1948 in sports

Sports-related events of 1948

Overview of the events of 1948 in sports

Years in sports

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1948 in sports

* Air sports
* American football
* Aquatic sports
* Association football
* Athletics
* Australian rules football
* Badminton
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Canadian football
* Chess
* Climbing
* Combat sports
* Sumo
* Cricket
* 1947–48
* 1948
* 1948–49
* Cycling
* Dance sports
* Darts
* Equestrianism
* Esports
* Field hockey
* Flying disc
* Golf
* Gymnastics
* Handball
* Ice hockey
* Ice sports
* Korfball
* Lumberjack sports
* Mind sports
* Modern pentathlon
* Motorsport
* Orienteering
* Paralympic sports
* Precision sports
* Shooting
* Racquetball
* Roller sports
* Sailing
* Skiing
* Speedway
* Rugby league‎
* Rugby union
* Snooker
* 1947–48
* 1948–49
* Strength sports
* Weightlifting
* Squash
* Table tennis
* Tennis
* Triathlon
* Volleyball

1948 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

## American football

[edit]

* NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 7–0 over the Chicago Cardinals at Shibe Park in a blizzard
* Michigan Wolverines – college football national championship
* Cleveland Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills 49–7 in the All-America Football Conference championship game.

## Association football

[edit]

Egypt

* Egyptian Premier League founded.[1]

England

* First Division – Arsenal win the 1947–48 title.
* FA Cup – Manchester United beat Blackpool 4–2.

## Athletics

[edit]

Start of the 50 km walk at the London Olympics

33 athletics events were contested at the Olympic Games in London, including debuts for the men's 10 km walk; and the women's 200 metres, long jump and shot put. Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands captured four gold medals.

## Australian rules football

[edit]

Victorian Football League

* Melbourne wins the 52nd VFL Premiership, drawing the 1948 VFL Grand Final with Essendon 10.9 (69) to 7.27 (69), and winning the replay 13.11 (89) to Essendon's 7.8 (50)
* Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Morris (Richmond)

South Australian National Football League

* 2 October – Norwood wins its twenty-first SANFL premiership, defeating West Torrens 15.16 (106) to 7.7 (49)
* Magarey Medal awarded to Ron Phillips (North Adelaide)

Western Australian National Football League

* 9 October – South Fremantle wins its fourth premiership and second in succession, defeating West Perth 13.9 (87) to 9.9 (63)
* Sandover Medal awarded to Merv McIntosh (Perth)

## Baseball

[edit]

Main article: 1948 in baseball

* January 29 – Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs, and Phillies $500 each for signing high school players.
* February 27 – Hall of Fame election – voters select the recently deceased Herb Pennock, and Pie Traynor, as the newest inductees; Traynor is the first third baseman elected by the writers in 9 elections.
* August 16 – death of Babe Ruth
* World Series – Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.
* Negro World Series – Homestead Grays defeat the Birmingham Black Barons, 4 games to 1.
* College World Series \- University of Southern California defeat Yale in the 2nd 2 games to 1

## Basketball

[edit]

NCAA Basketball Championship

* Kentucky beat Baylor 58–42[2]

BAA (NBA) Finals

* Baltimore Bullets over the Philadelphia Warriors (4–2)

NBL Championship

* Minneapolis Lakers over  Rochester Royals (3–1)

## Boxing

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* June 25 – At New York's Yankee Stadium – Joe Louis knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th round to retain his heavyweight title for the 25th time. Shortly after the bout, Louis announced his retirement from boxing.

## Field hockey

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* Olympic Games (men's competition) in London, Great Britain[3]
* Gold: India
* Silver: Great Britain
* Bronze: Netherlands

## Figure skating

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* World Figure Skating Championships
* Men's champion: Dick Button, United States[4]
* Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
* Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium

## Golf

[edit]

Men's professional

* Masters Tournament – Claude Harmon
* PGA Championship – Ben Hogan
* U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
* British Open – Henry Cotton

Men's amateur

* British Amateur – Frank Stranahan
* U.S. Amateur – Willie Turnesa

Women's professional

* Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
* U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
* Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg

## Ice hockey

[edit]

* NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Dartmouth College Big Green 8–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to win the first official NCAA championship
* Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings in 4 straight games to win their 5th Stanley Cup title.

