1972 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: | 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 |
Alpine skiing
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
- Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria
American football
- Super Bowl VI – Dallas Cowboys won 24-3 over the Miami Dolphins
- 1971 NCAA Division I-A national football championship – Nebraska Cornhuskers win 38-6 over the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to claim back-to-back National Championship titles on January 1, 1972.
Association football
- Brazil – Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro
- England - FA Cup – Leeds United won 1-0 over Arsenal
- Europe - Cup Winners' Cup – Rangers FC won 3-2 over Dinamo Moscow
- West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0 to win the European Championship.
Athletics
- September – Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- Carlton wins the 76th VFL Premiership (Carlton 28.9 (177) d Richmond 22.18 (150))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Len Thompson (Collingwood)
Baseball
- January 19 – The BBWAA elects Sandy Koufax (344 votes), Yogi Berra (339), and Early Wynn (301) to the Hall of Fame.
- Sparky Lyle saves 35 games for the New York Yankees, breaking Ron Perranoski's 1970 records for AL pitchers and left-handers. Lyle also becomes the first left-hander to save 100 career games in the American League.
- World Series – Oakland Athletics win their 6th World Championship by defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 3.
- December 31 - The Pittsburgh Pirates' legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash near Puerto Rico on his way to bring relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
- UCLA wins 81-76 over Florida St.
- NBA Finals –
- Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks
- 1972 ABA Finals –
- Indiana Pacers defeat New York Nets 4 games to 2
Boxing
- June 26 - Roberto Duran stopped Ken Buchanan in the thirteenth round to win the WBA Lightweight Championship.
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats won 13-10 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Vanier Cup – Alberta Golden Bears won 20-7 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- Tour de France - Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- World Cycling Championship – Marino Basso of Australian
Field hockey
- Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Munich, West Germany
- Gold Medal: West Germany
- Silver Medal: Pakistan
- Bronze Medal:
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
- Ladies' champion: Beatrix Schuba, Austria
- Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulyanov, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament - Jack Nicklaus
- U.S. Open - Jack Nicklaus
- British Open - Lee Trevino
- PGA Championship - Gary Player
- PGA Tour money leader - Jack Nicklaus - $320,542
- The European Tour begins its first season of competition.
Men's amateur
- British Amateur - Trevor Homer
- U.S. Amateur - Vinny Giles
Women's professional
- LPGA Championship - Kathy Ahern
- U.S. Women's Open - Susie Berning
- Titleholders Championship - Sandra Palmer
- LPGA Tour money leader - Kathy Whitworth - $65,063
Harness racing
- September 21 - Strike Out became the first Canadian owned harness racing horse to ever win the Little Brown Jug.
- United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- Cane Pace - Hilarious Way
- Little Brown Jug - Strike Out
- Messenger Stakes - Silent Majority
- Super Bowl wins the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- Hambletonian - Super Bowl
- Yonkers Trot - Super Bowl
- Kentucky Futurity - Super Bowl
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Welcome Advice
Horse racing
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – Glencaraig Lady
- Grand National – Well To Do
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Piping Lane
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Song
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by San San
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Steel Pulse
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – High Top
- Epsom Derby – Roberto
- St. Leger Stakes – Boucher
- United States Triple Crown Races:
Ice hockey
- World Hockey Association (WHA) formed to compete with the NHL. This new league signed several of the top NHL stars including Bobby Hull and Derek Sanderson.
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
- Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup - Boston Bruins win 4 games to 2 over the New York Rangers
- September 28 - Paul Henderson scored the "goal of the century" to give Canada the win in the Summit Series, the first ever Canada versus the Soviet Union hockey showdown.
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Boston University Terriers defeat Cornell University Big Red 4-0 in Boston, MA
Lacrosse
- The Long Branch P.C.O.'s win the first Founders Cup.
- The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.
- The Peterborough PCO's win the Minto Cup.
Motor racing
- Stock car racing –
- February 20 – A.J. Foyt won the Daytona 500
- NASCAR Championship - Richard Petty
- Indianapolis 500 - Mark Donohue
- USAC Racing - Joe Leonard won the season championship
- Formula 5000 - Gijs van Lennep of The Netherlands
- Formula One Championship - Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil
- 24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Henri Pescarolo / Graham Hill won, driving a Matra MS670
- Rally racing - Sandro Munari / Mario Manucci won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Fulvia 1.6HF
- Drag racing - Don Moody won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA Supernationals
Rugby union
- 78th Five Nations Championship series is undecided after two matches are not played for political reasons
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Alex Higgins beats John Spencer 37-32
Swimming
- XX Olympic Games, held in Munich, West Germany (August 28 – September 4)
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Australian Open - Virginia Wade
- French Open - Billie Jean King
- Wimbledon championships - Billie Jean King
- US Open - Billie Jean King (first player in Open Era to repeat as singles champion)
- Davis Cup – United States wins 3-2 over Romania in world tennis.
General sporting events
- 1972 Summer Olympics takes place in Munich, Germany
- USSR wins the most medals (99), and the most gold medals (50)
- 1972 Winter Olympics takes place in Sapporo, Japan
- USSR wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (8)
- Seventh Winter Universiade held in Lake Placid, New York, United States
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Mark Spitz, Swimming
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Olga Korbut, Gymnastics
References
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