1948 in sports

1948 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football

• University of Michigan wins college football national championship.
• Cleveland Browns 49–7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game.
• Philadelphia Eagles 7–0 Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League championship game. The game at Shibe Park was played in a blizzard.

Association football

England

• First Division – Arsenal win the 1947–48 title.
• FA Cup – Manchester United beat Blackpool 4–2.

Athletics

Start of the 50 km walk at the London Olympics

33 athletics events were contested at the Olympic Games in London, including debuts for the men's 10 km walk; and the women's 200 metres, long jump and shot put. Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands captured four gold medals.

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • Melbourne wins the 52nd VFL Premiership (Melbourne 10.9 (69) drew Essendon 7.27 (69), replay Melbourne 13.11 (89) d Essendon 7.8 (50))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Morris (Richmond)

Baseball

• January 29 – Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs, and Phillies $500 each for signing high school players.
• February 27 – Hall of Fame election – voters select the recently deceased Herb Pennock, and Pie Traynor, as the newest inductees; Traynor is the first third baseman elected by the writers in 9 elections.
• August 16 – death of Babe Ruth
• World Series – Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.

Basketball

NCAA Basketball Championship

• Kentucky beat Baylor 58–42

BAA Finals

• Baltimore Bullets win four games to two over the Philadelphia Warriors

NBL Championship

• Minneapolis Lakers win three games to one over the Rochester Royals

Boxing

• June 25 – At New York's Yankee Stadium – Joe Louis knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th round to retain his heavyweight title for the 25th time. Shortly after the bout, Louis announced his retirement from boxing.

Field hockey

• Olympic Games (men's competition) in London, Great Britain
  • Gold: India

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships
  • Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
  • Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
  • Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Claude Harmon
• PGA Championship – Ben Hogan
• U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
• British Open – Henry Cotton

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Frank Stranahan
• U.S. Amateur – Willie Turnesa

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
• U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
• Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg

Ice hockey

• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Dartmouth College Big Green 8-4 in Colorado Springs, CO to win the first official NCAA championship
• Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings in 4 straight games to win their 5th Stanley Cup title.

Horse racing

• Citation becomes the 8th horse to win the US Triple Crown

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup –
• Grand National –

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes –
  2. Epsom Derby –
  3. St. Leger Stakes –
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Citation
  2. Preakness Stakes – Citation
  3. Belmont Stakes – Citation

Motor racing

• Indianapolis 500 – Mauri Rose wins the 32nd running in the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special Deidt-Offenhauser
• 21 February – following negotiations in Daytona Beach, "Big Bill" France launches NASCAR

Olympic Games

• 1948 Summer Olympics takes place in London, United Kingdom
  • United States wins the most medals (84) and the most gold medals (38).
• 1948 Winter Olympics takes place in St. Moritz, Switzerland
  • Norway and Sweden both win the most medals (10 each), and the most gold medals (4 each).

Radiosport

• First CQ World Wide DX Contest held in October and November. This annual event would go on to become the radio contest with the largest participation worldwide.

Rowing

The Boat Race

• 27 March — Cambridge wins the 94th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Rugby league

Australia

• 1948 NSWRFL season

England

• 1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season/1948–49 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship

• 54th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland who complete the Grand Slam, their last for 61 years.

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 84-61.

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• Men's All-round Champion – Odd Lundberg (Norway)
• Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)

1948 Winter Olympics (Men)

• 500m – gold medal: Finn Helgesen (Norway)
• 1500m – gold medal: Sverre Farstad (Norway)
• 5000m – gold medal: Reidar Liaklev (Norway)
• 10000m – gold medal: Åke Seyffarth (Sweden)

1948 Winter Olympics (Women)

• not contested

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Adrian Quist (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Marie Toomey (Australia) 6–3, 6–1

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Bob Falkenburg (USA) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 7–5, 0–6, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–3, 8–6

France

• French Men's Singles Championship –
• French Women's Singles Championship –

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship –
• American Women's Singles Championship –

Davis Cup

• 1948 Davis Cup –  United States 5–0  Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field

References