1976 in sports Information & 1976 in sports Links at HealthHaven.com

Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Years:	1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

1976 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

[edit] Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden
- Women's overall season champion: Rosi Mittermaier, West Germany

[edit] American football

Super Bowl X (January 18) – Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Panthers are voted NCAA Football National Champions.
Seattle Seahawks founded.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers founded.

[edit] Association football

England - FA Cup – Southampton won 1-0 over Manchester United
Italy – Torino win Serie A for the first time since the Superga air disaster wiped out the team 27 years before.
1976 European Championship – Czechoslovakia beat West Germany 5-3 on penalties to win, after the game had ended 2-2 after extra time.

[edit] Athletics

July – Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics held at Montreal

[edit] Australian rules football

Victorian Football League
- Hawthorn wins the 80th VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 13.22 (100) d North Melbourne 10.10 (70))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Graham Moss (Essendon)

[edit] Baseball

April 17 – Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hits four consecutive home runs in a game against the Chicago Cubs.
April 25 – Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday rescues an American flag just as two protesters are about to burn it in the outfield during a game at Dodger Stadium.
Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees breaks Hoyt Wilhelm's American League record of 154 career saves.
World Series – The Cincinnati Reds (aka the "Big Red Machine") sweep the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0, to win their second straight championship.

[edit] Basketball

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
- Indiana wins 86-68 over Michigan
NBA Finals –
- Boston Celtics win 4 games to 2 over the Phoenix Suns
1976 ABA Playoffs –
- New York Nets defeat Denver Nuggets 4 games to 2
American Basketball Association merges with the National Basketball Association; Virginia Squires fold and Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis are bought out

[edit] Boxing

May 22 – death of Oscar Bonavena (34), Argentinian heavyweight, who was shot in Reno, Nevada
September 28 in Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York Muhammad Ali won a controversial 15-round decision over Ken Norton to keep his World Heavyweight title.
October 8 in São Paulo, Brazil, former world featherweight champion Eder Jofre fought his last fight, outpointing Mexico's Octavio (Famoso) Gomez in ten rounds.

[edit] Canadian football

Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders won 23-20 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Vanier Cup – Western Ontario Mustangs won 29-13 over the Acadia Axmen

[edit] Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Felice Gimondi of Italy
Tour de France - Lucien Van Impe of Belgium
World Cycling Championship – Freddy Maertens of Belgium

[edit] Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
- Gerald Riley won with lead dogs: Puppy & Sugar

[edit] Field hockey

Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Montreal won by New Zealand
Women's World Cup in Berlin won by West Germany

[edit] Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: John Curry, Britain
- Ladies' champion: Dorothy Hamill, United States
- 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 - Raymond Floyd
U.S. Open - Jerry Pate
British Open - Johnny Miller
PGA Championship - Dave Stockton
PGA Tour money leader - Jack Nicklaus - $266,439

Men's amateur

Women's professional

LPGA Championship - Betty Burfeindt
U.S. Women's Open - JoAnne Carner
LPGA Tour money leader - Judy Rankin - $150,734, she is the first to ever earn more than $100,000 in a season.

[edit] Harness racing

United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Carclew
- Trotters: Bay Johnny

[edit] Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Royal Frolic
Grand National – Rag Trade

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Van der Hum
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Norcliffe
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Ivanjica
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Malacate
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Wollow
2. Epsom Derby – Empery
3. St. Leger Stakes – Crow
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Bold Forbes
2. Preakness Stakes – Elocutionist
3. Belmont Stakes – Bold Forbes

[edit] Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers
Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Philadelphia Flyers
World Hockey Championship –
- Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Golden Gophers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 6-4 in Denver, CO

[edit] Motor racing

Stock car racing –
- February 15: David Pearson won the Daytona 500 in a memorable last-lap duel with Richard Petty
- NASCAR Winston Cup Championship – Cale Yarborough
Indianapolis 500 – Johnny Rutherford in a rain-shortened 255-mile event.
USAC Racing – Gordon Johncock won the season championship
Formula One Championship –
- James Hunt of Britain won the World Driving Championship
- Niki Lauda's famous accident occurred during the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.
24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Jacky Ickx / Gijs van Lennep won, driving a Porsche 936
Rally racing – the team of Sandro Munari / Mario Manucci won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Stratos HF
Drag racing – Shirley Muldowney won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA World Finals
Touring car racing – Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick won the Bathurst 1000, driving a Holden Torana

[edit] Rugby league

29 June – the World Club Challenge concept is trialled as English champions St Helens travel to Sydney to play Australian champions Eastern Suburbs. Easts defeat St Helens 25–2 in the one-off match.
18 August – the 1976 Amco Cup tournament culminates in Balmain's 21–7 win over North Sydney in the final
18 September – the 1976 NSWRFL season culminates in Manly-Warringah's 13–10 win over Parramatta in the Grand Final

[edit] Rugby union

82nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales who complete the Grand Slam

[edit] Snooker

World Snooker Championship – Ray Reardon beats Alex Higgins 27-16
World rankings are introduced. Ray Reardon becomes the first world number one, for 1976/77.

[edit] Swimming

July 18 to July 25 – XXI Olympic Games, held in Montreal
August 14 – USA's Jonty Skinner sets the first official world record in the 50m freestyle in Philadelphia, clocking 23.86

[edit] Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
Davis Cup – Italy wins 4-1 over Chile in world tennis.

[edit] Water polo

Water polo at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal won by Hungary

[edit] General sporting events

1976 Summer Olympics takes place in Montreal, Canada
- USSR wins the most medals (125), and the most gold medals (49).
1976 Winter Olympics takes place in Innsbruck, Austria
- USSR wins the most medals (27), and the most gold medals (13).
Fifth Pan Arab Games held in Damascus, Syria

[edit] Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Bruce Jenner, Track and field
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Nadia Comaneci, Gymnastics
ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: Nadia Comaneci, Gymnastics

[edit] References

Contents

[edit] Alpine skiing

[edit] American football

[edit] Association football

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Australian rules football

[edit] Baseball

[edit] Basketball

[edit] Boxing

[edit] Canadian football

[edit] Cycling

[edit] Dogsled racing

[edit] Field hockey

[edit] Figure skating

[edit] Golf

[edit] Harness racing

[edit] Horse racing

[edit] Ice hockey

[edit] Motor racing

[edit] Rugby league

[edit] Rugby union

[edit] Snooker

[edit] Swimming

[edit] Tennis

[edit] Water polo

[edit] General sporting events

[edit] Awards

[edit] References