1961 in sports Facts for Kids

1961 in sports was a year full of exciting events and amazing achievements in the world of sports! Many champions were crowned, and new records were set. Let's take a look at some of the biggest moments from that year.

American Football

The AFL Championship was a big game. The Houston Oilers beat the San Diego Chargers with a score of 10-3.
In the NFL Championship, the Green Bay Packers won a huge victory. They defeated the New York Giants 37-0.
For college football, the NCAA I-A Championship had two top teams. The University of Alabama was named champion by the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). Ohio State was recognized by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Association Football (Soccer)

Cup Finals

The Copa Libertadores final saw Peñarol from Uruguay win. They beat Palmeiras from Brazil 2-1 over two games.
In the European Cup final, Benfica from Portugal won a thrilling match. They beat Barcelona from Spain 3-2.
The famous FA Cup final in England was won by Tottenham Hotspur. They defeated Leicester City 2-0.
The Copa del Generalísimo final in Spain was an exciting game. Atletico Madrid beat their rivals Real Madrid 3-2.

League Winners

Many teams won their national leagues in 1961:

Baseball

On January 16, a big contract was signed. Mickey Mantle became the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball. He signed a deal for $75,000 per season.
On April 11, a new team played its first home game. The former Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins. Their first game was at Metropolitan Stadium.
On July 13, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Mack Jones had an amazing debut. He tied a National League record. He got three singles and a double in his very first game.
Roger Maris made history this year. He hit 61 home runs during the regular season. This broke Babe Ruth's record of 60, which had stood since 1927.
In October, the World Series took place. The New York Yankees won the championship. They beat the Cincinnati Reds 4 games to 1. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series was Whitey Ford from the Yankees.

Basketball

The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship was a close game. Cincinnati won 70-65 against Ohio State.
In the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics were champions. They won 4 games to 1 against the St. Louis Hawks.

Boxing

On June 3 in Los Angeles, California, a big boxing match happened. Emile Griffith knocked out Gaspar Ortega in the 12th round. This allowed him to keep his Welterweight Championship title.

Canadian Football

The Grey Cup is the championship game for Canadian football. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won it this year. They beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21-14.

Cycling

The Giro d'Italia is a famous bike race in Italy. It was won by Ercole Baldini from Italy.
The Tour de France is another very famous race. Jacques Anquetil from France won it in 1961.
The World Cycling Championship was won by Rik Van Looy from Belgium.

Figure Skating

The World Figure Skating Championships were planned for Prague. However, they were sadly cancelled. This happened after a tragic accident on February 15. The entire USA team, including skaters and coaches, was affected.

Golf

Men's Professional Golf

The Masters Tournament is a major golf event. Gary Player made history by winning it. He was the first golfer from outside the United States to win the Masters.
The U.S. Open was won by Gene Littler.
The British Open champion was Arnold Palmer.
The PGA Championship was won by Jerry Barber.
The Ryder Cup is a team golf competition. The United States team won against Britain. The score was 14½ to 9½.

Men's Amateur Golf

The British Amateur title went to Michael Bonallack.
The U.S. Amateur was won by Jack Nicklaus.

Women's Professional Golf

Mary Lena Faulk won the Women's Western Open.
Mickey Wright had an amazing year. She won the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open, and the Titleholders Championship.

Harness Racing

United States Pacing Triple Crown

Cane Pace - Cold Front
Little Brown Jug - Henry T. Adios
Messenger Stakes - Adios Don

United States Trotting Triple Crown

Hambletonian - Harlan Dean
Yonkers Trot - Duke Rodney
Kentucky Futurity - Duke Rodney

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship

Pacers: Massacre

Horse Racing

Steeplechases

The Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by Saffron Tartan.
The famous Grand National race was won by Nicolaus Silver.

Flat Races

In Australia, the Melbourne Cup was won by Lord Fury.
In Canada, the Queen's Plate was won by Blue Light.
In France, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was won by Molvedo.
In Ireland, the Irish Derby Stakes was won by Your Highness.

English Triple Crown Races

2,000 Guineas Stakes – Rockavon
Epsom Derby – Psidium
St. Leger Stakes – Aurelius

United States Triple Crown Races

Kentucky Derby – Carry Back
Preakness Stakes – Carry Back
Belmont Stakes – Sherluck

Ice Hockey

The Art Ross Trophy is given to the NHL's top scorer. It was won by Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens.
The Hart Memorial Trophy is for the NHL's Most Valuable Player. This also went to Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens.
The Stanley Cup is the biggest prize in ice hockey. The Chicago Black Hawks won it. They beat the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 2.
The World Hockey Championship for men was won by the Trail Smoke Eaters from Canada.
The NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship was won by the University of Denver Pioneers. They defeated the St. Lawrence University Saints 12-2 in Denver.

Motor Racing

Stock Car Racing

Marvin Panch won the Daytona 500. He drove a Pontiac prepared by Smokey Yunick.
The NASCAR Championship was won by Ned Jarrett, driving a Chevrolet.

USAC Racing (IndyCar)

On May 30, A.J. Foyt won his first Indianapolis 500 race.
A.J. Foyt also won the overall driving championship for USAC Racing.

Formula One

Phil Hill from the United States became the World Drivers' Champion. He drove for Ferrari.

Endurance Racing

The famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race was won by Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill. They shared a Ferrari 250TR.

Rally Racing

The team of Maurice Martin and Roger Bateau won the Monte Carlo Rally. They drove a Panhard PL17.

Drag Racing

Pete Robinson won the Top Eliminator title at the NHRA Nationals.
Jack Chrisman won Top Eliminator at the first NHRA Winternats. He also made NHRA's first sub-9 second pass.

Rugby Union

The 67th Five Nations Championship series was won by the France team.

Swimming

On August 13, USA's Becky Collins set a new world record. She swam the women's 200m butterfly in 2:32.8 in Philadelphia.
On August 19, US swimmer Carl Robie broke the world record for the men's 200m butterfly. He clocked 2:12.6 in Los Angeles.

Tennis

Men's Grand Slam Results

Women's Grand Slam Results

Australian Open - Margaret Court
French Open - Ann Haydon Jones
Wimbledon championships - Angela Mortimer Barrett
US Open - Darlene Hard

The Davis Cup is a team tennis competition. Australia won it by beating Italy 5-0.

Multi-Sport Events

The 3rd Pan Arab Games were held in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Second 1961 Summer Universiade (a sports event for university students) was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Awards

The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year was Roger Maris from Major League Baseball.
The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year was Wilma Rudolph from Track and field.

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1961 in sports facts for kids

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