1986 in sports

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup –

Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg

Women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland

American football

Super Bowl XX – the Chicago Bears win 46–10 over the New England Patriots

Linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants is named NFL Most Valuable Player Award

January 1 – Orange Bowl (1985 season):

Oklahoma Sooners won 25-10 over the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the national championship

Quarterback Vinny Testaverde of the Miami Hurricanes is awarded the Heisman Trophy

Association football

1986 World Cup – In the final, played for second time in Mexico City, Azteca Stadium, Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2 and won their second World Cup title.

UEFA Champions League – Steaua Bucuresti 0-0 F.C. Barcelona; Steaua Bucuresti won 2-0 on penalties

UEFA Cup –Two legs; 1st leg Real Madrid C.F. 5-1 1. FC Köln; 2nd leg 1.FC Köln 2-0 Real Madrid CF. Real Madrid CF won 5-3 on aggregate

Cup Winners' Cup – Dinamo Kiev 3-0 Atlético Madrid

Super Cup – Steaua Bucuresti 1-0 Dinamo Kiev

Copa Libertadores de América – Two legs; 1st leg América de Cali 1-2 River Plate; 2nd leg River Plate 1-0 América. River Plate won 3-1 on aggregate

November 6 - Alex Ferguson is appointed manager of Manchester United F.C.

Milk Cup Final held at Wembley Stadium – Oxford United 3-0 QPR

Intercontinental Cup – River Plate 1-0 Steaua Bucuresti

Australian rules football

Victorian Football League

Hawthorn wins the 90th VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 16.14 (110) d Carlton 9.14 (68))

Brownlow Medal awarded to Greg Williams (Sydney Swans) and Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn)

The national draft is held for the first time.

Baseball

Major League Baseball

American League defeats the National League 3-2 in the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game played in Houston, Texas. Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox is named the game's Most Valuable Player.

All-Star Game: American League Manager Dick Howser is diagnosed with brain cancer after mixing up signals during the game.

Dave Righetti saves 46 games for the New York Yankees, breaking a record shared by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter.

October 27 - World Series – The New York Mets win 4 games to 3 over the Boston Red Sox. The series is best remembered for Game 6, when the Red Sox were one out away from the Series victory but blew a 2-run lead with the bases empty and 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning; the game's final play was a groundball that rolled through the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner.

Jeff King of the University of Arkansas is the #1 overall pick in the 1986 MLB Draft selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates

Arizona Wildcats defeat Florida State Seminoles 10-2 in College World Series

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –

Louisville Cardinals wins 72-69 over Duke Blue Devils

Duke Blue Devils Guard Johnny Dawkins is named Naismith College Player of the Year

NBA Finals

June - Boston Celtics win 4 games to 2 over the Houston Rockets

Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird is awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award

National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:

Adelaide 36ers defeated the Brisbane Bullets 2-1 in the best-of-three final series.

FIBA World Championship

US World Champion

Boxing

March 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada – Marvin Hagler retains the World Middleweight Championship with an 11th-round knockout of John Mugabi.

May 8 to 18 – Fourth World Amateur Boxing Championships are held in Reno, United States

November 22 – Mike Tyson knocks out Trevor Berbick in round 2 to become the youngest world heavyweight-boxing champion at 20 years and 4 months old

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats won 39-15 over the Edmonton Eskimos

Vanier Cup – UBC Thunderbirds won 25-23 over the Western Ontario Mustangs

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Roberto Visentini of Italy

Tour de France - Greg LeMond is the first winner from the United States

UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Moreno Argentin of Italy

Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –

Susan Butcher won with lead dogs: Granite & Mattie

Field hockey

Men's World Cup held in London won by Australia

Women's World Cup held in Amstelveen won by the Netherlands

Men's Champions Trophy held in Karachi won by West Germany

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –

Men's champion: Brian Boitano, United States

Ladies' champion: Debi Thomas, United States

Pair skating champions: Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov, Soviet Union

Ice dancing champions: Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin, Soviet Union

Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie

All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny

National Camogie League: Cork

Gaelic football

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Kerry 2-15 died Tyrone 1-10

National Football League – Laois 2-6 died Monaghan 2-5

Ladies' Gaelic football

All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry

National Football League: Wexford

Hurling

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Cork 4-13 died Galway 2-15

National Hurling League –

General

17 October - The IOC votes that the 1992 Olympic Summer Games will be held in Barcelona, Spain.

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament - Jack Nicklaus becomes the oldest Masters winner (age 46), and wins his last major golf championship (excluding the Senior PGA Tour).

