1901 in sports

The American League repudiates its minor status and competes with the National League as a second major league. The AL abandons four western cities for Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston. It signs about 30 prominent NL players before the season begins.
The National League violates its constitution in the summer and there will be no major-minor agreement until the 1903 season.
December – numerous minor leagues establish their own National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, commonly called Minor League Baseball (1902 to date).

Boxing

Events

Barbados Joe Walcott wins the World Welterweight Championship. He is ranked by Nat Fleischer and Charley Rose as the #1 All-Time Welterweight; other sports personalities such as Tad Dorgan, Tom O'Rourke, Dan Morgan and Jimmy Johnston call him "the greatest pound for pound fighter who ever lived".^[2]
Young Corbett II wins the World Featherweight Championship, defeating "Terrible" Terry McGovern with a second round knockout
The vacant World Bantamweight Championship is claimed first by Harry Harris, who fails to defend it and increases his weight, so making himself ineligible. The title is then awarded to Harry Forbes following his second round knockout of Danny Dougherty

Lineal world champions^[3]

World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Jeffries
World Middleweight Championship – Tommy Ryan
World Welterweight Championship – William "Matty" Matthews → James "Rube" Ferns → Barbados Joe Walcott
World Lightweight Championship – Frank Erne
World Featherweight Championship – "Terrible" Terry McGovern → Young Corbett II
World Bantamweight Championship – title vacant → Harry Harris → title vacant → Harry Forbes

Cricket

Events

No cricket is played in South Africa due to the Boer War.

England

County Championship – Yorkshire
Minor Counties Championship – Durham
Most runs – Bobby Abel 3309 @ 55.15 (HS 247)
Most wickets – Wilfred Rhodes 251 @ 15.12 (BB 8–53)
Wisden Cricketers of the Year – Len Braund, Charlie McGahey, Frank Mitchell, Willie Quaife, Johnny Tyldesley

Australia

Sheffield Shield – Victoria
Most runs – Clem Hill 620 @ 103.33 (HS 365*)
Most wickets – Jack Saunders 29 @ 17.13 (BB 6–70) and Joe Travers 29 @ 20.75 (BB 9–30)

India

Bombay Presidency – Parsees

South Africa

Currie Cup – not contested

West Indies

Inter-Colonial Tournament – Trinidad and Tobago

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

World Men's Champion – Ulrich Salchow (Sweden)

Golf

Major tournaments

British Open – James Braid
US Open – Willie Anderson

Other tournaments

British Amateur – Harold Hilton
US Amateur – Walter Travis

Horse racing

England

Grand National – Grudon
1,000 Guineas Stakes – Aida
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Handicapper
Epsom Derby – Volodyovski
Epsom Oaks – Cap and Bells II
St. Leger Stakes – Doricles

Australia

Melbourne Cup – Revenue

Canada

Queen's Plate – John Ruskin

Ireland

Irish Grand National – Tipperary Boy
Irish Derby Stakes – Carrigavalla

USA

Kentucky Derby – His Eminence
Preakness Stakes – The Parader
Belmont Stakes – Commando

Ice hockey

Stanley Cup

Winnipeg Victorias defeats defending champion Montreal Shamrocks in a Cup challenge, two games to nil
Winnipeg Victorias wins the Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) title over the Winnipeg Hockey Club and successfully defends the Stanley Cup title
Ottawa Hockey Club wins the Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) championship but declines to challenge Winnipeg for the Stanley Cup

Lacrosse

Events

Sir Donald Mann donates the Mann Cup.
Lord Minto, the Governor General of Canada, donates the Minto Cup.
Ottawa Capitals win the first Mann Cup and the first Minto Cup.

Motor racing

Paris–Berlin Trail

The Paris–Berlin Trail is run on 27–29 June over 1105 km and won by Henri Fournier (France) driving a Mors in a time of 15:33:06. The race is in retrospect sometimes referred to as the VI Grand Prix de l'ACF.^[4]

Paris–Bordeaux Trail

The Paris–Bordeaux Trail is run on 29 May over 527.1 km and won by Henri Fournier (France) driving a Mors in a time of 6:10:44. The race incorporates the Gordon Bennett Cup (see below).^[4]

Gordon Bennett Cup

The second Gordon Bennett Cup is run from Paris to Bordeaux in conjunction with the Paris–Bordeaux Trail (see above) and won by Léonce Girardot (France) driving a Panhard-Levassor.

Circuit du Sud-Ouest

The Circuit du Sud-Ouest was run in Pau. Some anglophone sources wrongly call it the 'Pau Grand Prix'. This may stem from a mistranslation of the contemporary French sources such as the magazine La France Auto of March 1901.^[5] It was run in four classes around the streets of Pau. The Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver was the name of the prizes awarded for the lesser classes ('Light cars' and 'Voiturettes'). The Grand Prix de Pau was the name of the prize awarded for the 'Heavy' (fastest) class. Thus Maurice Farman was awarded the 'Grand Prix de Pau' for his overall victory in the Circuit du Sud-Ouest driving a Panhard 24 hp. Additionally the Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver (400 à 650 kg 'Light car' class) was awarded to Henri Farman (Darracq); the second Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver for the under 400 kg Voiturettesclass was awarded to Louis Renault (Renault); the Prix du Béarn was awarded to Osmont in a 'De Dion' tricycle.^[6]