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1968 in sports
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
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1968 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
1968 sports
Alpine skiing
Alpine Skiing World Cup:
Men's overall champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
Women's overall champion: Nancy Greene, Canada
American football
Super Bowl II – the Green Bay Packers (NFL) won 33–14 over the Oakland Raiders (AFL)
Location: Miami Orange Bowl
Attendance: 75,546
MVP: Bart Starr, QB (Green Bay)
Rose Bowl (1967 season):
The Southern California Trojans won 14–3 over the Indiana Hoosiers to win the college football national championship
The Cincinnati Bengals were formed
November 17 – The Oakland Raiders score two consecutive touchdowns in the last minute of the fourth quarter to beat the New York Jets 43–32, in the infamous "Heidi Game".
O. J. Simpson, running back for the USC Trojans, was the overwhelming choice for the Heisman Trophy, with 2,853 points. Second was Leroy Keyes, running back for Purdue, with 1,103 points, followed by Terry Hanratty (QB-Notre Dame), Ted Kwalick (TE-Penn State) and Ted Hendricks (DE-Miami).
Association football
Brazil – First Division Champions: Botafogo FR
England – First Division Champions: Manchester City F.C.
England – FA Cup – West Bromwich Albion 1–0 Everton
Scotland – First Division Champions: Celtic F.C.
Scotland – Cup Winners: Dunfermline Athletic F.C. (defeated Heart of Midlothian 3–1)
European Championship – Italy beat Yugoslavia 2–0 in a replay. The original final ended 1–1.
Australian rules football
Victorian Football League
Carlton wins the 72nd VFL Premiership (Carlton 7.14 (56) d Essendon 8.5 (53))
Brownlow Medal awarded to Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)
Baseball
Kansas City Athletics move to Oakland, California to become the Oakland Athletics.
January 23 – Joe Medwick is voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Medwick won the Triple Crown in 1937 and batted .300 in 14 of 17 seasons.
January 28 – Goose Goslin and Kiki Cuyler are admitted to the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee. Goslin was a career .316 hitter who played in four World Series. Cuyler was a .321 career hitter with four stolen base crowns.
Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 30 or more games since Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934. Since McLain, no pitcher has accomplished that feat.
Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals recorded a 1.12 Earned Run Average, a live-ball era record, as well as the major league record in 300 or more innings pitched.
World Series – Detroit Tigers won 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Series MVP was Mickey Lolich, Detroit.
June 24 – Jim Northrup of the Detroit Tigers hits grand slams in consecutive at-bats, 5th and 6th innings.
Basketball
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
UCLA wins 78–55 over North Carolina
NBA Finals –
Boston Celtics won 4 games to 2 over the Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns, one of National Basketball Association club representative, was founded in Arizona on January 22.May 2021
Boxing
May 8 – Bob Foster knocked out Dick Tiger in the fourth round to win the World Light-Heavyweight Championship.
Canadian football
Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders won 24–21 over the Calgary Stampeders
Vanier Cup – Queen's Golden Gaels won 42–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Cricket
January 31 – Australia secure victory in the Fourth Test match versus India and win the series 4–0
August 27 – England win the final Test match at The Oval against Australia to tie the series 1–1. Australia retain The Ashes
August 28 – Basil D'Oliveira is excluded from the MCC South African tour side leading to turmoil in the world of cricket.
Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium
Tour de France – Jan Janssen of the Netherlands
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Vittorio Adorni of Italy
Field hockey
Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Mexico City, Mexico
Gold Medal: Pakistan
Silver Medal: Australia
Bronze Medal: India
March 9 – In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium, England. England beat the Netherlands 1–0.
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships –
Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain
Golf
Men's professional
Masters Tournament – Bob Goalby wins after Roberto DeVicenzo makes on a score card error. DeVicenzo writes a 4 instead of the 3 on the 17th hole.
U.S. Open – Lee Trevino became the first golfer to shoot in the 60s in every round of the U.S. Open.
British Open – Gary Player
PGA Championship – Julius Boros
PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $205,169
Men's amateur
British Amateur – Michael Bonallack
U.S. Amateur – Bruce Fleisher
Women's professional
Women's Western Open – discontinued
LPGA Championship – Sandra Post became the youngest golfer to ever win an LPGA major tournament by capturing the LPGA Championship.
