1991 in sports

1991 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

• Alpine Skiing World Cup
  • Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
  • Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria

American football

• Super Bowl XXV – New York Giants won 20–19 over the Buffalo Bills
• Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills is named the NFL MVP
• Orange Bowl (1990 season):
  • The Colorado Buffaloes won 10-9 over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the AP Poll national championship
• Desmond Howard, University of Michigan wide receiver seals the Heisman Trophy with a 93-yard punt return in Michigan's 31–3 hammering of Ohio State.
• World Bowl ‘91: London Monarchs won 21–0 over the Barcelona Dragons in the inaugural World Bowl.
• Quarterback Stan Gelbaugh of the London Monarchs is named the World League of American Football's inaugural seasons Most Valuable Player

Artistic gymnastics

• World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –
  • Men's all-around champion: Grigory Misutin, USSR
  • Women's all-around champion: Kim Zmeskal, United States
  • Men's team competition champion: USSR
  • Women's team competition champion: USSR

Association football

• European Cup – FK Red Star beat Olympique de Marseille 5–3 on penalties (0–0 aet)
• FIFA Women's World Cup – United States won 2–1 over Norway

Athletics

• 1991 World Championships in Athletics held in Tokyo
• 30 August – Track & Field World Championship Mike Powell breaking Bob Beamon's 23-year-old Long Jump world record with a mark of 29' 4 1/2"

Australian rules football

• Australian Football League
  • The Adelaide Crows join the league
  • 25 April – North Melbourne and Sydney kick between them 32.18 (210) in the first half. It is the record aggregate score for a half of VFL/AFL football.
  • 2 June – Carlton kick their first goal with 33 second to go against Footscray, the closest a team has come to finishing goalless since Richmond kicked 0.8 (8) in 1961 against St. Kilda.
  • 8 September – Hawthorn beat West Coast 18.16 (124) to 15.11 (101) in the first final outside Melbourne.
  • 1991 AFL Grand Final (28 September) – Hawthorn wins the 95th AFL premiership beating West Coast 20.19 (139) to 13.8 (86) in the only Grand Final at VFL Park.
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Jim Stynes (Melbourne)
• 7 October – death of Darren Millane, who played for Collingwood between 1984 and 1991, from a car crash in Prahran.

Baseball

• Dave Righetti breaks Sparky Lyle's major league record for left-handers of 238 career saves.
• 1 May – Nolan Ryan pitchers his seventh career no hitter with a 3–0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays
• 28 July – Dennis Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitches the 13th perfect game in major league history, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–0.
• World Series – The Minnesota Twins win 4 games to 3 over the Atlanta Braves. The series MVP is Jack Morris of Minnesota.
• Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles is named AL MVP
• Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves is named NL MVP
• Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox is named AL Cy Young award winner. It is his third of six in his career
• Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves is named NL Cy Young award winner
• Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins is named AL Rookie of the Year
• Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros is named NL Rookie of the Year

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – Duke wins 72–65 over Kansas
• Larry Johnson of UNLV is named Naismith College Player of the Year
• 9 February – Dee Brown win the Gatorade Slam Dunk Contest
• 10 February – NBA All-Star Game is held in Charlotte, North Carolina
• 12 June – NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers to earn the franchise's first championship, starting a run of six titles in eight seasons.
• Michael Jordan is named the NBA MVP, his second of 5 awards.
• 7 November – Lakers’ superstar Magic Johnson announces he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, thus ending his career in the NBA.
• National Basketball League (Australia) Finals: Perth Wildcats defeated the Eastside Melbourne Spectres 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.
• 17 December – The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148 to 80, the largest margin of victory in any NBA game.

Boxing

• 3 March – Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a seventh-round TKO
• 19 April – Evander Holyfield defeats George Foreman to retain WBC, WBA & IBF Heavyweight titles
• 7 to 12 May – 29th European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Gothenburg, Sweden
• 3 June – Thomas Hearns defeats Virgil Hill with a unanimous decision to win WBA Light Heavyweight title
• 1 June at Palm Springs, California – Terry Norris knocked out Donald Curry in the 8th Round to win the WBC Super Welterweight Championship.
• 28 June Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a rematch with a 12-round unanimous decision
• 2 to 18 August – Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba.
• 5 October – James Toney defeats Michael Nunn with a TKO to win IBF Middleweight title
• James Toney is named Ring Magazine fighter of the year

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 36–21 over the Calgary Stampeders
• B.C. Lions Quarterback Doug Flutie is named CFL Most Outstanding Player
• Vanier Cup – Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks win 25–18 over the Mount Allison Mounties

Cricket

• South Africa readmitted to the International Cricket Council following the abolition of apartheid, and play their first international game since 1970.

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Franco Chiocciolo of Italy
• Tour de France – Miguel Indurain of Spain
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Gianni Bugno of Italy

Dogsled racing

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
  • Rick Swenson won with lead dog: Goose

Field hockey

• Men's Champions Trophy: Germany
• Women's Champions Trophy: Australia

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: Kurt Browning, Canada
  • Ladies’ champion: Kristi Yamaguchi, United States
  • Pair skating champions: Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions: Isabelle Duchesnay & Paul Duchesnay, France

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Ian Woosnam
• U.S. Open – Payne Stewart
• British Open – Ian Baker-Finch
• PGA Championship – John Daly
• PGA Tour money leader – Corey Pavin – $979,430
• Senior PGA Tour money leader – Mike Hill – $1,065,657
• Ryder Cup – United States team won 14½ – 13½ over the Europe in team golf.

