1995 in sports - Definition and Overview

See also: 1994 in sports, other events of 1995, 1996 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Sterling Marlin won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Jeff Gordon
• CART racing - season championship won by Jacques Villeneuve
  • Indianapolis 500 - Jacques Villeneuve. (First IRL races following year).
• Formula One Championship - Michael Schumacher of Germany
• 24 hours of Le Mans: Yannick Dalmas / J.J. Lehto / Masanori Sekiya won, driving a McLaren F1-GTR
• Rally racing - Colin McRae won the World Rally Championship
  • Carlos Sainz /Luis Moya won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Subaru Impreza 555
• Drag racing - Scott Kalitta won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

• World Series: Atlanta Braves won 4 games to 2 over the Cleveland Indians. The Series MVP was Tom Glavine, Atlanta
• September 6 - Cal Ripken Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig's record of playing 2131 consecutive games.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • UCLA wins 89-78 over Arkansas

• NBA Finals:
  • Houston Rockets win 4 games to 0 over the Orlando Magic

Boxing

• May 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada: Oscar De La Hoya scored a 2nd round TKO over Rafael Ruelas to retain his Lightweight Championship.

Cricket

• December 26 in Melbourne: Umpire Darrell Hair no balls Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seven times for throwing in the second Test against Australia.

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Tony Rominger of Switzerland
• Tour de France - Miguel Induráin of Spain
• World Cycling Championship: Abraham Olano of Spain

Field Hockey

• September 23 - October 1: Champions Trophy held at Berlin, Germany won by hosts. Australia finish second.

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Elvis Stojko, Canada
  • Women's champion: Lu Chen, China
  • Pairs champions: Radka Kovariková & Rene Novotny, Czech Republic

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXIX: San Francisco 49ers won 49-26 over the San Diego Chargers

College National Championship Game, the undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Florida Gators by a score of 62 to 24.

Football (Australian Rules)

• Australian Football League
  • The Fremantle Dockers join the league
  • Carlton wins the 99th AFL premiership (Carlton 21.15 (141) d Geelong 11.14 (80))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Paul Kelly (Sydney Swans)

Football (Canadian)

• For the first time in history, the Grey Cup went to an American-based team.
• Grey Cup:
  • Baltimore Stallions win 37-20 over the Calgary Stampeders
• Vanier Cup:
  • Calgary Dinos win 54-24 over the Western Ontario Mustangs

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Everton won 1-0 over Manchester United

• FIFA Women's World Cup - Norway won 2-0 over Germany

• Korean Football League - Dominant Asian club Suwon Samsung Bluewings were officially founded in December 15th.

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters - Ben Crenshaw
  2. June - US Open - Corey Pavin
  3. July - British Open - John Daly
  4. August - PGA Championship - Steve Elkington

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Greg Norman - $1,654,959
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Jim Colbert - $1,444,386
• Ryder Cup: Europe won 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 over the United States in world team golf.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Annika Sörenstam
• LPGA Championship - Kelly Robbins
• Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $666,533

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Doriemus
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Regal Discovery
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Lammtarra
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Winged Love

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Pennekamp
  2. Epsom Derby - Lammtarra
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Classic Cliche

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Thunder Gulch
  2. Preakness Stakes - Timber Country
  3. Belmont Stakes - Thunder Gulch

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Cigar
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Inside Information
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Unbridled's Song
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - My Flag
  5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Ridgewood Pearl
  6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Desert Stormer
  7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Northern Spur

Harness Racing

• North America Cup - David's Pass

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Mattgrilla Gorilla
  2. Little Brown Jug - Nick's Fantasy
  3. Messenger Stakes - David's Pass

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Tagliabue
  2. Yonkers Trot -
  3. Kentucky Futurity - CR Trackmaster

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Golden Reign
  • Trotters: Call Me Now

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins

• Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers

• Stanley Cup: New Jersey Devils win 4 games to 0 over the Detroit Red Wings

• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Finland defeated Sweden
  • Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated Russia

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Alberto Tomba, Italy
  • The women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Stephen Hendry beats Nigel Bond 18-9
• World rankings: Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1995/96

Swimming

• February 11 -
  • Danyon Loader swims world record 400 meters freestyle.
  • Mark Foster swims world record 50 meters butterfly.
  • Sandra Volker swims European record 50 meters backstroke.

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Andre Agassi
  2. French Open - Thomas Muster
  3. Wimbledon championships - Pete Sampras
  4. US Open - Pete Sampras

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

• Davis Cup: United States wins 3-2 over Russia in world tennis.
• Serena Williams turns professional

General sporting events

• August 26 - The International Rugby Football Board lifts the century-old ban on professionalism in rugby union.

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Doug Swingley won with lead dogs: Vic & Elmer

Births

• May 12 - Jean Carlos Chera, Brazilian football prodigy

Deaths

• Rambling Willie - harness racing horse
• February 2 - Fred Perry, English tennis star, Wimbledon champion
• February 4 - Roel Wiersma, Dutch soccer star
• February 28 - Keith Rigg, Australian cricketer
• March 23 - Davie Cooper, Scottish soccer star
• April 8 - Maurice Allom, New Zealand cricketer
• April 20 - Sunil Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan star wicketkeeper, suicide
• April 20 - Robert Elliott Storey Wyatt, English cricketer
• April 23 - Howard Cosell, sportscaster
• May 7 - Gus Bell, Major League Baseball player (1950-1964)
• May 13 - Cecil Marley, Jamaican cricket player & executive
• May 17 - Toe Blake, NHL player and coach of the Montreal Canadiens
• May 30 - Bobby Stokes, England soccer star
• May 30 - Ted Drake, English soccer player/manager
• June 9 - Zoilo Versalles, Major League Baseball player (1959-1971)
• June 10 - Ron Morrisby, Tasmanian cricketer
• July 18 - Fabio Casartelli, cyclist, accident during the Tour de France
• July 27 - Rick Ferrell, Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (1929-1947)
• July 4 - Pancho Gonzalez, tennis star
• July 16 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentinean Formula 1, race car champion
• August 4 - Dick Bartell, Major League Basell player (1927-1946)
• August 13 - Mickey Mantle, Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder (1951-1968)
• August 23 - Johnny Carey, Irish-born soccer star
• September 6 - Buster Mathis, heavyweight boxer
• October 7 - Louis Meyer, Indie 500 racer
• October 10 - John Rodolph 31, wheelchair-race world record holder
• October 21 - Vada Pinson, Major League Basell player (1958-1975)
• October 25 - Bobby Riggs, tennis player
• November 20 - Sergei Grinkov 28, figure skater, 2-time Olympic gold medalist