1973 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:	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

Contents 1 Alpine skiing 2 American football 3 Association football 4 Australian rules football 5 Baseball 6 Basketball 7 Boxing 8 Canadian football 9 Cycling 10 Dogsled racing 11 Field hockey 12 Figure skating 13 Golf 14 Harness racing 15 Horse racing 16 Ice hockey 17 Motor racing 18 Radiosport 19 Rugby union 20 Snooker 21 Swimming 22 Tennis 23 Water polo 24 General sporting events 25 Awards 26 References

[edit] Alpine skiing

• Alpine Skiing World Cup
  • Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
  • Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria

[edit] American football

• O.J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.
• Super Bowl VII – Miami Dolphins won 14-7 over the Washington Redskins to complete the only perfect (unbeaten and untied) season in the modern NFL era.

[edit] Association football

• Brazil - Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro
• England - FA Cup – Sunderland wins 1-0 over Leeds United
• 1 January 1973, Edinburgh, Scotland, Edinburgh Derby between Hearts and Hibernian played at Tynecastle ends in a 7-0 victory for Hibernian.
• Rangers F.C win European Cup Winners Cup, after beating Dynamo Moscow F.C. 3-2.

[edit] Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • Richmond wins the 77th VFL Premiership (Richmond 16.20 (116) d Carlton 12.14 (86))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Keith Greig (North Melbourne)

[edit] Baseball

• January 18 – Orlando Cepeda signs with the Boston Red Sox, making him the first player signed by a team specifically to be a designated hitter.
• The American League uses the designated hitter rule for the first time. Ron Blomberg is the first player to bat as a DH.
• World Series – Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 3 over the New York Mets

[edit] Basketball

• NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
  • UCLA wins 87-66 over Memphis State. Bill Walton of UCLA scored 44 points in the Championship game.
• NBA Finals –
  • New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers
• 1973 ABA Finals –
  • Indiana Pacers defeat Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3

[edit] Boxing

• January 22 - George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by a knockout in two rounds to lift the world's Heavyweight championship from Frazier. It is HBO Boxing's first telecast.

[edit] Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders win 22-18 over the Edmonton Eskimos
• Vanier Cup – St. Mary's Huskies win 14-6 over the McGill Redmen

[edit] Cycling

• Tour de France - Luis Ocaña of Spain
• World Cycling Championship – Felice Gimondi, of Italy

[edit] Dogsled racing

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
  • Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot

[edit] Field hockey

• Men's World Cup in Amstelveen, Netherlands won by the Netherlands

[edit] Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
  • Ladies' champion: Karen Magnussen, Canada
  • Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union

[edit] Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament - Tommy Aaron
• U.S. Open - Johnny Miller
• British Open - Tom Weiskopf
• PGA Championship - Jack Nicklaus
• PGA Tour money leader - Jack Nicklaus - $308,362
• Ryder Cup - United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in team golf.

Men's amateur

• British Amateur - Dick Siderowf
• U.S. Amateur - Craig Stadler

Women's professional

• LPGA Championship - Mary Mills
• U.S. Women's Open - Susie Berning
• LPGA Tour money leader - Kathy Whitworth - $82,864

[edit] Harness racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace - Smog
  2. Little Brown Jug - Melvin's Woe
  3. Messenger Stakes - Valiant Bret
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian - Flirth
  2. Yonkers Trot
  3. Kentucky Futurity
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Hondo Grattan
  • Trotters: Precocious

[edit] Horse racing

• Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win all three United States Triple Crown Races

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – The Dikler
• Grand National – Red Rum

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup – Gala Supreme
• Canada – Queen's Plate – Royal Chocolate
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Rheingold
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Weaver's Hall
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Mon Fils
  2. Epsom Derby – Morston
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Peleid
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Secretariat
  2. Preakness Stakes – Secretariat
  3. Belmont Stakes – Secretariat

[edit] Ice hockey

• 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 Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers
• Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Black Hawks 4 games to 2
• World Hockey Association –
• AVCO Cup - New England Whalers defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 1 for first league championship.
• World Hockey Championship –
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers defeat University of Denver Pioneers 4-2 in Boston, MA

[edit] Motor racing

• July 2 – death of Swede Savage (26), USAC race car driver, in a racing accident
• July 29 – death of Roger Williamson, British Formula One driver, in a racing accident
• Open wheel racing
  • Formula One Championship – Drivers Championship won by Jackie Stewart and Constructors Championship won by Lotus-Ford
  • Indianapolis 500 – Won by Gordon Johncock
  • USAC Championship Car Series – Won by Roger McCluskey
• Stock car/touring car racing
  • NASCAR championship won by Benny Parsons (singer Marty Robbins made his first appearance as a driver at the Daytona 500)
  • 24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Henri Pescarolo / Gérard Larrousse won, driving a Matra MS670B
• Rally racing
  • World Rally Championship for Manufacturers – Won by Alpine Renault (1973 is the inaugural season for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's new World Rally Championship series)
• Drag racing
  • NHRA Supernationals – Top Fuel won by Don Garlits
  • NHRA Top Fuel championship – Dragster champion was Jerry Ruth and Funny Car champion was Frank Hall

[edit] Radiosport

• Seventh Amateur Radio Direction Finding European Championship held in Komló, Hungary.
• First ARRL 10 Meter Contest held in December.

[edit] Rugby union

• 79th Five Nations Championship series is a five-way tie with all teams winning two matches each

[edit] Snooker

• World Snooker Championship – Ray Reardon beats Eddie Charlton 38-32

[edit] Swimming

• The first FINA World Championships held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia

[edit] Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - John Newcombe
  2. French Open - Ilie Nastase
  3. Wimbledon - Jan Kodeš
  4. US Open - John Newcombe
• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Margaret Court
  2. French Open - Margaret Court
  3. Wimbledon - Billie Jean King
  4. US Open - Margaret Court
• Davis Cup – Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.
• Men and women players receive equal prize money at the US Open
• September 20 - In the famed Battle of the sexes at Houston's Astrodome - Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in 3straight sets.

[edit] Water polo

• 1973 FINA Men's World Water Polo Championship held in Belgrade and won by Hungary

[edit] General sporting events

• Second All-Africa Games held in Lagos, Nigeria
• Seventh Summer Universiade held in Moscow, Soviet Union

[edit] Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – O.J. Simpson, National Football League
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Billie Jean King, Tennis

[edit] References

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