1970 in sports
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 |
Alpine skiing
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion – Karl Schranz, Austria
- Women's overall season champion – Michèle Jacot, France
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
Field hockey
- Men's European Nations Cup held in Brussels and won by West Germany
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
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
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 –
- Cane Pace – Most Happy Fella
- Little Brown Jug – Most Happy Fella
- Messenger Stakes – Most Happy Fella
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- Hambletonian – Timothy T.
- Yonkers Trot – Victory Star
- Kentucky Futurity – Timothy T.
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Bold David
Horse racing
- Nijinsky II wins all three English Triple Crown Races and the Irish Derby
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – L'Escargot
- Grand National – Gay Trip
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:
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 4 games to 0. 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)
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.
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]
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
Rugby union
- 76th Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Ray Reardon beats John Pulman 37–33
Speed skating
- First ISU Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Men and Ladies held in West Allis, U.S.A.
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.
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.
Volleyball
- 1970 FIVB Men's World Championship held in Sofia and won by East Germany
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.
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
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
References
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