1998 in sports Information & 1998 in sports Links at HealthHaven.com

Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
Years:	1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

1998 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

[edit] Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
- Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany

[edit] American football

January 13 – ABC and ESPN negotiate a $1.15 billion a season contract to keep Monday Night Football.
Super Bowl XXXII – Denver Broncos won 31–24 over the Green Bay Packers
December 13 – The Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings return an NFL record 3 kickoff returns for touchdowns.
NCAA – The Michigan Wolverines and the Nebraska Cornhuskers both claim a share of the NCAA National Championship after a split decision in the AP and Coaches polls.

[edit] Association football

For an extensive coverage see 1998 in association football

FIFA World Cup - France beat Brazil 3–0
Champions League – Real Madrid C.F. beat Juventus F.C. 1–0
UEFA Cup – F.C. Internazionale Milano beat S.S. Lazio 3–0
Copa Libertadores – CR Vasco da Gama beat Barcelona Sporting Club 4–1 (Agg.)

[edit] Athletics

August – 1998 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
September – 1998 Commonwealth Games held at Kuala Lumpur
December – 1998 Asian Games held at Bangkok

[edit] Australian rules football

Australian Football League
- The Adelaide Crows win the 102nd VFL/AFL premiership and second premiership in a row by 35 points (Adelaide Crows 15.15 (105) d North Melbourne 8.22 (70))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Robert Harvey (St Kilda)

[edit] Baseball

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each chase the home run record set previously by Roger Maris in 1961. Both men end up breaking the record; McGwire with 70 and Sosa with 66.
Rookie 20 year old Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros to tie the major league single game strikeout record
Cal Ripken Jr. ends his consecutive game streak at 2,632 in Baltimore against the New York Yankees. It was the first time he wasn't in the lineup since 1982.
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 0 over the San Diego Padres. The Series MVP is Scott Brosius, New York

[edit] Basketball

July 1 – The NBA locked out its players and the season was put on hold for the next 6 1/2 months and the season began under a 50–game schedule.
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Kentucky wins 78–69 over Utah
NBA Finals –
- Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 2 over the Utah Jazz, to complete their second three–peat of the decade.
WNBA Finals –
- Houston Comets win two games to one over the Phoenix Mercury to repeat as champions.
FIBA World Championship
- Yugoslavia World Champion
National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
- Adelaide 36ers defeated the South East Melbourne Magic 2–0 in the best–of–three final series.

[edit] Boxing

May 17 to May 24 – 32nd European Amateur Boxing Championships held at Minsk, Belarus
June 27 – Shane Mosley stopped Wilfrido Ruiz in the 5th round to retain the IBF Lightweight Championship

[edit] Canadian football

Grey Cup – Calgary Stampeders win 26–24 over the Hamilton Tiger–Cats
Vanier Cup – Saskatchewan Huskies win 24–17 over the Concordia Stingers

[edit] Curling

Curling makes its Winter Olympics debut:
- Men's Gold: Switzerland wins 9-3 over Canada
- Women's Gold: Canada wins 7-5 over Denmark

[edit] Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Marco Pantani of Italy
Tour de France – Marco Pantani of Italy
World Cycling Championship – Oskar Camenzind of Switzerland

[edit] Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion
- Jeff King wins with lead dogs: Red & Jenna

[edit] Field hockey

Men's World Cup: Netherlands
Men's Commonwealth Games: Australia
Men's Champions Trophy: Netherlands
Women's World Cup: Australia
Women's Commonwealth Games: Australia

[edit] Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Alexei Yagudin, Russia
- Ladies' champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
- Pairs' champions: Elena Bereschnaya / Anton Sicharulidze, Russia
- Ice dancing champions: Anjelika Krylova / Oleg Ovsyannikov, Russia

[edit] Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie
- All–Ireland Camogie Champion: Cork
- National Camogie League: Cork
Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Galway 1–14 d. Kiladre 1–10
- National Football League – Offaly 0–9 d. Derry 0–7
Ladies' Gaelic football
- All–Ireland Senior Football Champion: Waterford
- National Football League: Waterford
Hurling
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Offaly 2–16 d. Kilkenny 1–13
- National Hurling League –

[edit] Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Mark O'Meara
U.S. Open – Lee Janzen
British Open – Mark O'Meara
PGA Championship – Vijay Singh
PGA Tour money leader – David Duval – $2,591,031
PGA Tour Player of the Year – Mark O'Meara
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Steve Flesch
Senior PGA Tour money leader – Hale Irwin – $2,861,945

Men's amateur

Women's professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore – Pat Hurst
LPGA Championship – Se Ri Pak
U.S. Women's Open – Se Ri Pak
Classique du Maurier – Brandie Burton
LPGA Tour money leader – Annika Sörenstam – $1,092,748
The Solheim Cup is retained by the United States team who beat the European team 16 to 12.

