1966 in sports
See also: 1965 in sports, other events of 1966, 1967 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
Artistic Gymnastics
- World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
- Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR
- Women's all-around champion: Věra Čáslavská, Czechoslovakia
- Men's team competition champion: Japan
- Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia
Athletics (track and field)
Auto Racing
- Stock car racing:
- Indianapolis 500 - Graham Hill
- USAC Racing - Mario Andretti won the season championship
- Formula One Championship - Jack Brabham of Australia
- 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Bruce McLaren / Chris Amon won driving a Ford GT-40 Mk.II
- Rally racing - the team of Pauli Toivonen / Ensio Mikander won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Citroën DS. However, the result was highly controversial, with the top finishers (including the BMC Mini Cooper S and Ford Cortina) disqualified on the dubious basis of their quartz-iodide single filament bulbs, allowing Citröen, who had made the necessary changes to their lighting systems just before the end of the event, to step up and take the winning slot.
- Drag racing - Pete Robinson won the NHRA "Top Fuel" World Championship.
Baseball
- January 20: The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
- Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
- Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
- Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
- World Series: Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship:
- Texas Western wins 72-65 over Kentucky
- NBA Finals:
- Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers
Boxing
- April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15 round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
- Tour de France - Lucien Aimar of France
- Vuelta a España - Francisco Gabica of Spain
- World Cycling Championship: Rudi Altig of Germany
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
Football (American)
- 1966 season championships were played in late 1966 and early 1967
- AFL Championship: Kansas City Chiefs won 31-7 over the Buffalo Bills
- NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers won 34-27 over the Dallas Cowboys
- Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers won 35-10 over the Kansas City Chiefs
Football (Australian rules football)
- Victorian Football League
- St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29-14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
- Vanier Cup: St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40-14 over the Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks
Football (Soccer)
- World Cup: England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
- England - FA Cup: Everton win 3-2 against Sheffield Wednesday
- FIFA decided to give the right to host the Football World Cup 1974, Football World Cup 1978 and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain
Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- May - The Masters golf tournament - Jack Nicklaus
- June - US Open - Billy Casper
- July - British Open - Jack Nicklaus
- August - PGA Championship - Al Geiberger
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Billy Casper - $121,945
- US Women's Open - Sandra Spuzich
- LPGA Championship - Gloria Ehret
- Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $33,517.
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Galilee
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Titled Hero
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Bon Mot III
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sodium
- English Triple Crown Races:
- Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Kashmir
- Epsom Derby - Charlottown
- St. Leger Stakes - Sodium
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby - Kauai King
- Preakness Stakes - Kauai King
- Belmont Stakes - Amberoid(Held at Aqueduct)
Harness Racing
- Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
- Cane Pace - Romeo Hanover
- Little Brown Jug - Romeo Hanover
- Messenger Stakes - Romeo Hanover
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
- Hambletonian - Kerry Way
- Yonkers Trot - Polaris
- Kentucky Futurity - Governor Armbro
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Chamfer Star
- Trotters: Yamamoto
Ice Hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens won 4-2 over the Detroit Red Wings
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6-1 in Minneapolis, MN
Orienteering
- First Orienteering World Championships held 1-2 October in Fiskars, Finland.
Skiing
- ISF World Championships:
- Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
- Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5-2 matches
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
General sporting events
- Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
- Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy
Births
January
- January 1 — Nikolay Gulyayev, Soviet speedskater
- January 2 — Aileen Claxon, British field hockey goalkeeper
- January 3 — Andrea Jaeger, American tennis player
- January 5 — Rodrigo Gavela, Spanish long-distance athlete
- January 6 — Lucketz Swartbooi, Namibian long-distance runner
- January 10 — Kennedy McKinney, American boxer
- January 17 — Agnes Hijman, Dutch long-distance runner
February
- February 1 — Michelle Akers, American football player
- February 2 — Andrei Chesnokov, Russian tennis player
- February 6 — Armando Barcellos, Brazilian triathlete
- February 7 — Kristin Otto, East German swimmer
- February 8 — Alex Antonitsch, Austrian tennis player
- February 8 — Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian football player
- February 9 — Ellen van Langen, Dutch athlete
- February 11 — Patrik Kuhnen, West German tennis player
- February 11 — Anthony Parker, American football player
- February 19 — Paul Haarhuis, Dutch tennis player
- February 20 — Perica Bukić, Croatian water polo player
March
- March 1 — Susan Auch, Canadian speed skater
- March 2 — Judith Wiesner, Austrian tennis player
- March 15 — Marvyn King, English darts player
