1970 in sports
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1970 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s |
| Years: | 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 |
[edit] Alpine skiing
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion – Karl Schranz, Austria
- Women's overall season champion – Michèle Jacot, France
[edit] American football
- Super Bowl IV – Kansas City Chiefs won 23–7 over the Minnesota Vikings
- Nebraska Cornhuskers win the college football national championship.
- 16 June – death of Brian Piccolo, Chicago Bears player
- 3 September – death of Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers coach; subsequently, his name is given to the Super Bowl trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award
- 14 November – A plane carrying most of the Marshall University team crashes just short of landing near Huntington, West Virginia, killing all 75 aboard, including 37 players.
[edit] Artistic gymnastics
- World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
- Men's all-around champion: Eizo Kenmotsu, Japan
- Women's all-around champion: Ludmilla Tourischeva, USSR
- Men's team competition champion: Japan
- Women's team competition champion: USSR
[edit] Athletics
- 26 December – death from cancer of Lillian Board (22), British middle-distance runner
- July – 1970 Commonwealth Games held at Edinburgh
- December – 1970 Asian Games held at Bangkok
[edit] Baseball
- 16 January – Gold Glove outfielder Curt Flood files a civil lawsuit challenging baseball's reserve clause, a suit that will have historic implications. Flood refused to report to the Phillies after he was traded by the Cardinals, contending the baseball rule violates federal antitrust laws.
- 17 January – The Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s.
- 20 January – Lou Boudreau is elected to the Hall of Fame, receiving 232 of a possible 300 votes from the BBWAA.
- 7 April – The Milwaukee Brewers play their first ever game as the Brewers at Milwaukee County Stadium, after the team had relocated from Seattle.
- 12 June – Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. It is later revealed that he did so while under the influence of LSD.
- Robert W. Peterson's book Only the Ball was White is published. The book brings pressure on Major League Baseball to recognize the African-American players from Negro league baseball by honoring its stars in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- World Series – The American League's Baltimore Orioles win their second World Title by defeating the National League's Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 1.
[edit] Basketball
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
- UCLA wins 80–69 over Jacksonville
- National Basketball Association –
- New York Knicks won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers
- 1970 ABA Finals –
- Indiana Pacers defeat Los Angeles Stars 4 games to 2
- FIBA World Championship –
- Yugoslavia World Champion
[edit] Boxing
- 15 February – Carlos Cruz, Featherweight Boxing Champion died in a plane crash
- 16 February – Joe Frazier wins the undisputed World Heavyweight title with the knock out of Jimmy Ellis in five rounds.
- 30 December – death of Sonny Liston (38), former heavyweight champion
[edit] Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Montreal Alouettes win 23–10 over the Calgary Stampeders
- Vanier Cup – Manitoba Bisons win 38–11 over the Ottawa Gee-Gees
[edit] Cricket
- 6 January – Australia commences a controversial tour of South Africa.
- 4 March – South Africa completes a 4–0 series whitewash over Australia at Port Elizabeth. This was to be South Africa's last Test match for 22 years.
- 22 May – The British Government forces England to cancel the planned tour of England by South Africa.
- A "Rest of the World" team captained by Garry Sobers playes five unofficial Test matches against England winning the series 4–1.
- In their centenary year Kent wins the English County Championship for the first time since 1913.
- The International Cricket Conference votes to suspend South Africa from international cricket indefinitely because of its government's apartheid policy.
[edit] Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- Tour de France – Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- World Cycling Championship – Jean-Pierre Monseré of Belgium
[edit] Field hockey
- Men's European Nations Cup held in Brussels and won by West Germany
[edit] Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Tim Wood, United States
- Ladies' champion: Gabrielle Seyfert, Germany
- Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulanov, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union
[edit] Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Billy Casper
- U.S. Open – Tony Jacklin
- British Open – Jack Nicklaus
- PGA Championship – Dave Stockton
- PGA Tour money leader – Lee Trevino – $157,037
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- LPGA Championship – Shirley Englehorn
- U.S. Women's Open – Donna Caponi
- Titleholders Championship – not played
- LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $30,235
[edit] Harness racing
- Fresh Yankee was named "Horse of the Year" by the U.S. Trotting Association and the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
- Most Happy Fella won the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Bold David
[edit] Horse racing
- Nijinsky II wins all three English Triple Crown Races and the Irish Derby
Steeplechases
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Baghdad Note
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Almoner
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Sassafras
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Nijinsky II
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
[edit] Ice hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy – Bobby Orr becomes the first defenseman in the history of the National Hockey League to lead the league in scoring.
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup – Boston Bruins win the Cup for the first time in 29 years, defeating the St. Louis Blues four games to none. Defenseman, Bobby Orr is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the series MVP (most valuable player).
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Cornell University Big Red defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6–4 in Lake Placid, New York; only NCAA hockey team to complete season undefeated and untied (31–0)
[edit] Lacrosse
- STX is founded by Richard B.C. Tucker Sr.
- The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.
- The Whitby Transporters win the Castrol Cup.
- The Lakeshore Maple Leafs win the Minto Cup.
[edit] Motor racing
- 2 June – Bruce McLaren, race car driver and founder of Team McLaren, killed in a testing wreck at Goodwood
- 5 September – Formula One World Drivers' Championship points leader Jochen Rindt (Austria) in killed in practice at Monza, driving a Lotus 72–Cosworth. He remains the only posthumous world champion.
- Stock car racing
- February 22 – Pete Hamilton wins the Daytona 500 in the #40 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises
- May 24 – Dunkiny Allison wins the World 500 in the Ford
- NASCAR Championship – Bobby Isaac
- USAC Racing
- 30 May – Al Unser, Sr. wins the 54th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Johnny Lightning Special Colt–Ford. It is Unser's first of four victories.
- Al Unser, Sr. won the season drivers' championship
- 24 hours of Le Mans – Hans Herrmann / Richard Attwood win, sharing a Porsche 917
- Rally racing – the team of Björn Waldegård / Lars Helmer win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Porsche 911S.
- Drag racing –
- NHRA inaugurates the Supernationals.
- Rick Ramsey wins Top Fuel.[clarification needed][specify]
[edit] Rugby league
- 15 March – the final match of the 1969–70 European Championship is played, with England crowned champions for finishing on top of the league
- 19 September – the 1970 NSWRFL season culminates with South Sydney's 23–12 Grand Final victory over Manly-Warringah
- 8 November – the 1970 World Cup is won by Australia, who defeated Great Britain 12–7 in the final
[edit] Rugby union
- 76th Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales
[edit] Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Ray Reardon beats John Pulman 37–33
[edit] Speed skating
- First ISU Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Men and Ladies held in West Allis, U.S.A.
[edit] Swimming
- 22 August – US swimmer Mark Spitz breaks his own, nearly three-year old world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) with a time of 2:05.4. At the same meet and on the same day in Los Angeles, California he loses it to Gary Hall Sr., who swims 2:05.0.
[edit] Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Margaret Court wins the Grand Slam in women's tennis –
- Davis Cup – United States wins 5–0 over Germany F.R. in world tennis.
[edit] Volleyball
- 1970 FIVB Men's World Championship held in Sofia and won by East Germany
[edit] Yacht racing
- The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Intrepid defeats Australian challenger Gretel II, of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, 4 races to 1.
[edit] Multi-sport events
- Sixth Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
- British Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Central American and Caribbean Games held in Panama City, Panama
- Sixth Summer Universiade held in Turin, Italy
- Sixth Winter Universiade held in Rovaniemi, Finland
[edit] Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – George Blanda, National Football League
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Chi Cheng, Track and field
