1948 in sports
1948 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
- NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 7–0 over the Chicago Cardinals at Shibe Park in a blizzard
- Michigan Wolverines – college football national championship
- Cleveland Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills 49–7 in the All-America Football Conference championship game.
Egypt
- Egyptian Premier League founded.[1]
England
- First Division – Arsenal win the 1947–48 title.
- FA Cup – Manchester United beat Blackpool 4–2.
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.
- Melbourne wins the 52nd VFL Premiership, drawing the 1948 VFL Grand Final with Essendon 10.9 (69) to 7.27 (69), and winning the replay 13.11 (89) to Essendon's 7.8 (50)
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Morris (Richmond)
South Australian National Football League
- 2 October – Norwood wins its twenty-first SANFL premiership, defeating West Torrens 15.16 (106) to 7.7 (49)
- Magarey Medal awarded to Ron Phillips (North Adelaide)
Western Australian National Football League
- 9 October – South Fremantle wins its fourth premiership and second in succession, defeating West Perth 13.9 (87) to 9.9 (63)
- Sandover Medal awarded to Merv McIntosh (Perth)
- 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.
- Negro World Series – Homestead Grays defeat the Birmingham Black Barons, 4 games to 1.
- College World Series - University of Southern California defeat Yale in the 2nd 2 games to 1
- Baltimore Bullets over the Philadelphia Warriors (4–2)
NBL Championship
- Minneapolis Lakers over Rochester Royals (3–1)
- 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.
- Olympic Games (men's competition) in London, Great Britain[3]
- Gold: India
- Silver: Great Britain
- Bronze: Netherlands
- World Figure Skating Championships
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States[4]
- Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
- Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Claude Harmon
- PGA Championship – Ben Hogan
- U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
- British Open – Henry Cotton
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
- U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
- Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Dartmouth College Big Green 8–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado 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.
- Citation becomes the 8th horse to win the US Triple Crown
- Shiela's Cottage becomes the first mare to win the Grand National since 1902 and only the twelfth since the race's inception
Steeplechases
Hurdle races
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rimfire (horse)
- Canada – King's Plate won by Last Mark
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Migoli
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Nathoo
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- 1948 Summer Olympics takes place in London, United Kingdom
- United States wins the most medals (84) and the most gold medals (38).[6]
- 1948 Winter Olympics takes place in St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Norway, Sweden and Switzerland all win the most medals (10 each), and Norway and Sweden win the most gold medals (4 each).[7]
- 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.
The Boat Race
- 27 March — Cambridge wins the 94th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Australia
England
Five Nations Championship
- 54th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland who complete the Grand Slam, their last for 61 years.
- World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 84–61.
Speed Skating World Championships
- Men's All-round Champion – Odd Lundberg (Norway)
- Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)
- 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
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 – Frank Parker (USA) defeats Jaroslav Drobný (Egypt) 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 7–5
- French Women's Singles Championship – Nelly Adamson Landry (USA) defeats Shirley Fry (USA) 6–2, 0–6, 6–0
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Pancho Gonzales (USA) defeats Eric Sturgess (South Africa) 6–2, 6–3, 14–12
- American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne (USA) defeats Louise Brough (USA) 4–6, 6–4, 15–13
Davis Cup
- 1948 Davis Cup –
United States 5–0 
Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States
Awards
[edit]- 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[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Parrish, Charles; Nauright, John (21 April 2014). Soccer around the World: A Cultural Guide to the World's Favorite Sport. ABC-CLIO. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-61069-303-5.
- ^ "Kentucky vs. Baylor Box Score, March 23, 1948". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Olympedia – Hockey, Men". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Dick Button | American figure skater". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "Olympedia – 1948 Summer Olympics Overview". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Olympedia – 1948 Winter Olympics Overview". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "ESPN Classic - IAAF's best female athlete of 20th century dies". www.espn.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.