1968 in sports

1968 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Contents 1 Alpine skiing 2 American football 3 Association football 4 Australian rules football 5 Baseball 6 Basketball 7 Boxing 8 Canadian football 9 Cricket 10 Cycling 11 Field hockey 12 Figure skating 13 Golf 14 Horse racing 15 Ice hockey 16 Motor racing 17 Rugby league 18 Rugby union 19 Snooker 20 Swimming 21 Tennis 22 Multi-sport events 23 Awards 24 Births 25 Deaths 26 References 27 Films

Alpine skiing
Alpine Skiing World Cup: Men's overall champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France Women's overall champion: Nancy Greene, Canada

American football
January 1 - Rose Bowl (1967 season): The USC Trojans won 14-3 over the Indiana Hoosiers to win the college football national championship

January 14 Super Bowl II – Green Bay Packers won 33–14 over the Oakland Raiders. After the game, Packer head coach Vince Lombardi announced his retirement as head coach of the Packers. The Cincinnati Bengals were formed November 17 – The Oakland Raiders score two consecutive touchdowns in the last minute of the fourth quarter to beat the New York Jets 43–32, in the infamous "Heidi Game". Baltimore Colts 34–0 Cleveland Browns in 1968 NFL championship game. New York Jets 27–23 Oakland Raiders in the 1968 AFL championship game.

O.J. Simpson, running back for the USC Trojans, was the overwhelming choice for the Heisman Trophy, with 2,853 points. Second was Leroy Keyes, running back for Purdue, with 1,103 points, followed by Terry Hanratty (QB-Notre Dame), Ted Kwalick (TE-Penn State) and Ted Hendricks (DE-Miami).

Association football
Brazil – First Division Champions: Botafogo FR England – First Division Champions: Manchester City F.C. England – FA Cup – West Bromwich Albion 1–0 Everton Scotland – First Division Champions: Celtic F.C. Scotland – Cup Winners: Dunfermline Athletic F.C. (defeated Heart of Midlothian 3–1) European Championship – Italy beat Yugoslavia 2–0 in a replay. The original final ended 1–1.

Australian rules football
Victorian Football League Carlton wins the 72nd VFL Premiership (Carlton 7.14 (56) d Essendon 8.5 (53)) Brownlow Medal awarded to Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)

Baseball
January 23 – Joe Medwick is voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Medwick won the Triple Crown in 1937 and batted .300 in 14 of 17 seasons. January 28 – Goose Goslin and Kiki Cuyler are admitted to the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee. Goslin was a career .316 hitter who played in four World Series. Cuyler was a .321 career hitter with four stolen base crowns. Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers becomes the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 30 or more games since Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934. Since McLain, no pitcher has accomplished that feat. World Series – Detroit Tigers won 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Series MVP was Mickey Lolich, Detroit. June 24 – Jim Northrup of the Detroit Tigers hits grand slams in consecutive at-bats, 5th and 6th innings.

Basketball
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – UCLA wins 78–55 over North Carolina

NBA Finals|NBA Finals – Boston Celtics won 4 games to 2 over the Los Angeles Lakers

Boxing
May 8 – Bob Foster knocked out Dick Tiger in the fourth round to win the World Lightweight Championship.

Canadian football
Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders won 24–21 over the Calgary Stampeders Vanier Cup – Queen's Golden Gaels won 42–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Cricket
January 31 – Australia secure victory in the Fourth Test match versus India and win the series 4–0 August 27 – England win the final Test match at The Oval against Australia to tie the series 1–1. Australia retain The Ashes August 28 – Basil D'Oliveira is excluded from the MCC South African tour side leading to turmoil in the world of cricket.

Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium Tour de France – Jan Janssen of the Netherlands UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Vittorio Adorni of Italy

Field hockey
Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Mexico City, Mexico Gold Medal: Pakistan Silver Medal: Australia Bronze Medal: India

March 9 – In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium, England. England beat the Netherlands 1–0.

Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships – Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain

Golf
Men's professional Masters Tournament – Bob Goalby wins after Roberto DeVicenzo makes on a score card error. DeVicenzo writes a 4 instead of the 3 on the 17th hole. U.S. Open – Lee Trevino becomes the first golfer to shoot in the 60s in every round of the U.S. Open. British Open – Gary Player PGA Championship – Julius Boros PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $205,169

Men's amateur British Amateur – Michael Bonallack U.S. Amateur – Bruce Fleisher

Women's professional Women's Western Open – discontinued LPGA Championship – Sandra Post U.S. Women's Open – Susie Berning Titleholders Championship – not played LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $48,379 Canadian rookie Sandra Post became the youngest golfer to ever win an LPGA major tournament by capturing the LPGA Championship.

Horse racing
Steeplechases Cheltenham Gold Cup – Fort Leney Grand National – Red Alligator

Flat races Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Royal Parma Canada – Queen's Plate won by Merger France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Vaguely Noble Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Ribero English Triple Crown Races: 1.2,000 Guineas Stakes – Sir Ivor 2.Epsom Derby – Sir Ivor 3.St. Leger Stakes – Ribero

United States Triple Crown Races: 1.Kentucky Derby – Forward Pass 2.Preakness Stakes – Forward Pass 3.Belmont Stakes – Stage Door Johnny

Ice hockey
January 15 – death of Bill Masterton, Canadian ice hockey player, as a result of injury sustained during a game Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win four games to none over the St. Louis Blues World Hockey Championship Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux 4–0 in Duluth, MN

Motor racing
April 7 – former Formula One World Drivers' Champion Jim Clark driver dies after a crash in a practice at Hockenheim NASCAR February 25 – Cale Yarborough wins the Daytona 500 in the #21 Wood Brothers Mercury May 26 – Buddy Baker wins the World 600 in the #6 Dodge

USAC May 30 – Bobby Unser wins the 51st running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Rislone/Leader Cards Special All American Racers Eagle-Offenhauser

September 28 – Pedro Rodríguez and Lucien Bianchi win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. November 3 - Formula One Season finishes with Graham Hill winning the Drivers Championship and Lotus the Constructors Championship.

Rugby league
1968 New Zealand rugby league season 1968 NSWRFL season premiers: South Sydney DRLFC 1967–68 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1968–69 Northern Rugby Football League season 1968 Rugby League World Cup winners: Australia

Rugby union
74th Five Nations Championship series is won by France who complete the Grand Slam

Snooker
World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Eddie Charlton 39–34

Swimming
XIX Olympic Games, held in Mexico City (October 17 – October 26)

Tennis
Australia Australian Men's Singles Championship – William Bowrey (Australia) defeats Juan Gisbert Juan Gisbert, Sr. (Spain) 7–5, 2–6, 9–7, 6–4 Australian Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Margaret Smith Court (Australia) 6–1, 6–2

England Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Tony Roche (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Judy Tegart Dalton (Australia) 9–7, 7–5

France French Men's Singles Championship – French Women's Singles Championship –

USA American Men's Singles Championship – American Women's Singles Championship –

Events The "open era" in tennis begins, as all the Grand Slam events open to professionals for the first time

Davis Cup 1968 Davis Cup – United States 4–1  Australia at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre (grass) Adelaide, Australia

Multi-sport events
1968 Summer Olympics takes place in Mexico City, Mexico United States wins the most medals (107), and the most gold medals (45)

1968 Winter Olympics takes place in Grenoble, France Norway wins the most medals (14), and the most gold medals (6)

Fifth Winter Universiade held in Innsbruck, Austria

Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Denny McLain, Major League Baseball Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Peggy Fleming, Figure skating

Births
February 3 - Vlade Divac, Yugoslav and Serbian basketball player February 5 - David Flores, Mexican jockey March 22 - Javier Castillejo, Spanish boxer April 19 - Fernando Marroquin, Guatemalan Olympic swimmer[1] August 6 - Olga Markova, Russian long-distance runner December 18 - Mark Cooper, English footballer

Deaths
June 9 - Ronnie Duman, 39, US racecar driver (crashed while competing in the Rex Mays 150)[2] September 30 - Johan Nyström, 94, Swedish Olympic athlete[3]

Films

 * The Love Bug