1950 in sports
Sports-related events of 1950
Overview of the events of 1950 in sports
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1950 in Sports describes the year's events in world sport. Popular sports during the 1950s were badminton and soccer. Also, 1950 was a huge year for horse racing – horse racing tripled in spectators and prize pools increased.
American football
- NFL Championship: the Cleveland Browns won 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Stadium
- Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams
Association football
FIFA World Cup
- 1950 World Cup held in Brazil. Uruguay are the winners after beating Brazil in the final group decider.
- United States defeats England 1–0 in one of the great upsets in sports history
England
- First Division – Portsmouth win the 1949–50 title.
- FA Cup – Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–0.
France
- Olympique Lyonnais, officially rename from Lyon Olympique on August 3. [citation needed]
Athletics
The 4th European Athletics Championships were held from 23 August to 27 August at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
Australian rules football
- The Victorian Football Association began playing as an affiliated member of the Australian National Football Council and playing under the same rules as the rest of the country. This ended a decade-long schism which had begun in 1938, during which the VFA had played under its own rival set of rules under which throwing the football in general play was legalised.
- Victorian Football League
- Essendon wins the 54th VFL Premiership (Essendon 13.14 (92) d North Melbourne 7.12 (54))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Allan Ruthven (Fitzroy)
Baseball
- The Japanese Baseball League is reorganized, creating the modern Nippon Professional Baseball.
- World Series – The New York Yankees sweep the Philadelphia Phillies four games to none.
- Japan Series – In the inaugural Japan Series, the Mainichi Orions defeat the Shochiku Robins 4 games to 2.
Basketball
- Minneapolis Lakers over Syracuse Nationals (4–2)
Boxing
- January – Joey Maxim wins the light-heavyweight world title, stopping champion Freddie Mills in 10 rounds.
- September 27 – Ezzard Charles retains his World Heavyweight Championship with a 15-round unanimous decision over Joe Louis in New York City.
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 13–0 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia – Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- Tour de France – Ferdinand Kubler of Switzerland
- Vuelta a España – Emilio Rodriguez of Spain
- UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Briek Schotte of Belgium
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- Ladies' champion: Aja Zanova, Czechoslovakia
- Pairs skating champions: Karol Kennedy & Michael Kennedy, United States
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Jimmy Demaret
- U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
- PGA Championship – Chandler Harper
- British Open – Bobby Locke
- PGA Tour money leader – Sam Snead – $35,759
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Thirteen women golfers found the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
- Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
- U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
- Titleholders Championship – Babe Zaharias
- Babe Zaharias named Woman Athlete of the Half–Century by the Associated Press.
- LPGA Tour money leader – Babe Zaharias – $14,800
Harness racing
- Little Brown Jug for pacers – Dudley Hanover
- Hambletonian for trotters – Lusty Song
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship for pacers – Captain Sandy
Horse racing
- The United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is founded in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cottage Rake for the third successive year
- Grand National – Freebooter
Hurdle races
- Champion Hurdle – Hatton's Grace
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Comic Court
- Canada – King's Plate won by McGill
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Tantieme
- Ireland – Irish Derby won by Dark Warrior
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Palestine
- The Derby – Galcador[1]
- St. Leger Stakes – Scratch
- United States Triple Crown Races:
Ice hockey
- Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Ted Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Charlie Rayner, New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 3 over the New York Rangers
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada's Edmonton Mercurys
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Colorado College Tigers defeat Boston University Terriers 13–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Motorsport
Nordic skiing
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
- 13th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1950 are held in the United States at Lake Placid (ski jumping) and Rumford, Maine (cross-country skiing). These are the first world championships since 1939.
Rowing
The Boat Race
- 1 April — Cambridge wins the 96th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Rugby league
Australia
England
Rugby union
Five Nations Championship
- 56th Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales who complete the Grand Slam
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Walter Donaldson beats Fred Davis 51–46.
Speed skating
Speed Skating World Championships
- Men's All-round Champion – Hjalmar Andersen (Norway)
- Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)
Tennis
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats Ken McGregor (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Budge Patty (USA) defeats Frank Sedgman (Australia) 6–1, 8–10, 6–2, 6–3
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
France
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Arthur Larsen
- American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne duPont
Davis Cup
- 1950 Davis Cup –
Australia 4–1 
United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States
Multi-sport events
- 4th British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand[2]
