2000 in sports - Definition and Overview

See also: 1999 in sports, other events of 2000, 2001 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Bobby Labonte
• Indy Racing League - Buddy Lazier won the season championship
• Indianapolis 500- Juan Pablo Montoya
• CART Racing - Gil de Ferran won the season championship
• Formula One Championship - Michael Schumacher of Germany
• 24 hours of Le Mans: Frank Biela / Tom Kristensen / Emanuele Pirro won, driving an (Audi R8R LMP)
• Rally racing:
  • Marcus Grönholm of Finland won the World Rally Championship
  • the team of Tommi Mäkinen / Risto Mannisenmaki won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
• Drag racing - Gary Scelzi won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 1 over the New York Mets. The Series MVP is Derek Jeter, of the Yankees

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Michigan State wins 89-76 over Florida

• NBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Lakers win 4 games to 2 over the Indiana Pacers

• WNBA Finals:
  • Houston Comets win 2 games to 0 over the New York Liberty to complete their four-peat.

Boxing

• July 29 - Kostya Tszyu defeats Julio Cesar Chavez by a knockout in six to retain the WBC's world Jr. Welterweight title.

• August 12 - Evander Holyfield defeats John Ruiz by decision in 12 rounds to regain the WBA's world Heavyweight title, becoming the first boxer to win the world Heavyweight title four times.

Cricket

• Courtney Walsh (West Indies) takes 34 wickets in a test series against England at an average of 12.82 runs per wicket. He misses the record for most wickets by a West Indian bowler in a test series held by Malcolm Marshall by 1 wicket.
• Walsh plays his last one day international.
• June 26 - Bangladesh becomes the tenth test playing nation.

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Stefano Garzelli of Italy
• Tour de France - Lance Armstrong of the United States
• World Cycling Championship: Romans Vainsteins, of Latvia

Field Hockey

• May 27 - June 4 - Champions Trophy held at Amstelveen won by hosts. Germany finish second. Other participating teams: Korea, Spain, Australia and Great Britain.

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Alexei Yagudin, Russia
  • Women's champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
  • Pairs champions: Maria Petrova & Alexei Tikhonov, Russia

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXXIV: Saint Louis Rams win 23-16 over the Tennessee Titans

Football (Australian Rules)

• Australian Football League
  • Essendon wins the 104th AFL premiership (Essendon 19.21 (135) d Melbourne 11.9 (75))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Shane Woewodin (Melbourne)

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: B.C. Lions win 28-26 over the Montreal Alouettes
• Vanier Cup: Ottawa Gee Gees win 42-39 over the Regina Rams

Football (Soccer)

• Euro 2000: France won 2-1 in extra time over Italy, with a golden goal by Trézéguet. This was France's second European Championship title.

• Champions' League: Real Madrid won 3-0 in the final against Valencia. This was Real Madrid's 8th European Cup title.

• UEFA Cup: Galatasaray won 4-1 on penalties, in the final against Arsenal, after a 0-0 draw at the end of the match. This was the very first European title won by a Turkish team.

• European Super Cup: Galatasaray beat Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time, with a golden goal by Jardel.

• Intercontinental Cup: Boca Juniors beat Real Madrid 2-1, winning the cup for the second time.

• England - FA Cup: Chelsea won 1-0 over Aston Villa

• July 24 - Real Madrid signed Barcelona's Portuguese star Luis Figo, setting a world record transfer of 60 million euros.

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters - Vijay Singh
  2. June - US Open - Tiger Woods
  3. July - British Open - Tiger Woods
  4. August - PGA Championship - Tiger Woods

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Tiger Woods - $9,188,321
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Larry Nelson - $2,708,005

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open: Karrie Webb
• LPGA Championship: Julie Inkster
• Karrie Webb: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $1,876,853.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Brew
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Scatter the Gold
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Sinndar
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sinndar

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Kings Best
  2. Epsom Derby - Sinndar
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Millenary

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Fusaichi Pegasus
  2. Preakness Stakes - Red Bullet
  3. Belmont Stakes - Commendable

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Tiznow
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Spain
  3. Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf - Perfect Sting
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Macho Uno
  5. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Caressing
  6. Breeders' Cup Mile - War Chant
  7. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Kona Gold
  8. Breeders' Cup Turf - Kalanisi

Harness Racing

• March 18 - John Campbell became the first driver in harness racing history to reach $100 million in earnings at one track on at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

• North America Cup - Gallo Blue Chip

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Powerful Toy
  2. Little Brown Jug - Astreos
  3. Messenger Stakes - Ain't No Stopn Him

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Yankee Paco
  2. Yonkers Trot - Goalfish
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Credit Winner

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Shakamaker
  • Trotters: Lyell Creek

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:
  • Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues

• Stanley Cup:New Jersey Devils win 4 games to 2 over the Dallas Stars

• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Czech Republic defeated Slovakia
  • Junior Men's champion: Czech Republic defeated Russia
  • Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States

Rugby Union

• Six Nations - England
• Tri Nations - Australia

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
  • The women's overall season champion: Renate Goetschl, Austria

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Mark Williams beats Matthew Stevens 18-16
• World rankings: Mark Williams becomes world number one for 2000/01

Tennis

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

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

• Davis Cup - Spain wins 3-1 over Australia in world tennis
• Elena Dementieva enters the WTA top 20, named WTA Tour Most Improved Player
• Olympics Women's singles
  1. Gold - Venus Williams
  2. Silver - Elena Dementieva

General sporting events

• 2000 Summer Olympics takes place in Sydney, Australia
  • United States wins the most medals (97), and the most gold medals (40).

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Doug Swingley wins with lead dogs: Stormy & Cola

Deaths

• Abercrombie - harness racing horse
• January 4 - Tom Fears, American football player
• January 26 - Don Budge, tennis player
• February 9 - Beau Jack, boxer
• February 12 - Tom Landry, American football coach
• February 14 - Tony Bettenhausen 48, CART racing team owner, died in a plane crash
• February 23 - Stanley Matthews, English soccer superstar
• May 12 - Adam Petty 19, race car driver, grandson of Richard Petty
• May 27 - Maurice Richard, ice hockey legend
• June 26 - Lucien Laurin, Secretariat's Hall of Fame trainer
• July 6 - Fred Lane, football player, Carolina Panthers - killed by his wife
• September 17 - Nicole Reinhart 24, U.S. cyclist
• October 17 - Harry Cooper, PGA golfer