- March 20 — Chris Gifford, Canadian field hockey striker
- March 21 — Hauke Fuhlbrügge, German middle distance runner
- March 21 — Brad Pearce, American tennis player
- March 23 — Martin N'Dongo, Cameroonian boxer
- March 26 — Benny Nielsen, Danish butterfly swimmer
- March 29 — Krassimir Balakov, Bulgarian football player
- March 29 — Pamela Rai, Canadian freestyle swimmer
- March 30 — Dmitry Volkov, Soviet breaststroke swimmer
- March 31 — Tommy Werner, Swedish freestyle swimmer
April
- April 2 — Teddy Sheringham, English football player
- April 2 — Vadim Yaroshchuk, Soviet swimmer
- April 15 — Andrei Olhovskiy, Russian tennis player
- April 18 — Trine Hattestad, Norwegian javelin thrower
- April 24 — Alessandro Costacurta, Italian football player
- April 26 — Andrea Temesvari, Hungarian tennis player
- April 28 — Sándor Hódosi, Hungarian canoer
May
- May 4 — Karen Phillips, Australian butterfly swimmer
- May 7 — Jes Høgh, Danish football (soccer) player
- May 10 — Jonathan Edwards, British triple jumper
- May 10 — Anne Elvebakk, Norwegian biathlete
- May 11 — Michelle MacPherson, Canadian backstroke and butterfly swimmer
- May 12 — Anne Ottenbrite, Canadian breaststroke swimmer
- May 17 — Xavier Escudé, Spanish field hockey player
- May 17 — Henrik Larsen, Danish football (soccer) player
- May 31 — Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer
June
- June 1 — Sven Rothenberger, German-born equestrian from the Netherlands
- June 2 — Petra van Staveren, Dutch breaststroke swimmer
- June 10 — David Platt, English football player
- June 12 — Ignacio Cobos, Spanish field hockey player
- June 16 — Jan Železný, Czech athlete
- June 19 — Elijah Lagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
- June 25 — Michael Tauson, Danish tennis player
- June 27 — Mercedes Paz, Argentine tennis player
- June 29 — John Part, Canadian darts player
- June 30 — Ron Dekker, Dutch swimmer
- June 30 — Mike Tyson, American boxer
July
- July 1 — Stéphan Caron, French freestyle swimmer
- July 1 — Frank De Bleeckere, Belgian football (soccer) referee
- July 3 — Daniel Plaza, Spanish race walker
- July 5 — Gianfranco Zola, Italian football (soccer) striker
- July 7 — Henk Fräser, Dutch football (soccer) defender
- July 9 — Marco Antonio González, Spanish water polo player
- July 15 — Susan Fraser, Scottish field hockey player
- July 21 — Larisa Neiland, Ukrainian-born tennis player from Latvia
- July 18 — Kathrin Neimke, German track and field athlete
- July 20 — Tracey McFarlane, American breaststroke swimmer
- July 25 — Paul Burke, English boxer
- July 27 — Tamás Deutsch, Hungarian backstroke swimmer
August
- August 6 — Michael Hilgers, German field hockey forward
- August 7 — Zlatko Yankov, Bulgarian football (soccer) player
- August 10 — Jerry Nijman, Dutch boxer
- August 14 — Freddy Rincón, Colombian football (soccer) player
- August 16 — Rosey Edeh, Canadian athlete and tv-personality
- August 19 — Sarah Jane Cook, English cricketer
- August 22 — Rob Witschge, Dutch football (soccer) player
- August 23 — Justin Lemberg, Australian middle-long distance freestyle swimmer
- August 23 — Rik Smits, Dutch basketball player
- August 24 — Jon Sieben, Australian butterfly swimmer
- August 26 — Jacques Brinkman, Dutch field hockey player
- August 30 — Willemien Aardenburg, Dutch field hockey player
- August 31 — Thierry Champion, French tennis player
- August 31 — Luboslav Penev, Bulgarian football (soccer) player
September
- September 7 — Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, German speed skater
- September 9 — Georg Hackl, German luger
- September 9 — Alison Sydor, Canadian cross country mountain cyclist
- September 25 — Liz Tchou, US field hockey defender
October
- October 1 — George Weah, Liberian football (soccer) player
- October 5 — María Carmen Barea, Spanish field hockey defender
- October 5 — Peter Fonseca, Canadian long distance runner
- October 10 — Tony Adams, English football (soccer) defender
- October 10 — Elana Meyer, South African long distance runner
- October 17 — Peter Milkovich, Canadian field hockey midfielder
- October 18 — Thierry Lamberton, French ice speed skater
- October 18 — Toshihisa Tsuchihashi, Japanese tennis player
- October 19 — Meldrick Taylor, American boxer
- October 21 — Jonas Svensson, Swedish tennis player
- October 22 — Oscar Barrena, Spanish field hockey player
- October 23 — Cornelia Sirch, East German backstroke swimmer
November
- November 1 — Ingo Steuer, German figure skater
- November 3 — Tracey Fuchs, American field hockey defender
- November 9 — Lisa Faust, Canadian field hockey midfielder
- November 14 — Petra Roßner, German cyclist
- November 21 — Christopher Bowie, Canadian freestyle swimmer
- November 25 — Lisa Bayliss, British field hockey player
- November 26 — Jay Berger, American tennis player
- November 30 — David Berkoff, American backstroke swimmer
December
- December 1 — Larry Walker, Canadian baseball player
- December 15 — Juan Rios, Puerto Rican tennis player
- December 20 — George Cramne, Swedish boxer
- December 22 — Katrin Zimmermann, East German backstroke swimmer
- December 25 — Javier Frana, Argentine tennis player
- December 29 — Laurent Boudouani, French boxer
- December 31 — Pablo Usoz, Spanish field hockey player and coach
Deaths
- January 4 — Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion
- February 1 — Nicholas Piantanida, balloonist, died after suffering from a pressurization failure during an attempt at an altitude record
- March 11 — "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer
- May 4 — Bob Elliott (49), American Major League Baseball player (1939-1953)
- June 30 — Giuseppe Farina (59), Italian Formula 1 champion race car driver (b. 1906)
- July 6 — Sad Sam Jones (73), American Major League Baseball pitcher (1914-1935)
- July 24 — Tony Lema (32), U.S. golf champion, died in a Munster, Indiana plane crash
- August 1 — Hank Gowdy, Major League Baseball player and manager and World War I and II veteran
- September 5 — Dezső Lauber (87), Hungarian all-round sportsman (b. 1879
- October 10 — Charlotte Cooper (96), English tennis player (b. 1870)
- December 27 — Frankie Genaro (65), American boxer (b. 1901)
Categories
1966 in sports