## Horse racing

[edit]

* Citation becomes the 8th horse to win the US Triple Crown
* Shiela's Cottage becomes the first mare to win the Grand National since 1902 and only the twelfth since the race's inception

Steeplechases

* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cottage Rake
* Grand National – Sheila's Cottage

Hurdle races

* Champion Hurdle – National Spirit

Flat races

* Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rimfire (horse)
* Canada – King's Plate won by Last Mark
* France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Migoli
* Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Nathoo
* English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – My Babu
2. The Derby – My Love[5]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Black Tarquin
* United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Citation
2. Preakness Stakes – Citation
3. Belmont Stakes – Citation

## Motorsport

[edit]

Main articles: 1948 in motorsport and List of 1948 motorsport champions

## Olympic Games

[edit]

* 1948 Summer Olympics takes place in London, United Kingdom
* United States wins the most medals (84) and the most gold medals (38).[6]
* 1948 Winter Olympics takes place in St. Moritz, Switzerland
* Norway, Sweden and Switzerland all win the most medals (10 each), and Norway and Sweden win the most gold medals (4 each).[7]

## Radiosport

[edit]

* First CQ World Wide DX Contest held in October and November. This annual event would go on to become the radio contest with the largest participation worldwide.

## Rowing

[edit]

The Boat Race

* 27 March — Cambridge wins the 94th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

## Rugby league

[edit]

Australia

* 1948 NSWRFL season

England

* 1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season/1948–49 Northern Rugby Football League season

## Rugby union

[edit]

Five Nations Championship

* 54th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland who complete the Grand Slam, their last for 61 years.

## Snooker

[edit]

* World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 84–61.

## Speed skating

[edit]

Speed Skating World Championships

* Men's All-round Champion – Odd Lundberg (Norway)
* Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)

1948 Winter Olympics (Men)

* 500m – gold medal: Finn Helgesen (Norway)
* 1500m – gold medal: Sverre Farstad (Norway)
* 5000m – gold medal: Reidar Liaklev (Norway)
* 10000m – gold medal: Åke Seyffarth (Sweden)

1948 Winter Olympics (Women)

* not contested

## Tennis

[edit]

Australia

* Australian Men's Singles Championship – Adrian Quist (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
* Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Marie Toomey (Australia) 6–3, 6–1

England

* Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Bob Falkenburg (USA) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 7–5, 0–6, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
* Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–3, 8–6

France

* French Men's Singles Championship – Frank Parker (USA) defeats Jaroslav Drobný (Egypt) 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 7–5
* French Women's Singles Championship – Nelly Adamson Landry (USA) defeats Shirley Fry (USA) 6–2, 0–6, 6–0

USA

* American Men's Singles Championship – Pancho Gonzales (USA) defeats Eric Sturgess (South Africa) 6–2, 6–3, 14–12
* American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne (USA) defeats Louise Brough (USA) 4–6, 6–4, 15–13

Davis Cup

* 1948 Davis Cup –  United States 5–0  Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

## Awards

[edit]

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
* Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Parrish, Charles; Nauright, John (21 April 2014). Soccer around the World: A Cultural Guide to the World's Favorite Sport. ABC-CLIO. p. 71\. ISBN 978-1-61069-303-5.
2. ^ "Kentucky vs. Baylor Box Score, March 23, 1948". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
3. ^ "Olympedia – Hockey, Men". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
4. ^ "Dick Button | American figure skater". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
5. ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
6. ^ "Olympedia – 1948 Summer Olympics Overview". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
7. ^ "Olympedia – 1948 Winter Olympics Overview". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
8. ^ "ESPN Classic - IAAF's best female athlete of 20th century dies". www.espn.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.

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