1966 in sports

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1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

• FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
  • Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
  • Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

• Orange Bowl (1965 season):
  • The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
• June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
• AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.
• 1966 NCAA University Division football season:
  • November 19 – The top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.

• 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

• FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday

• World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
• FIFA decide to give the right to host the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively

• July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
• August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
• September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
• December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok

• 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)

• Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become the Atlanta Braves.
• 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.
• Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award
• Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award
• Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award
• 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
• College World Series – Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8–2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player

• NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
  • Texas Western wins 72–65 over Kentucky
• NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
• NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain
• A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.^{[citation needed]}
• A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir) basketball league were merger.^{[citation needed]}
• An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.^{[citation needed]}

• March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
• 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.
• May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
• August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd-round KO
• September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
• November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.

• Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
• Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

• Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
• Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
• Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany

• 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

• July 24 – Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
• U.S. Open – Billy Casper
• British Open – Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
• PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
• PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $121,945

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Bobby Cole
• U.S. Amateur – Gary Cowan

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
• LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
• U.S. Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
• Titleholders Championship – Kathy Whitworth
• LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $33,517

• Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
  2. Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
  3. Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian – Kerry Way
  2. Yonkers Trot – Polaris
  3. Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Chamfer Star
  • Trotters: Yamamoto

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
• Grand National – Anglo

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
  2. The Derby – Charlottown^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
  2. Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
  3. Belmont Stakes – Amberoid

• Art Ross 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: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
• 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

• First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.^[2]

• 1966 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1966 NSWRFL season
• 1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season

• 72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales

• World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.

• January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche (Australia) defeats István Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
• French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
• American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968

Davis Cup

• 1966 Davis Cup –  Australia 4–1  India at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia

• 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia

• Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
• 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica^[3]
• Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year - Jim Ryun, running