[edit] Handball

[edit] Harness racing

North America Cup – Straight Path
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
1. Cane Pace – Shady Character
2. Little Brown Jug – Shady Character
3. Messenger Stakes – Fit For Life
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
1. Hambletonian – Muscles Yankee
2. Yonkers Trot – Muscles Yankee
3. Kentucky Futurity – Trade Balance
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Our Sir Vancelot
- Trotters: Buster Hanover

[edit] Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cool Dawn
Grand National – Earth Summit

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup – Jezabeel
Canada – Queen's Plate – Archers Bay
Dubai – Dubai World Cup won by Silver Charm
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Sagamix
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Dream Well
Japan – Japan Cup won by El Condor Pasa
English Triple Crown races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – King of Kings
2. Epsom Derby – High-Rise
3. St. Leger Stakes – Nedawi
United States Triple Crown races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Real Quiet
2. Preakness Stakes – Real Quiet
3. Belmont Stakes – Victory Gallop
Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Awesome Again
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Escena
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Answer Lively
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Silverbulletday
5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Da Hoss
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Reraise
7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Buck's Boy

[edit] Ice hockey

For the first time, professional players from the National Hockey League participate in the Winter Olympics. And also for the first time in Olympic history, women took part in ice hockey.
Women's Gold – United States won 3–1 over Canada
Men's Gold – Czech Republic won 1–0 over Russia
Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Dominik Hasek – Buffalo Sabres
Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 4 games to 0.
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Sweden defeated Finland
- Junior Men's champion: Russia defeated Canada

[edit] Lacrosse

The 8th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Baltimore, Maryland. The United States win, and Canada is the runner–up.
The Philadelphia Wings sweep the Baltimore Thunder in the best of three series held to determine the winner of the Champion's Cup.
The Brampton Excelsiors win the Mann Cup.
The Clarington Green Gaels win the Founders Cup.
The Burnaby Lakers win the Minto Cup.

[edit] Motor racing

Stock car racing –
- Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500
- NASCAR Championship – Jeff Gordon
- NASCAR celebrates its 50th anniversary
Indy Racing League –
Indianapolis 500 – Eddie Cheever
CART Racing – Alex Zanardi won the season championship
Formula One Championship – Mika Häkkinen of Finland
24 hours of Le Mans – won by the team of Laurent Aïello / Allan McNish / Stéphane Ortelli driving a Porsche 911 GT–1
Rallying – Tommi Mäkinen won the World Rally Championship
- the team of Carlos Sainz / Luís Moya won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Toyota Corolla WRC
Drag racing – Gary Scelzi won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

[edit] Rugby league

1998 brought the start of the National Rugby League competition. Super League (Australia) ended its 1 year competition and the Australian Rugby League also ended theirs to merge together as one. But for some clubs it came at a cost. For the Hunter Mariners and Perth Reds from Super League (Australia) and the South Queensland Crushers from the Australian Rugby League, these franchises ended. But a new franchise was created that was the first team in the state of Victoria: the Melbourne Storm.

April 24, Auckland, New Zealand – 1998 ANZAC test match is won by New Zealand 22–16 against Australia at North Harbour Stadium before 25,000.
May 2, Wembley Stadium – 1998 Challenge Cup tournament culminates in Sheffield Eagles' surprise 17-8 win in the final against Wigan Warriors.
May 29 at Sydney, Australia – record for biggest comeback in Australian premiership history is broken by the North Queensland Cowboys who came from 26–0 down at halftime to win 36–28 against the Penrith Panthers at Penrith Stadium.
June 19, Sydney Football Stadium – 1998 State of Origin is won by Queensland in the third and deciding game of the series against New South Wales.
September 20, Australia – last match of the last round of the 1998 Telstra Premiership is played, including the final NRL appearances of the Gold Coast Chargers, Illawarra Steelers, St. George Dragons, Adelaide Rams and North Sydney Bears clubs.
September 23, New South Wales, Australia – St. George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers ensured their survival by forming the NRL's first joint venture: the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
September 27, Sydney Football Stadium – 1998 NRL season, the National Rugby League's first, culminates in the Brisbane Broncos' 38-12 win in the grand final against the Canterbury Bulldogs.
October 24, Old Trafford – Super League III culminates in the Wigan Warriors' 10-4 win in the grand final against the Leeds Rhinos; this was the first time the British season's champions were determined by a final since 1973.

[edit] Rugby union

104th Five Nations Championship series is won by France who complete the Grand Slam

[edit] Snooker

World Snooker Championship – John Higgins beats Ken Doherty 18–12
World rankings – John Higgins becomes world number one for 1998/99

[edit] Swimming

Eighth FINA World Championships, held in Perth, Australia (January 8 – 17)
Second European SC Championships, held in Sheffield, United Kingdom (December 11 – December 13)
December 1 – American swimmer Jenny Thompson breaks her own world record in the women's 100m butterfly (short course): 56:90
December 13 – Mark Foster twice breaks the world record in the men's 50m freestyle (short course) during the European SC Championships in Sheffield, clocking 21.31 eventually.