U.S. Women's Open – Susie Berning
Titleholders Championship – not played
LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $48,379
Horse racing
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Fort Leney
Grand National – Red Alligator
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Royal Parma
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Merger
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Vaguely Noble
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Ribero
English Triple Crown Races:
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Sir Ivor
The Derby – Sir IvorEpsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica https://www.britannica.com/sports/Derby-horse-race www.britannica.com 3 January 2022 en
St. Leger Stakes – Ribero
United States Triple Crown Races:
Kentucky Derby – Forward Pass
Preakness Stakes – Forward Pass
Belmont Stakes – Stage Door Johnny
Ice hockey
January 15 – death of Bill Masterton, Canadian ice hockey player, as a result of injury sustained during a game
Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win four games to none over the St. Louis Blues
World Hockey Championship
Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux 4–0 in Duluth, Minnesota
Motorsport
List of 1968 motorsport champions
Rugby league
1967–68 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France
1968 New Zealand rugby league season
1968 NSWRFL season premiers: South Sydney DRLFC
1967–68 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1968–69 Northern Rugby Football League season
1968 Rugby League World Cup winners: Australia
Rugby union
74th Five Nations Championship series is won by France who complete the Grand Slam
Snooker
World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Eddie Charlton 39–34
Swimming
XIX Olympic Games, held in Mexico City (October 17 – October 26)
Tennis
Australia
Australian Men's Singles Championship – William Bowrey (Australia) defeats Juan Gisbert, Sr. (Spain) 7–5, 2–6, 9–7, 6–4
Australian Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Margaret Smith Court (Australia) 6–1, 6–2
England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Tony Roche (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Judy Tegart Dalton (Australia) 9–7, 7–5
France
French Men's Singles Championship – Ken Rosewall (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–2
French Women's Singles Championship – Nancy Richey (USA) defeats Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) 5–7, 6–4, 6–1
USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Arthur Ashe (USA) defeats Tom Okker (Netherlands) 14–12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
American Women's Singles Championship – Virginia Wade (Great Britain) defeats Billie Jean King (USA) 6–4, 6–2
Events
The "open era" in tennis begins, as all the Grand Slam events open to professionals for the first time
Davis Cup
1968 Davis Cup – USA 4–1 AUS at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre (grass) Adelaide, Australia
Multi-sport events
1968 Winter Olympics takes place in Grenoble, France (Feb 6 - Feb 18)
Norway wins the most medals (14), and the most gold medals (6)
1968 Summer Olympics takes place in Mexico City, Mexico (Oct 12 - Oct 27)
United States wins the most medals (107), and the most gold medals (45)
Fifth Winter Universiade held in Innsbruck, Austria
Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Denny McLain, Major League Baseball
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Peggy Fleming, Figure skating
Births
February 3 – Vlade Divac, Yugoslav and Serbian basketball player
February 5 – David Flores, Mexican jockey
March 22 – Javier Castillejo, Spanish boxer
April 8 – Max Brito, Ivorian rugby union player (died 2022)
April 16 – Martin Dahlin, Swedish footballer
April 19 – Fernando Marroquin, Guatemalan Olympic swimmerno https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/fernando-marroquin-2.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200418100419/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/fernando-marroquin-2.html dead 18 April 2020 Fernando Marroquin 20 June 2012
August 6 – Olga Markova, Russian long-distance runner
December 18 – Mark Cooper, English footballer
Deaths
April 7 - Jim Clark, 32, racecar driverMotorsport was left in disbelief when Jim Clark died 52 years ago today The Scotsman https://www.scotsman.com/sport/other-sport/motorsport-was-left-disbelief-when-jim-clark-died-52-years-ago-today-2531278 www.scotsman.com en
June 9 – Ronnie Duman, 39, US racecar driver (crashed while competing in the Rex Mays 150)http://www.crownhillhf.org/docs/IndianapolisAutoGreatsHandout.pdf Indianapolis Auto greats Crown Hill Cemetery Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery 2011 2012-09-10 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120913203018/http://crownhillhf.org/docs/IndianapolisAutoGreatsHandout.pdf 2012-09-13
September 30 – Johan Nyström, 94, Swedish Olympic athlete Mallon, Bill 1998 The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina 0-7864-0378-0 registration https://archive.org/details/1900olympicgames00mall
References
Category:Sports by year