U.S. Open - Raymond Floyd

British Open - Greg Norman

PGA Championship - Bob Tway

PGA Tour money leader - Greg Norman - $653,296

Senior PGA Tour money leader - Bruce Crampton - $454,299

Men's amateur

British Amateur - David Curry

U.S. Amateur - Buddy Alexander

European Amateur - Anders Haglund

Women's professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore - Pat Bradley

LPGA Championship - Pat Bradley

U.S. Women's Open - Jane Geddes

Classique du Maurier Classic - Pat Bradley

LPGA Tour money leader - Pat Bradley - $492,021

Harness racing

North America Cup - Quite A Sensation

United States Pacing Triple Crown races –

1. Cane Pace - Barberry Spur
2. Little Brown Jug - Barberry Spur
3. Messenger Stakes - Amity Chef

United States Trotting Triple Crown races –

1. Hambletonian - Nuclear Kosmos
2. Yonkers Trot - Gunslinger Spur
3. Kentucky Futurity - Sugarcane Hanover

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –

Pacers: Village Kid

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Dawn Run

Grand National – West Tip

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by At Talaq

Canada – Queen's Plate won by Golden Choice

France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Dancing Brave

Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Shahrastani

Japan – Japan Cup won by Jupiter Island

English Triple Crown Races:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Dancing Brave
2. Epsom Derby – Shahrastani
3. St. Leger Stakes – Moon Madness

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Ferdinand
2. Preakness Stakes – Snow Chief
3. Belmont Stakes – Danzig Connection

Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:

1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Skywalker
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Lady's Secret
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Capote
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Brave Raj
5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Last Tycoon
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Smile
7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Manila

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 – Montreal Canadiens won 4 games to 1 over the Calgary Flames

World Hockey Championship –

Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden

Junior Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Canada

Lacrosse

The 5th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Toronto, Ontario. The United States win, and Canada is the runner-up.

The first Japanese lacrosse team is formed at Keio University.

The Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) is formed as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League.

The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.

Mississauga wins the Founders Cup.

The Peterborough Maulers win the Minto Cup.

Motor racing

Stock car racing –

February- Geoff Bodine won the Daytona 500

NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt

CART Racing - Bobby Rahal

June - Indianapolis 500 - Bobby Rahal Note: this race was run on a Saturday 6 days after the race was rained out.

Formula One Championship - Alain Prost of France

24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Derek Bell / Hans-Joachim Stuck / Al Holbert won, driving a Porsche 962C

Rally racing - Juha Kankkunen in a Peugeot won the World Rally Championship

the team of Henri Toivonen / Sergio Cresto won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Delta S4

Drag racing –

Don Garlits won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship

Darrell Gwynn won Top Fuel at the NHRA Winston Finals

Air Racing –

Reno Air Races[1]

Rick Brickert wins the unlimited gold race in the Hawker Sea Fury 'Dreadnought' at 434.488 mph.

Jon Sharpe wins the formula 1 gold in 'Bilbo' at 229.614 mph.

Eddie Van Fossen wins the T-6 class in 'Miss TnT' at 223.450 mph.

Alan Preston wins the Bi-plane class in 'Miss Lake Tahoe' at 192.665 mph.

Radiosport

Third Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

Rugby league

1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France

1986 National Panasonic Cup

1986 New Zealand rugby league season

1986 NSWRL season

1986 Pacific Cup

1986–87 Rugby Football League season / 1985–86 Rugby Football League season

1986 State of Origin series

1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

92nd Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Scotland

Snooker

World Snooker Championship – Joe Johnson beats Steve Davis 18-12

World rankings – Steve Davis remains world number one for 1986/87

Swimming

The fifth FINA World Championships held in Madrid, Spain

June 26 – Matt Biondi clocks 22.33 to take the world record from fellow American Tom Jager (22.40) in the 50m freestyle (long course)

Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:

1. Australian Open - no tournament held
2. French Open - Ivan Lendl
3. Wimbledon championships - Boris Becker
4. US Open - Ivan Lendl

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

1. Australian Open - no tournament held
2. French Open - Chris Evert
3. Wimbledon championships - Martina Navratilova
4. US Open - Martina Navratilova

Davis Cup – Australia won 3-2 over Sweden in world tennis.

Volleyball

Men's World Championship held in Paris won by USA

Women's World Championship held in Prague won by China

Water polo

Men's World Championship held in Madrid won by Yugoslavia

Women's World Championship held in won by Australia

Multi-sport events

Asian Games held in Seoul, South Korea

Winter Asian Games held in Sapporo, Japan

Central American and Caribbean Games held in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

British Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland

Summer Goodwill Games held in Moscow, Soviet Union

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Larry Bird, NBA Finals NBA basketball

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

Joe Paterno is named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year