1997 in sports

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Years in sports:	1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
Years:	1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

[edit] Artistic gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships:
- Men's all-around champion: Ivan Ivankov, Belarus
- Women's all-around champion: Svetlana Khorkina, Russia
- Men's team competition champion: China
- Women's team competition champion: Romania

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Decathlon

Best Year Performance

Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) – 8837 points

[edit] Marathon

June 8 — Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Enschede Marathon, Netherlands
- Men's Winner: Dmitriy Kapitonov (RUS) 2:12:09
- Women's Winner: Carla Beurskens (NED) 2:37:20

June 15 — Image:Flag of Italy.svg Mediterranean Games Marathon, Bari, Italy
- Men's Winner: Azzedine Sakhri (ALG) 2:20:40
- Women's Winner: Serap Aktas (TUR) 2:39:22

August 9 — Image:Flag of Greece.svg IAAF World Championships Marathon, Athens, Greece
- Women's Winner: Hiromi Suzuki (JPN) 2:29:48

August 10 — Image:Flag of Greece.svg IAAF World Championships Marathon, Athens, Greece
- Men's Winner: Abel Antón (ESP) 2:13:16

December 7 — Image:Flag of Japan.svg Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
- Men's Winner: Josia Thugwane (RSA) 2:07:28

[edit] Auto racing

Stock car racing:
- Jeff Gordon is the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 on February 16
- NASCAR Championship - Jeff Gordon
Indy Racing League -
Indianapolis 500 - Arie Luyendyk of The Netherlands
CART Racing - Alex Zanardi won the season championship
Formula One Championship - Jacques Villeneuve of Canada
V8 Supercars Australia
- Championship Series won by Glenn Seton in a Ford Falcon EL.
- Bathurst 1000 for V8 Supercars won by Russel Ingall and Larry Perkins in a Holden Commodore VS.
- Bathurst 1000 for Super Touring won by Jim Richards and Rickard Rydell. Rydell setting a shootout lap of 2:14.x, fastest super touring lap ever around the mountain at that time.
24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Michele Alboreto / Stefan Johansson / Tom Kristensen won, driving a TWR-Porsche
Rally racing - Tommi Mäkinen won the World Rally Championship
- the team of Piero Liatti / Fabrizia Pons won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Subaru Impreza WRC97
Drag racing - Gary Scelzi won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

[edit] Baseball

June 12 - Interleague play begins in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.
World Series: Florida Marlins won 4 games to 3 over the Cleveland Indians. The Series MVP was Liván Hernández, Florida
More information: 1997 in baseball

[edit] Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- Arizona Wildcats win 84-79 in overtime over the Kentucky Wildcats. This is Arizona's first NCAA title in men's basketball.

NBA Finals|NBA Finals:
- Chicago Bulls earn their second repeat of the decade as they beat the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 (see Steve Kerr).

WNBA NBA Finals, inaugural WNBA season:
- Houston Comets defeat the New York Liberty in one game playoff series.

National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
- Melbourne Tigers defeated the South East Melbourne Magic 2-1 in the best-of-three final series.

More information: 1997 in basketball

[edit] Boxing

January 18 – Oscar de la Hoya maintained his World Boxing Council super lightweight title in with a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Gonzalez in Las Vegas, Nevada.
June 28 – Mike Tyson bites off a piece of the ear of Evander Holyfield in the third round of their WBA Heavyweight title fight, getting disqualified by referee Mills Lane.
July 9 – Mike Tyson's boxing license is suspended for at least a year and he is fined $3 million for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in a televised match.

October 18 to 26 – World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Budapest, Hungary
- Light Flyweight (– 48 kg): Maikro Romero (Cuba)
- Flyweight (– 51 kg): Manuel Mantilla (Cuba)
- Bantamweight (– 54 kg): Raimkul Malakhbekov (Russia)
- Featherweight (– 57 kg): István Kovács (Hungary)
- Lightweight (– 60 kg): Aleksander Maletin (Russia)
- Light Welterweight (– 63,5 kg): Dorel Simion (Romania)
- Welterweight (– 67 kg): Oleg Saitov (Russia)
- Light Middleweight (– 71 kg): Alfredo Duvergel (Cuba)
- Middleweight (– 75 kg): Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)
- Light Heavyweight (– 81 kg): Aleksandr Lebziak (Russia)
- Heavyweight (– 91 kg): Félix Savón (Cuba)
- Super Heavyweight (+ 91 kg): Georgi Kandalaki (Georgia)

[edit] Cricket

The Ashes - Australia win the six test series 3-2
ICC Trophy - Bangladesh
Women's Cricket World Cup - Australia beat New Zealand by five wickets
County Cricket Championship (England and Wales) - Glamorgan

[edit] Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Ivan Gotti of Italy
Tour de France - Jan Ullrich of Germany
World Cycling Championship: Laurent Brochard of France

[edit] Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion
- Martin Buser won with lead dogs: Blondie & Fearless

[edit] Field hockey

Men's World Cup Qualifier Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Gold Medal: Spain
- Silver Medal: South Korea
- Bronze Medal: New Zealand

Men's Champions Trophy in Adelaide, Australia
- Gold Medal: Germany
- Silver Medal: Australia
- Bronze Medal: Spain

Women's World Cup Qualifier Tournament in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Gold Medal: South Africa
- Silver Medal: New Zealand
- Bronze Medal: Scotland

Women's Champions Trophy in Berlin, Germany
- Gold Medal: Australia
- Silver Medal: Germany
- Bronze Medal: The Netherlands

[edit] Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Elvis Stojko, Canada
- Ladies' champion: Tara Lipinski, United States
- Pairs' champions: Mandy Wötzel & Ingo Steuer, Germany
- Ice dancing champions: Oksana Grishuk / Evgeny Platov, Russia

[edit] Football (American)

January 26-Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots
January 2-Sugar Bowl: University of Florida Gators won 52-20 over rival Florida State Seminoles to claim NCAA Football national title.

