1991 in sports - Definition and Overview

See also: 1990 in sports, other events of 1991, 1992 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Ernie Irvan won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt
• CART Racing - Michael Andretti won the season championship
  • Indianapolis 500 - Rick Mears
• Formula One Championship - Ayrton Senna of Brazil
• 24 hours of Le Mans: won by Volker Weidler / Johnny Herbert / Bertrand Gachot driving a Mazda 787
• Rally racing - Juha Kankkunen in a Lancia won the World Rally Championship
  • the team of Carlos Sainz / Luis Moya won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Toyota Celica GT4
• Drag racing - Joe Amato won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

• Dave Righetti breaks Sparky Lyle's major league record for left-handers of 238 career saves.
• July 28 - Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos pitches the 13th perfect game in major league history, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0.
• World Series: The Minnesota Twins win 4 games to 3 over the Atlanta Braves. The series MVP is Jack Morris of Minnesota.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke wins 72-65 over Kansas
• NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers to earn the franchise's first championship.
• June 12 - The Chicago Bulls win their first National Basketball Association championship. The Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.
• November 7 - Basketball player Magic Johnson announces he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, thus ending his career in the NBA.

Boxing

• June 1 at Palm Springs, California: Terry Norris knocked out Donald Curry in the 8th Round to win the WBC Super Welterweight Championship.

Cricket

• South Africa readmitted to the International Cricket Council following the abolition of apartheid, and play their first international game since 1970.

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Franco Chiocciolo of Italy
• Tour de France - Miguel Induraín of Spain
• World Cycling Championship: Gianni Bugno of Italy

Field Hockey

• March 16 - In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium, England. France beat England 2-1. It was the last hockey match to have taken place there ending it a great era.
• September 13 - 22 - Thirteenth Men's Champions Trophy held at Berlin, Germany won by hosts. Pakistan end 2nd

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Kurt Browning, Canada
  • Women's champion: Kristi Yamaguchi, United States
  • Pairs champions: Natalja Mishkutienok & Artur Dimitrijev, Soviet Union

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants won 20-19 over the Buffalo Bills

Football (Australian Rules)

• Australian Football League
  • The Adelaide Crows join the league
  • Hawthorn wins the 95th AFL premiership (Hawthorn 20.19 (139) d West Coast Eagles 13.8 (86))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Jim Stynes (Melbourne)

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts win 36-21 over the Calgary Stampeders
• Vanier Cup: Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks win 25-18 over the Mount Allison Mounties

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1 (aet) over Nottingham Forest

• FIFA Women's World Cup - United States won 2-1 over Norway

• For the first time since the Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985, English clubs are allowed to participate in competitions sponsored by UEFA, for the 1991-92 season.

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters golf tournament - Ian Woosnam
  2. June - US Open - Payne Stewart
  3. July - British Open - Ian Baker-Finch
  4. August - PGA Championship - John Daly

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Corey Pavin - $979,430
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Mike Hill - $1,065,657
• Ryder Cup: United States team won 14 1/2 - 13 ½ over the European team in world golf.

• Tiger Woods, at age 15, won his first USGA title, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Meg Mallon
• LPGA Championship - Meg Mallon
• Pat Bradley: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $763,118.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Let's Elope
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Dance Smartly
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Suave Dancer
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Generous

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mystiko
  2. Epsom Derby - Generous
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Toulon

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Strike the Gold
  2. Preakness Stakes - Hansel
  3. Belmont Stakes - Hansel

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Black Tie Affair
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Dance Smartly
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Arazi
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Pleasant Stage
  5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Opening Verse
  6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Sheikh Albadou
  7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Miss Alleged

Harness Racing

• North America Cup - Precious Bunny

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Silky Stallone
  2. Little Brown Jug - Precious Bunny
  3. Messenger Stakes - Die Laughing

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Giant Victory
  2. Yonkers Trot -
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Whiteland Janice

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Mark Ranover
  • Trotters: Fraggle Rock

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues

• Stanley Cup:
  • Pittsburgh Penguins win 4 games to 2 over the Minnesota North Stars

• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Sweden defeated Canada
  • Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated the USSR

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
  • The women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria

Wigger

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: John Parrott beats Jimmy White 18-11
• World rankings: Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1991/92

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Boris Becker
  2. French Open - Jim Courier
  3. Wimbledon championships - Michael Stich
  4. US Open - Stefan Edberg

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Monica Seles
  2. French Open - Monica Seles
  3. Wimbledon championships - Steffi Graf
  4. US Open - Monica Seles

• Davis Cup: France won 3-1 over the United States in world tennis.

General sporting events

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Rick Swenson won with lead dog: Goose

Deaths

• January 3 - Luke Appling, Major League Baseball player (1930-1950)
• January 21 - Red Grange, National Football League great
• March 2 - James "Cool Papa" Bell, Negro League baseball star
• April 4 - Luc de Rijck, Belgian soccer player
• April 20 - Bucky Walters, Major League Baseball pitcher (1934-1950)
• April 25 - Theo Laseroms, Dutch soccer player
• May 6 - Chucky Mullins, United States football player
• May 20 - Pete Runnels, Major League Baseball player (1951-1964)
• June 8 - Mary Bacon, jockey
• September 15 - Smoky Burgess, Major League Baseball player (1949-1967)
• October 7 - Leo Durocher, MLB player (1925-1945), and manager
• November 26 - Bob Johnson - ice hockey coach, Pittsburgh Penguins
• December 16 - Horatio Luro, race horse trainer including Northern Dancer
• December 25 - Mahmood Hussain, Pakistani cricketer