chris Evert

# Wimbledon championships – Martina Navratilova

# US Open – Martina Navratilova

Davis Cup – Australia won 3-2 over Sweden.

Volleyball

Asian Volleyball Championships held in Japan: both men’s and women’s tournaments won by Japan

European Volleyball Championships held in East Germany won by USSR (men) and DDR (women)

Volleyball at the 1983 Pan American Games held in Caracas won by Brazil (men) and Cuba (women)

Water polo

1983 FINA Men's Water Polo World Cup held in Malibu, California won by USSR

Men's competition at Pan American Games in Caracas won by USA

1983 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup held in Sainte-Foy, Quebec City, Canada, won by the Netherlands

Yacht racing

Australia II, of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, wins the America's Cup over Liberty, from the New York Yacht Club, 4 races to 3; the victory breaks a 132-year winning streak by the NYYC through 25 Cup challenges, the longest-running unbeaten streak in all of sports

Multi-sport events

Ninth Pan American Games held in Caracas, Venezuela

Ninth Mediterranean Games held in Casablanca, Morocco

Twelfth Summer Universiade held in Edmonton, Canada

Eleventh Winter Universiade held in Sofia, Bulgaria

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Carl Lewis, Track and field

Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Martina Navratilova, Tennis