[edit] Football (Australian)

Australian Football League
- Port Adelaide join the league

Florida lose to Nebraska in College Football National Championship.

[edit] Football (Canadian)

Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts won 47-23 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds win 39-23 over the Ottawa Gee Gees

[edit] Football (Soccer)

For an extensive coverage see 1997 in football (soccer)

[edit] Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie
- All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Cork
- National Camogie League: Cork

Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Kerry 0-13 d. Mayo 1-7
- National Football League: Kerry 3-7 d. Cork 1-8

Ladies' Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Monaghan
- National Football League: Waterford

Hurling
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Clare 0-20 d. Tipperary 2-13
- National Hurling League:

[edit] Golf

Men's golf

Major championship results:
1. April 13 - The Masters - Tiger Woods
2. June - US Open - Ernie Els
3. July - British Open - Justin Leonard
4. August - PGA Championship - Davis Love III

PGA Tour Player of the Year: Tiger Woods
PGA Tour leading money winner: Tiger Woods - $2,066,833
PGA Tour rookie of the year: Stewart Cink
Senior PGA Tour leading money winner: Hale Irwin - $2,343,364
Ryder Cup: Europe won 14 1/2-13 1/2 over the United States in world team golf.
Other highlights
- Tiger Woods creates an uproar with his record 12-shot victory at the Masters, and becomes the first Masters winner of African-American descent. He set the record for the lowest to-par score of -18, and the lowest 72-hole score of 272. He also rises to the No. 1 ranking on June 15, in only his 42nd week as a professional -- the fastest ascent to the No. 1 ranking.

Women's golf

US Women's Open - Alison Nicholas
LPGA Championship - Christa Johnson
Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $1,236,789.

[edit] Thoroughbred horse racing

Australia - Melbourne Cup - Might And Power
Canada - Queen's Plate - Awesome Again
France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Peintre Célèbre
Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Desert King

English Triple Crown races:
1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Entrepreneur
2. Epsom Derby - Benny the Dip
3. St. Leger Stakes - Silver Patriarch

United States Triple Crown races:

Breeders' Cup:
1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Skip Away
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Ajina
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Favorite Trick
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Countess Diana
5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Spinning World
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Elmhurst
7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Chief Bearhart

[edit] Harness racing

North America Cup - Gothic Dream

Western Dreamer won the United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
1. Cane Pace - Western Dreamer
2. Little Brown Jug - Western Dreamer
3. Messenger Stakes - Western Dreamer

United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
1. Hambletonian - Malabar Man
2. Yonkers Trot - Lord Stormont
3. Kentucky Futurity - Take Chances

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Our Sir Vancelot
- Trotters: Pride Of Petite

[edit] Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins

Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres

Stanley Cup - Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 0 over the Philadelphia Flyers

World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada defeated Sweden
- Junior Men's champion: Finland defeated Russia
- Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States

[edit] Lacrosse

The Rochester Knighthawks defeat the Buffalo Bandits 15-12 to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship
- The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is formed from the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL), with the decision to move from league ownership of all teams to individual team ownership.
Mann Cup for the Canadian box lacrosse championship: Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association
European Lacrosse Championships:
- Men's champion: England defeats the Czech Republic
- Women's champion: England defeats Wales

[edit] Mixed Martial Arts

February 2 — Vitor Belfort makes his UFC debut at UFC 12. He wins the heavyweight tournament by beating Tra Telligman in the first round and then demolishing Scott Ferrozzo in forty-three seconds in the final.
May 30 — Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz make their UFC, and professional MMA debuts, at UFC 13. Couture beats Tony Halme and Steven Graham on his way to winning the heavyweight tournament. Ortiz takes part in the light-heavyweight tournament. He beats Wes Albritton in his first bout but then loses to Guy Mezger in the tournament finals.
October 11 — KRS-PRIDE (later renamed PRIDE Fighting Championships) holds its inaugural event at the Tokyo Dome. In the show’s main event Rickson Gracie defeats Nobuhiko Takada by armbar, in the first round.

[edit] Radiosport

Eighth Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Sankt Englmar, Germany.
Second High Speed Telegraphy World Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

[edit] Rowing

McGill University wins the inaugural McGill-Queen's Challenge Boat race.

[edit] Skiing

Alpine skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France
- The women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden

[edit] Snooker

World Snooker Championship: Ken Doherty beats Stephen Hendry 18-12
World rankings: Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1997/98

[edit] Swimming

March 28 – Japan's Ayari Aoyama breaks Misty Hyman's world record in the Women's 100m Butterfly (short course): 58:24

Third World Short Course Championships, held in Gothenburg, Sweden (April 17 – 20)
- April 19 – US-swimmer Jenny Thompson breaks Ayari Aoyama's world record in the Women's 100m Butterfly (short course): 57:79
- April 20 – Australia wins the most medals (17), and the most gold medals (9)