2001 in sports - Definition and Overview

See also: 2000 in sports, other events of 2001, 2002 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Jeff Gordon
• Indy Racing League - Sam Hornish Jr. won the season championship
• Indianapolis 500 - Helio Castroneves
• 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 driving an Audi R8
• Rally racing:
  • the team of Tommi Mäkinen / Risto Mannisenmaki won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
  • Richard Burns of Great Britain won the World Rally Championship
• Drag racing - Kenny Bernstein won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

• World Series: Only 4 seasons old, the Arizona Diamondbacks became the youngest franchise to win a World Series by defeating the New York Yankees 4 games to 3. Series co-MVPs were Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, both of Arizona.

• Season MVPs: National League: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners.

• Rookies of the Year: National League: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle.

• Cy Young Award: National League: Randy Johnson, Arizona. American League: Roger Clemens, New York.

• Books published:
  • Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract: Revised edition of his classic 1985 book, introducing his Win shares system of player evaluation.

Basketball

• October 30 - Michael Jordan returns to the National Basketball Association with the Washington Wizards after 3 1/2 years (the Wizards lose 93-91 to the New York Knicks).

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Duke wins 82-72 over Arizona

• NBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Lakers win 4 games to 1 Philadelphia 76ers

• WNBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Sparks win 2 games to 0 over the Charlotte Sting, earning the franchise's first championship

Boxing

• March 3 - John Ruiz defeats Evander Holyfield in their second fight by a decision in 12 rounds, winning the WBA's world Heavyweight championship, becoming the first Hispanic to win the world Heavyweight title.

• September 29 - In a gala event dedicated to the victims and rescuers of 9/11, Bernard Hopkins defeats Félix Trinidad by a knockout in round 12 to unify the world's Middleweight championships.

Cricket

• Courtney Walsh retires from international cricket, plays his last test match against South Africa.
• The Ashes - Australia win 4-1
• V.V.S. Laxman becomes the first Indian to score 250 in a test match as India fight back from following on to win the second test against Australia, ending the Australian's record 16 match winning streak. India go on to win the series 2-1.
• County Championship (England and Wales) - Yorkshire
• ICC Trophy - Netherlands

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Gilberto Simoni of Italy
• Tour de France - Lance Armstrong of the United States
• World Cycling Championship: Óscar Freire, of Spain

Field Hockey

• November 3 - 11 - Champions Trophy won by Germany. Australia finish second.

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Evgeni Plushenko, Russia
  • Women's champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
  • Pairs champions: Jamie Salé & David Pelletier, Canada

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens won 34-7 over the New York Giants

Football (Australian Rules)

• Australian Football League
  • The Brisbane Lions win the 105th AFL premiership (Brisbane Lions 15.18 (108) d Essendon 12.10 (82))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Jason Akermanis (Brisbane Lions)
  • See also Australian Football League season 2001

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Calgary Stampeders win 27-19 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds won 39-23 over the Ottawa Gee Gees

Football (Soccer)

• Champions' League: Bayern Munich won 5-4 on penalties, in the final against Valencia, after a 1-1 draw at the end of the match. This was Bayern Munich's 4th European Cup title.

• UEFA Cup: Liverpool won 5-4 after extra-time, in the final against Alavés, with an unfortunate own goal/golden goal by Delfi Gelí. This was Liverpool's third UEFA Cup title.

• European Super Cup: Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3-2, winning the cup for the second time.

• Intercontinental Cup: Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors 1-0, winning the cup for the second time.

• England - FA Cup: Liverpool won 2-1 over Arsenal

• Asian Champions Cup - Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings won their first Asian Champions Cup crown, defeating Jubilo Iwata 1-0. They also lifted the 2001 Asian Super Cup.

• July 9 - Real Madrid signed playmaker Zinedine Zidane of Juventus, in a world record transfer of 72 million euros.

• FIFA Confederations Cup: France is the winner.

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters - Tiger Woods
  2. June - US Open - Retief Goosen
  3. July - British Open - David Duval
  4. August - PGA Championship - David Toms

• PGA TOUR leading money winner for the year: Tiger Woods - $5,687,777
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Allen Doyle - $2,553,582
• Ryder Cup of world golf postponed until 2002

Women's Golf

• Kraft Nabisco Championship - Annika Sörenstam
• US Women's Open - Karrie Webb
• LPGA Championship - Karrie Webb
• Women's British Open - Pak Se Ri
• Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $2,105,868

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Ethereal
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Dancethruthedawn
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Sakhee
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Galileo

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Golan
  2. Epsom Derby - Galileo
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Milan

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Monarchos
  2. Preakness Stakes - Point Given
  3. Belmont Stakes - Point Given

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Tiznow
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Unbridled Elaine
  3. Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf - Banks Hill
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Johannesburg
  5. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Tempera
  6. Breeders' Cup Mile - Val Royal
  7. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Squirtle Squirt
  8. Breeders' Cup Turf - Fantastic Light

Harness Racing

• North America Cup - Bettor's Delight

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Four Starzz Shark
  2. Little Brown Jug - Bettor's Delight
  3. Messenger Stakes - Bagel Beach Boy

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Scarlet Knight
  2. Yonkers Trot -
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Chaising Tail

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Yulestar
  • Trotters: Take A Moment

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:
  • Joe Sakic - Colorado Avalanche

• Stanley Cup: Colorado Avalanche win 4 games to 3 over the New Jersey Devils

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

Lacrosse

• Long Island Lizards win the first Major League Lacrosse championship over Baltimore Bayhawks

Rugby Union

• Six Nations - England
• Tri Nations - Australia
• Heineken Cup - Leicester Tigers beat Stade Francais 34-30

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
  • The women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats John Higgins 18-14
• World rankings: Mark Williams remains world number one for 2001/02

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Andre Agassi
  2. French Open - Gustavo Kuerten
  3. Wimbledon championships - Goran Ivanisevic
  4. US Open - Lleyton Hewitt

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

• Davis Cup: France won 3-2 over Australia in world tennis.
• Elena Dementieva finishes in the WTA top 20 for the second successive year, becomes the no. 1 Russian tennis player, a position held by Anna Kournikova since December 1997.

General sporting events

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

Deaths

• Cam Fella - harness racing horse
• February 18 - Dale Earnhardt - NASCAR race car driver
• February 18 - Eddie Mathews, Major League Baseball player, Baseball Hall of Famer
• February 25 - Donald Bradman, cricketer, highest test match batting average; 99.94.
• April 10 - Willie Stargell - baseball player, Baseball Hall of Famer.
• May 12 - Didi, Brazilian soccer star
• June 2 - Joey Maxim, American boxer
• August 15 - Richard Chelimo, Kenyan athlete
• September 11 - Garnet Bailey, former Boston Bruins ice hockey player and a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings died in the crash of United Airlines Flight 175 in the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack.