1988 in sports

1988 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Contents 1 Alpine skiing 2 American football 3 Association football 4 Athletics 5 Australian rules football 6 Baseball 7 Basketball 8 Boxing 9 Canadian football 10 Cycling 11 Darts 12 Dog sledding 13 Field hockey 14 Figure skating 15 Gaelic Athletic Association 16 Golf 17 Harness racing 18 Horse racing 19 Ice hockey 20 Lacrosse 21 Motor racing 22 Olympic Games 23 Radiosport 24 Rugby league 25 Rugby union 26 Snooker 27 Swimming 28 Tennis 29 Yacht racing 30 Volleyball 31 Water polo 32 Awards 33 References 34 Films

Alpine skiing
Alpine Skiing World Cup Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland

American football
Super Bowl XXII – The Washington Redskins win their second Super Bowl title and fourth NFL title 42–10 over the Denver Broncos. December 17 – Jamie Morris of Washington Redskins sets NFL single game record for rushing attempts (45) in 20–17 loss to Cincinnati Bengals. January 1 - Orange Bowl (1987 season): Miami Hurricanes are NCAA Division 1A National Champions for the second time. Won 20-14 over the Oklahoma Sooners

Association football
For an extensive coverage see 1988 in football (soccer)

Athletics
September – Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea

Australian rules football
Victorian Football League Hawthorn wins the 92nd VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 22.20 (152) d Melbourne 6.20 (56)) Brownlow Medal awarded to Gerard Healy (Sydney Swans)

Baseball
January 12 – Former Pirates slugger Willie Stargell is the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Stargell, leader of two world champions in Pittsburgh and NL co-MVP in 1979 at age 39, becomes the 17th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Jim Bunning falls four votes shy of the 321 needed for election in his 13th year on the ballot. August 8 – The first night game ever at Wrigley Field is played. After an attempt the previous night was rained out, the Cubs defeat the New York Mets 6–4. World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers won 4 games to 1 over the Oakland Athletics. The Series MVP was Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles

Basketball
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – Kansas wins 83–79 over Oklahoma

NBA Finals – Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 3 over the Detroit Pistons

National Basketball League (Australia) Finals: Canberra Cannons defeated the North Melbourne Giants 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.

Boxing
June 6 – in Las Vegas, Nevada, Iran Barkley knocked out Thomas Hearns in the 3rd round to win the WBC Middleweight Title. June 27 – in what was dubbed Superfight '88 Mike Tyson knocks out Michael Spinks in Atlantic City, New Jersey and defends the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the World. November 7 – in Las Vegas, Nevada, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard knocks out Donnie LaLonde.

Canadian football
Grey Cup – Winnipeg Blue Bombers won 22–21 over the B.C. Lions Vanier Cup – Calgary Dinos won 52–23 over the St. Mary's Huskies

Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Andrew Hampsten of the United States Tour de France – Pedro Delgado of Spain UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Maurizio Fondriest of Italy

Darts
Embassy World Professional Darts Championships won by Bob Anderson of England

Dog sledding
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion – Susan Butcher wins with lead dogs: Granite & Tolstoi

Field hockey
Men's Champions Trophy held in Lahore won by West Germany Olympic Games (Men's Competition) won by Great Britain

Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships – Men's champion: Brian Boitano, United States Ladies' champion: Katarina Witt, East Germany Pair skating champions: Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev, Soviet Union Ice dancing champions: Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin, Soviet Union

Gaelic Athletic Association
Camogie All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny National Camogie League: Kilkenny

Gaelic football All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Meath 0–13 died Cork 0–9 National Football League – Meath 2–13 died Dublin 0–11

Ladies' Gaelic football All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry National Football League: Kerry

Hurling All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Galway 1–15 died Tipperary 0–14 National Hurling League –

Golf
Men's professional Masters Tournament – Sandy Lyle U.S. Open – Curtis Strange British Open – Seve Ballesteros PGA Championship – Jeff Sluman PGA Tour money leader – Curtis Strange – $1,147,644 Senior PGA Tour money leader – Bob Charles – $533,929

Men's amateur British Amateur – Christian Hardin U.S. Amateur – Eric Meeks European Amateur – not played

Women's professional Nabisco Dinah Shore – Amy Alcott LPGA Championship – Sherri Turner U.S. Women's Open – Liselotte Neumann Classique du Maurier – Sally Little LPGA Tour money leader – Sherri Turner – $350,851

Harness racing
North America Cup – Jate Lobell United States Pacing Triple Crown races – 1.Cane Pace – Runnymede Lobell 2.Little Brown Jug – B.J. Scoot 3.Messenger Stakes – Matt's Scooter

United States Trotting Triple Crown races – 1.Hambletonian – Armbro Goal 2.Yonkers Trot – Southern Newton 3.Kentucky Futurity – Huggie Hanover

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship – Pacers: Our Maestro Trotters: True Roman

