1960 in sports
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1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
| Years in sports: | 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s |
| Years: | 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 |
Alpine skiing
- The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France
- Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria
- Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland
- The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Heidi Biebl, West Germany
- Slalom: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
- Giant Slalom: Yvonne Rüegg, Switzerland
- FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
- Men's combined champion: Guy Périllat, France
- Women's combined champion: Ann Heggtveit, Canada, who becomes the first non-European to win a world championship title in Alpine skiing.
American football
- Cotton Bowl (1959 season):
- The Syracuse Orangemen won 23-17 over the Texas Longhorns to win the college football national championship
- National Football League names Pete Rozelle commissioner of the league. The league expands to Dallas for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St.Paul for the 1961 season. The Chicago Cardinals relocates to St. Louis, Missouri.
- December 26-NFL Championship – Philadelphia Eagles won 17-13 over the Green Bay Packers
- The American Football League (AFL) played its first season
- First black pro football placekicker: Gene Mingo (Denver Broncos, AFL)
- First Hispanic pro football quarterback: Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders, AFL)
- AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 24-16 over the Los Angeles Chargers
Association football
- England - FA Cup – Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3-0 over Blackburn Rovers
- The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1 to win the first European Football Championship
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 64th VFL Premiership to McDonalds (Melbourne 8.14 (62) d Collingwood 2.2 (14))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to John Schultz (Footscray)
Baseball
- World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is New York's Bobby Richardson.
- October 13 - 1960 World Series Game 7 at Forbes Field – Pittsburgh Pirates player Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run, and still the only player to do it in the decisive seventh game.
- The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.
Basketball
NBA Finals
- Boston Celtics win four games to three over the St. Louis Hawks
Boxing
- March 16 - Flash Elorde won the world junior lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Harold Gomes in Quezon City, Philippines.
- June - Floyd Patterson recovered the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson, becoming the first-ever boxer to do so.
- September 5 - Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in boxing at the Rome Olympic Games.
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 34-9
.
Cycling
- Tour de France - Gastone Nencini of Italy
- Giro d'Italia - Jacques Anquetil of France
Field Hockey
- Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy
- Gold Medal: Pakistan
- Silver Medal: India
- Bronze Medal: Spain
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament - Arnold Palmer
- U.S. Open - Arnold Palmer
- British Open - Kel Nagle
- PGA Championship - Jay Hebert
- PGA Tour money leader - Arnold Palmer - $75,263
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open - Joyce Ziske
- LPGA Championship - Mickey Wright
- U.S. Women's Open - Betsy Rawls
- Titleholders Championship - Fay Crocker
- LPGA Tour money leader - Louise Suggs - $16,892
Harness racing
- United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Caduceus
Horse racing
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Park
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Puissant Chef
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Chamour
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
Ice hockey
- The American Olympic men's ice-hockey team won the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal with a record of 7–0–0 during the tournament.
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: United States is crushed by Canada
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5-3 in Boston, Massachusetts
Motor racing
- Stock car racing –
- Junior Johnson won the Daytona 500
- NASCAR Championship - Rex White in the #4 Chevrolet
- 30 May – Jim Rathmann wins the 44th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Ken-Paul Special Watson-Offenhauser
- USAC Racing - A.J. Foyt wins the season championship
- Formula One – Jack Brabham (Australia) repeats as World Drivers' Champion, in a Cooper T51-Climax.
- 24 hours of Le Mans – Olivier Gendebien / Paul Frère won, sharing a Ferrari 250 TR
- Rally racing - the team of Walter Schock / Rolf Moll win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mercedes 220SE.
Olympic Games
- 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
- USSR wins the most medals (103), and the most gold medals (43)
- 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, United States
- USSR wins the most medals (21), and the most gold medals (7)
- First Paralympic Games held in Rome, Italy
- Italy wins the most medals (80) and the most gold medals (29)
- First Winter Universiade held in Chamonix, France
Rugby league
- 1960 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season
- 1960 NSWRFL season
- 1960 Rugby League World Cup
Rugby union
- 66th Five Nations Championship series is shared by England and France
Swimming
- June 12 – Marianne Heemskerk from the Netherlands breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Leipzig, East Germany – 2:34.4.
- July 10 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Evansville, Indiana, clocking 2:15.0.
- July 23 – Thirteen days after breaking his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) Troy once again betters the world's best time in that event, this time at a meet in Toledo, Ohio clocking 2:13.4.
- August 4 – Less than a month before the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Troy again breaks the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course), when he clocks 2:13.2 at a meet in Detroit, Michigan.
- September 2 – Michael Troy wins the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy by breaking his own world record – 2:12.8.
Tennis
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 7–5, 6–2
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Sandra Reynolds Price (South Africa) 8–6, 6–0
France
USA
Davis Cup
- 1960 Davis Cup –
Australia 4–1 
Italy at White City Stadium (grass) Sydney, Australia
Volleyball
- 1960 FIVB Men's World Championship in Rio de Janeiro won by the USSR
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Rafer Johnson, Track and field
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Wilma Rudolph, Track and field