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Gary Wolstenholme
• U.S. Amateur – Mitch Voges
• European Amateur – Jim Payne
• Tiger Woods, at age 15, won his first USGA title, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Women's professional

• Nabisco Dinah Shore – Amy Alcott
• LPGA Championship – Meg Mallon
• U.S. Women's Open – Meg Mallon
• Classique du Maurier – Nancy Scranton
• LPGA Tour money leader – Pat Bradley – $763,118

Harness racing

• North America Cup – Precious Bunny
• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace – Silky Stallone
  2. Little Brown Jug – Precious Bunny
  3. Messenger Stakes – Die Laughing
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian – Giant Victory
  2. Yonkers Trot –
  3. Kentucky Futurity – Whiteland Janice
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Mark Ranover
  • Trotters: Fraggle Rock

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Garrison Savannah
• Grand National – Seagram

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Let's Elope
• Canadian Triple Crown Races:
  1. Queen's Plate – Dance Smartly
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes – Dance Smartly
  3. Breeders' Stakes – Dance Smartly
  • Dance Smartly becomes the country's third consecutive Triple Crown winner.
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Suave Dancer
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Generous
• Japan – Japan Cup won by Golden Pheasant
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Mystiko
  2. The Derby – Generous
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Toulon
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Strike the Gold
  2. Preakness Stakes – Hansel
  3. Belmont Stakes – Hansel
• Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Black Tie Affair
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Dance Smartly
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Arazi
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Pleasant Stage
  5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Opening Verse
  6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Sheikh Albadou
  7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Miss Alleged

Ice hockey

• Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues
• Stanley Cup
  • Pittsburgh Penguins win 4 games to 2 over the Minnesota North Stars
• Conn Smythe Trophy – Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Sweden defeated Canada
  • Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated the USSR
• Sheffield Steelers formed
• San Jose Sharks formed
• Northern Michigan University wins the NCAA Division I title in hockey, 8–7 in the third overtime against Boston University.

Lacrosse

• The Detroit Turbos defeat the Baltimore Thunder to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship

Motorsport

Main articles: 1991 in motorsport and List of 1991 motorsport champions

Radiosport

• The Friendship Radiosport Games held in Portland, Oregon, United States was the first international Amateur Radio Direction Finding competition held in the Americas.
• Third European High Speed Telegraphy Championship held in Neerpelt, Belgium.

Rugby League

• Penrith Panthers defeat two-time defending premiers Canberra Raiders in the NSWRL Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium. It is Penrith's first premiership since their admission in 1967.
• Wigan retained their title in the English Rugby League competition, with Oldham, Sheffield Eagles and Rochdale Hornets being relegated. To date this is Rochdale's last appearance in the top flight.

Rugby Union

• 97th Five Nations Championship series is won by England who complete the Grand Slam
• Australia wins the 1991 Rugby World Cup

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship – John Parrott beats Jimmy White 18–11
• World rankings – Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1991/92

Swimming

• The sixth FINA World Championships, held in Perth, Australia (3 January – 13)
• Eleventh Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba (12–18 August)
• 20th European LC Championships, held in Athens, Greece (18–25 August)
• Fourth Pan Pacific Championships, held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (22–25 August)
• First European Sprint Championships, held in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (6–8 December)
• 13 December – Steve Crocker sets the first official world record in the men's 50m freestyle (short course) in Sheffield, United Kingdom, clocking 25.64.

Taekwondo

• World Championships held in Athens, Greece

Tennis

• 20 June – death of Michael Westphal (26), German player
• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open – Boris Becker
  2. French Open – Jim Courier
  3. Wimbledon championships – Michael Stich
  4. US Open – Stefan Edberg
• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open – Monica Seles
  2. French Open – Monica Seles
  3. Wimbledon championships – Steffi Graf
  4. US Open – Monica Seles
• Davis Cup – France won 3–1 over the United States in world tennis.

Triathlon

• ITU World Championships held in Gold Coast, Australia
• ITU World Cup (eleven races) started in the United States Virgin Islands and ended in Mexico
• ETU European Championships held in Geneva, Switzerland

Volleyball

Men's competition

• FIVB World League: Italy
• Asia Volleyball Championship: Japan
• Men's European Volleyball Championship: USSR
• Pan American Games: Cuba

Women's competition

• Asia Volleyball Championship: China
• Women's European Volleyball Championship: USSR
• Pan American Games: Cuba

Water polo

• FINA Men's World Water Polo Championship: Yugoslavia
• FINA Women's World Water Polo Championship: Netherlands

Multi-sport events

• Eleventh Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba
• Fifth All-Africa Games held in Cairo, Egypt
• Eleventh Mediterranean Games held in Athens, Greece
• Sixteenth Summer Universiade held in Sheffield, United Kingdom
• Fifteenth Winter Universiade held in Sapporo, Japan
• Sixteenth Southeast Asian Games held in Manila, Philippines

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Monica Seles, Tennis
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – Michael Jordan
• James E. Sullivan Award – Olympic Long Jumper Mike Powell