Horse racing
Steeplechases Cheltenham Gold Cup – Charter Party Grand National – Rhyme 'n' Reason

Flat races Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Empire Rose Canada – Queen's Plate won by Regal Intention France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Tony Bin Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Kahyasi Japan – Japan Cup won by Pay The Butler English Triple Crown Races: 1.2,000 Guineas Stakes – Doyoun 2.Epsom Derby – Kahyasi 3.St. Leger Stakes – Minister Son

United States Triple Crown Races: 1.Kentucky Derby – Winning Colors 2.Preakness Stakes – Risen Star 3.Belmont Stakes – Risen Star

Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships: 1.Breeders' Cup Classic – Alysheba 2.Breeders' Cup Distaff – Personal Ensign 3.Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Is It True 4.Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Open Mind 5.Breeders' Cup Mile – Miesque 6.Breeders' Cup Sprint – Gulch 7.Breeders' Cup Turf – Great Communicator

Ice hockey
Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup – Edmonton Oilers won 4 games to 0 over the Boston Bruins August 9 – Hockey's Wayne Gretzky traded to the Los Angeles Kings World Hockey Championship – Men's champion: Soviet Union won the Olympic gold medal Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated the USSR

December 31 – in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, Mario Lemieux scores five goals and becomes the only player in NHL history to score a goal in all five possible game situations in the same game: even-strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot, and empty net.

Lacrosse
The New Jersey Saints beat the Washington Wave 17–16 to win the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League Championship. Following the season, the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League changes its name to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL).

The Brooklin Redmen win the Mann Cup. The Kitchener-Waterloo win the Founders Cup. The Esquimalt Legion win the Minto Cup.

Motor racing
Stock car racing – Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship – Bill Elliott

CART Racing – Danny Sullivan won the season championship Indianapolis 500 – Rick Mears

Formula One Championship – Ayrton Senna of Brazil 24 hours of Le Mans – won by the team of Jan Lammers / Johnny Dumfries / Andy Wallace driving a Jaguar XJR-9LM

Rally racing – Miki Biasion in a Lancia won the World Rally Championship the team of Bruno Saby / Jean-Francois Fauchille won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Delta HF 4x4

Drag racing – Joe Amato won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship. Touring car racing – Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera won the Tooheys 1000 endurance race in Australia, driving a Ford Sierra

Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics takes place in Seoul, South Korea USSR wins the most medals (132) and the most gold medals (55). September 24 – Canada's Ben Johnson wins Olympic gold in 100 metres. Two days later, he is stripped of the medal after testing positive for a banned substance.

1988 Winter Olympics takes place in Calgary, Canada USSR wins the most medals (29) and the most gold medals (11).

Radiosport
Fourth Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Beatenberg, Switzerland.

Rugby league
1988 Great Britain Lions tour 1988 New Zealand rugby league season The 1988 NSWRL season sees the debuts of three new franchises: Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Chargers and Newcastle Knights. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs win their sixth title, defeating Balmain Tigers 24–12 in the Grand Final 1988 Pacific Cup 1988 Panasonic Cup 1987–88 Rugby Football League season / 1988–89 Rugby Football League season 1988 State of Origin series 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union
94th Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales

Snooker
World Snooker Championship – Steve Davis beats Terry Griffiths 18–11 World rankings – Steve Davis remains world number one for 1988/89

Swimming
Olympic Games held in Seoul, South Korea (September 18 – September 25) March 25 – USA's Tom Jager betters his own world record (22.32) in the 50m freestyle (long course) at a swimming meet in Orlando, Florida, clocking 22.23. September 24 – Matt Biondi breaks Tom Jager's world record (22.23) in the 50m freestyle (long course) in the final of the event at the Seoul Olympic Games, clocking 22.14.

Tennis
Grand Slam in tennis men's results: 1.Australian Open – Mats Wilander 2.French Open – Mats Wilander 3.Wimbledon – Stefan Edberg 4.US Open – Mats Wilander

Steffi Graf becomes only the third woman in history to win the Grand Slam in tennis and the golden slam – 1.Australian Open – Steffi Graf 2.French Open – Steffi Graf 3.Wimbledon – Steffi Graf 4.US Open – Steffi Graf

1988 Summer Olympics Men's Singles Competition – Miloslav Mečíř Women's Singles Competition – Steffi Graf Men's Doubles Competition – Ken Flach & Robert Seguso Women's Doubles Competition – Pam Shriver & Zina Garrison

Davis Cup Germany won 4–1 over Sweden in world team tennis

Yacht racing
The San Diego Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Stars & Stripes '88 defeats New Zealand challenger KZ1, from the Mercury Bay Boating Club, 2 races to 0

Volleyball
1988 Summer Olympics (men) won by United States of America 1988 Summer Olympics (women) won by USSR

Water polo
1988 Summer Olympics (men) won by Yugoslavia

Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Orel Hershiser, Major League Baseball Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Florence Griffith Joyner, Track and field

Films

 * Eight Men Out