1961 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

• NFL Championship: theGreen Bay Packers won 37–0 over theNew York Giants atLambeau Field
• Rose Bowl (1960 season):
  • TheMinnesota Golden Gophers lost 17–7 to theWashington Huskies; still votednational champions
• TheOhio State Buckeyes boycott a trip to the Rose Bowl the following January resulting in student protests on campus.
• AFL Championship –Houston Oilers won 10–3 over theSan Diego Chargers

• FA Cup final –Tottenham Hotspur 2-0Leicester City. Tottenham also were division 1 champions, making them the first British club to win the double.

• Victorian Football League
  • August 12:Richmond becomes the only team to fail to kick a goal in a match since1921, scoring only 0.8 (8) toSt. Kilda's 12.19 (91).
  • September 23:Hawthorn wins the 65thVFL pennant and its first, beatingFootscray 13.16 (94) to 7.9 (51)
  • John James wins the 34thBrownlow Medal

• 1961 Bandy World Championship is held in Norway and won by Soviet Union.

• TheAmerican League expands to 10 teams, adding theLos Angeles Angels and thenewWashington Senators. The league schedule is expanded from 154 to 162 games.
• January 16 –Mickey Mantle becomes the highest paid player inMajor League Baseball by signing a contract that will pay him $75,000 per season.
• April 11 – The former Washington Senators play their first home game inMetropolitan Stadium as theMinnesota Twins
• July 13 – In his majors debut,Milwaukee BravesoutfielderMack Jones tied a post-1900National League record by collecting threesingles and adouble in his first game.
• Roger Maris hits 61 home runs during the regular season, establishing a record for the longer season.Babe Ruth's record of 60 still stood for the shorter season.
• October –World Series –New York Yankees win 4 games to 1 over theCincinnati Reds. The series MVP isWhitey Ford of the Yankees.

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
  • Cincinnati wins 70–65 overOhio St.
• NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 overthe St. Louis Hawks
• The twelfth European basketball championship,Eurobasket 1961, is won bySoviet Union.

• June 3 inLos Angeles –Emile Griffith knocked outGaspar Ortega in the 12th round to retain the Welterweight Championship

• Grey Cup –Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21–14 over theHamilton Tiger-Cats

• August 1 – death ofAdrie Voorting (aged 30), Dutch road bicycle and track cyclist
• Giro d'Italia won byErcole Baldini of Italy
• Tour de France –Jacques Anquetil of France
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race –Rik Van Looy of Belgium

• TheWorld Figure Skating Championships in Prague are cancelled after the entire USA team of skaters, officials, leaders and chaperones are killed in a plane crash on 15 February en route to the competition.
• Among the dead are:
  • Bradley Lord (21), USA men's figure skating champion;
  • Maribel Vinson-Owen, USA women's figure skating champion and coach;
  • Maribel Yerxa Owen (20), USA women's figure skating champion;
  • Laurence Owen (16), USA women's figure skating champion.

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament –Gary Player becomes the first international golfer to win the Masters.
• U.S. Open –Gene Littler
• The Open –Arnold Palmer
• PGA Championship –Jerry Barber
• PGA Tour money leader –Gary Player – $64,540
• Ryder Cup – United States wins 14½ to 9½ over Britain in team golf.

Men's amateur

• British Amateur –Michael Bonallack
• U.S. Amateur –Jack Nicklaus

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open –Mary Lena Faulk
• LPGA Championship –Mickey Wright
• U.S. Women's Open –Mickey Wright
• Titleholders Championship –Mickey Wright
• LPGA Tour money leader –Mickey Wright – $22,236

• 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

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup –Saffron Tartan
• Grand National –Nicolaus Silver

Flat races

• Australia –Melbourne Cup won byLord Fury
• Canada –Queen's Plate won byBlue Light
• France –Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won byMolvedo
• Ireland –Irish Derby Stakes won byYour Highness
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes –Rockavon
  2. The Derby –Psidium^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes –Aurelius
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby –Carry Back
  2. Preakness Stakes –Carry Back
  3. Belmont Stakes –Sherluck

• Art Ross Trophy as theNHL's leading scorer during the regular season:Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion,Montreal Canadiens
• Hart Memorial Trophy for theNHL's Most Valuable Player:Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion,Montreal Canadiens
• Stanley Cup –Chicago Black Hawks win 4 games to 2 over theDetroit Red Wings
• World Hockey Championship –
  • Men's champion:Trail Smoke Eaters from Canada
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship –University of Denver Pioneers defeatSt. Lawrence University Saints 12–2 inDenver, Colorado

• First EuropeanAmateur Radio Direction Finding Championships held inStockholm, Sweden. This event was the first organized international competition in the sport.

• 1961 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season /1961–62 Northern Rugby Football League season
• 1961 NSWRFL season

• 67thFive Nations Championship series is won byFrance

• August 13 – USA'sBecky Collins breaks theworld record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet inPhiladelphia –2:32.8.
• August 19 – US swimmerCarl Robie takes over theworld record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) from his compatriotMichael Troy at a meet inLos Angeles, clocking2:12.6.

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship –Roy Emerson (Australia) defeatsRod Laver (Australia) 1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4
• Australian Women's Singles Championship –Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeatsJan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 6–1, 6–4

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship –Rod Laver (Australia) defeatsChuck McKinley (USA) 6–3, 6–1, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship –Angela Mortimer Barrett (Great Britain) defeatsChristine Truman Janes (Great Britain) 4–6, 6–4, 7–5

France

• French Men's Singles Championship –Manuel Santana (Spain) defeatsNicola Pietrangeli (Italy) 4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2
• French Women's Singles Championship –Ann Haydon (Great Britain) defeatsYola Ramírez (Mexico) 6–2, 6–1

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship –Roy Emerson (Australia) defeatsRod Laver (Australia) 7–5, 6–3, 6–2
• American Women's Singles Championship –Darlene Hard (USA) defeatsAnn Haydon (Great Britain) 6–3, 6–4

Davis Cup

• 1961 Davis Cup – Australia 5–0 Italy atKooyong Stadium (grass)Melbourne, Australia

• Pan Arab Games held inCasablanca, Morocco
• SecondSummer Universiade held inSofia, Bulgaria

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year –Roger Maris,Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year –Wilma Rudolph,Track and field

• 1961 in sports
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