1961 in sports

See also: 1960 in sports, other events of 1961, 1962 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Marvin Panch won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship – Ned Jarrett
• Indianapolis 500 – A.J. Foyt
• USAC Racing – A.J. Foyt won the driving championship
• Formula One Championship – Phil Hill of the United States
• 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Olivier Gendebien / Phil Hill win, driving a Ferrari TR61
• Rally racing – the team of Maurice Martin / Roger Bateau won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Panhard PL17
• Drag racing – Pete Robinson won Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals

Baseball

• January 16: Mickey Mantle becomes the highest paid player in Major League Baseball by signing a contract that will pay him $75,000 per season.

• July 13: In his majors debut, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Mack Jones tied a post-1900 National League record by collecting three singles and a double in his first game.

• Roger Maris hits 61 home runs during the regular season, breaking Babe Ruth's mark of 60 that had stood since 1927

• World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 1 over the Cincinnati Reds. The series MVP is Whitey Ford of the Yankees.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Cincinnati wins 70–65 over Ohio St.

• NBA Finals:
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 over the St. Louis Hawks

Boxing

• June 3 in Los Angeles, California – Emile Griffith knocked out Gaspar Ortega in the 12th round to retain the Welterweight Championship

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Ercole Baldini of Italy
• Tour de France – Jacques Anquetil of France
• World Cycling Championship: Rik Van Looy of Belgium

Figure Skating

• The World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia were canceled after the entire United States team of skaters, officials, leaders and chaperones all died on February 15 in a plane crash just outside of Belgium while traveling to the competition.

Football (American)

• AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 10–3 over the San Diego Chargers
• NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers won 37–0 over the New York Giants

Football (Australian Rules)

(Hawthorn 13.16 (94) d Footscray 7.9 (51))

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21–14 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Football (Soccer)

• England – FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur won 2–0 over Leicester City

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May – The Masters – Gary Player
  2. June – US Open – Gene Littler
  3. July – British Open – Arnold Palmer
  4. August – PGA Championship – Jerry Barber

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Gary Player – $64,540

• Ryder Cup: United States wins 14 1/2 to 9 1/2 over Britain in world team golf.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open – Mickey Wright
• LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright
• Mickey Wright: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $22,236

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia – Melbourne Cup – Lord Fury
• Canada – Queen's Plate – Blue Light
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Molvedo
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Your Highness

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes – Rockavon
  2. Epsom Derby – Psidium
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Aurelius

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Carry Back
  2. Preakness Stakes – Carry Back
  3. Belmont Stakes – Sherluck

Harness Racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace – Cold Front
  2. Little Brown Jug – Henry T. Adios
  3. Messenger Stakes – Adios Don

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian – Harlan Dean
  2. Yonkers Trot – Duke Rodney
  3. Kentucky Futurity – Duke Rodney

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Massacre

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens

• Stanley Cup: Chicago Blackhawks win 4 games to 2 over the Detroit Red Wings

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Trail Smokeaters from Canada

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open – Roy Emerson
  2. French Open – Manuel Santana
  3. Wimbledon championships – Rod Laver
  4. US Open – Roy Emerson

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open – Margaret Smith
  2. French Open – Ann Haydon
  3. Wimbledon championships – Angela Mortimer
  4. US Open – Darlene Hard

• Davis Cup: Australia won 5–0 over Italy in world tennis.

General sporting events

• Maureen Baynton won the Women's World Amateur Billiards Championships

Births

• January 2 – Carole Teffri, former French field hockey international
• January 26 – Wayne Gretzky, Ice hockey player
• February 11 – Mary Docter, American speed skater
• February 21 – Davey Allison, automobile racer (+ 1993)
• March 4 – Ray Mancini, boxer
• March 14 – Kirby Puckett, Baseball Hall of Famer
• March 21 – Lothar Matthäus, German footballer
• May 13 – Dennis Rodman, NBA player
• June 26 – Greg LeMond, cyclist, three-time Tour de France winner
• July 1 – Carl Lewis, athletics legend, nine-time Olympic gold medalist
• August 16 – Sandie Lister, British field hockey international
• September 2 – Carlos Valderrama, footballer
• September 15 – Dan Marino, American football star
• October 11 – Steve Young, American football star
• December 19 – Reggie White, American football star
• December 31 – Shelley Fruin,New Zealand cricketer

Deaths

• February 15 – Bradley Lord, (1961 U.S. men's figure skating champion)
• February 15  – Maribel Vinson-Owen, U.S. figure skating champion & coach
• February 15  – Maribel Yerxa Owen, U.S. figure skating champion
• February 15  – Laurence Richon Owen, U.S. figure skating champion

• July 17 – Ty Cobb, Major League Baseball star