1973 in sports

Auto Racing

Stock car racing:
- Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in which singer Marty Robbins made his first appearance as a driver.
- NASCAR Championship - Benny Parsons
Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock
USAC Racing - Roger McCluskey
Formula One Championship - Jackie Stewart of Great Britain
24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Henri Pescarolo / Gérard Larrousse won, driving a Matra MS670B
Rally racing - Jean-Claude Andruet / Michele Petit ("Biche") won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Alpine-Renault A110. This year's rally was the first ever Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship event.
Drag racing - Don Garlits won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA Supernationals

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

Basketball

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship:
- UCLA wins 87-66 over Memphis State.

NBA Finals:
- New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers

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.

Cycling

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

Dogsled racing

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

Field Hockey

Men's World Cup in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- Gold Medal: The Netherlands
- Silver Medal: India
- Bronze Medal: West Germany

March 10 - In an international women's hockey match at Wembley Stadium,England. England are beaten by Ireland 2-1.

Figure Skating

World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
- Women's champion: Karen Magnussen, Canada
- Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, Soviet Union

Football (American)

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 unbeaten NFL season

Football (Australian Rules)

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)

PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $308,362

Ryder Cup: United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in world team golf.

Women's Golf

US Women's Open - Susie Berning
LPGA Championship - Mary Mills
Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $82,854

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

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:

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

Harness Racing

United States Pacing Triple Crown races:

United States Trotting Triple Crown races:

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Hondo Grattan
- Trotters: Precocious

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 Blackhawks 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

Radiosport

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

Skiing

Alpine Skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
- The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria

Snooker

World Snooker Championship: Ray Reardon beats Eddie Charlton 38-32

Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

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.

Water Polo

Men's World Championship in Belgrad, Yugoslavia
- Gold Medal: Hungary
- Silver Medal: Soviet Union
- Bronze Medal: Yugoslavia

General sporting events

Second All-Africa Games held in Lagos, Nigeria

Seventh Summer Universiade held in Moscow, Soviet Union

Births

January

January 2 — Roman Karmazin, Russian boxer
January 3 — Chris Woodruff, American tennis player
January 7 — Rafael Dudamel, Venezuelan football (soccer) goalkeeper
January 11 — Sarah Forbes, Canadian field hockey goalkeeper
January 11 — Rahul Dravid, Indian cricketer
January 13 — Dana Anderson, Canadian field hockey player
January 14 — Giancarlo Fisichella, Italian Formula 1-driver
January 14 — Clarinda Sinnige, Dutch field hockey goalkeeper
January 15 — Tomás Galásek, Czech football (soccer) player
January 16 — Somluck Kamsing, Thai boxer
January 17 — Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Mexican football (soccer) player
January 18 — Regilio Vrede, Dutch football (soccer) player
January 19 — Yevgeny Sadovyi, Russian swimmer
January 22 — Mukhran Vakhtangadze, Georgian wrestler
January 25 — Nagore Gabellanes, Spanish field hockey player
January 25 — Elsbeth Vink, Dutch cyclist

February

February 1 — Michael Joyce, American tennis player
February 4 — Oscar de la Hoya, American boxer
February 5 — Deng Yaping, Chinese table tennis player
February 12 — Laurens Looije, Dutch athlete
February 12 — Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
February 13 — Bas Roorda, Dutch football goalkeeper
February 15 — Amy Van Dyken, American swimmer
February 16 — Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete
February 18 — Claude Makélélé, French football (soccer) player
February 18 — Mirjam Overdam, Dutch waterpolo player
February 19 — Robert Grzegorczyk, Polish figure skater
February 22 — Shota Arveladze, Georgian football player
February 22 — Philippe Gaumont, French professional road cyclist
February 24 — Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey rightwinger
February 25 — Gerard Wiekens, Dutch football player
February 26 — Jenny Thompson, American swimmer
February 26 — Marshall Faulk, American football player
February 28 — Eric Lindros, Canadian ice hockey player
February 28 — Natalya Safronnikova, Belarusian athlete

March

March 1 — Herbert Dercksen, Dutch sailor
March 2 — Max van Heeswijk, Dutch cyclist
March 2 — Romans Vainsteins, Latvian cyclist
March 3 — Sean Campbell, Canadian field hockey player
March 6 — Silvia Manrique, Spanish field hockey player
March 7 — Wang Manli, Chinese speed skater
March 8 — Jeroen Delmee, Dutch field hockey player
March 9 — Maximiliano Caldas, Argentine field hockey defender
March 9 — Jakob Piil, Danish cyclist
March 13 — Edgar Davids, Dutch football player
March 13 — Allison Higson, Canadian breaststroke and freestyle swimmer
March 16 — Fernando Platas, Mexican diver
March 20 — Javier Arnau, Spanish field hockey player
March 24 — Mette Jacobsen, Danish freestyle and butterfly swimmer
March 27 — Rui Jorge, Portuguese football player
March 28 — Luis Adrian Morejon, Ecuadorian tennis player
March 29 — Brad Bridgewater, American swimmer
March 29 — Marc Overmars, Dutch football player
March 30 — Simon Mason, English field hockey goalkeeper

April

April 3 — Christopher Reitz, German field hockey goalkeeper
April 4 — Peter Hoekstra, Dutch football (soccer) player
April 5 — Kristin Topham, Canadian freestyle and butterfly swimmer
April 6 — Edith van Dijk, Dutch long distance swimmer
April 8 — Patrik Isaksson, Swedish breaststroke swimmer
April 8 — Nicholas Tongue, New Zealand freestyle swimmer
April 9 — Bart Goor, Belgian football player
April 10 — Roberto Carlos, Brazilian football player
April 11 — Jerine Fleurke, Dutch volleybal player
April 11 — Olivier Magne, French rugby union player
April 12 — Roberto Ayala, Argentine football player
April 12 — Lionel Roux, French tennis player
April 13 — Nicolas Jalabert, French cyclist
April 14 — Tammy Cole, Australian field hockey player
April 15 — Jeroen Dubbeldam, Dutch horse rider
April 17 — Kenneth Carlsen, Danish tennis player
April 18 — Haile Gebreselassie, Ethiopian long distance track and road running athlete
April 19 — George Gregan, Zambia-born Australian rugby union scrum half
April 19 — Tzipora Obziler, Israeli tennis player
April 22 — Mohamed Elsayed, Egyptian boxer
April 24 — Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketer
April 26 — Stephanie Graf, Austrian middle distance athlete
April 26 — Lee Woon-Jae, South Korean football (soccer) player
April 29 — Tessa Appeldoorn, Dutch rower
April 30 — Michael Blaudzun, Danish cyclist

May

May 1 — Oliver Neuville, German football player
May 2 — Richard Schuil, Dutch volleybal player
May 3 — Michael Reiziger, Dutch football player
May 3 — Peter Windt, Dutch field hockey player
May 7 — Paolo Savoldelli, Italian cyclist
May 8 — Wolf Wigo, American water polo player
May 9 — Tegla Loroupe, Kenyan long-distance track and road runner
May 9 — Oscar Ortiz, Mexican tennis player
May 10 — Wayne Mardle, English darts player
May 10 — Rüstu Reçber, Turkish football player
May 11 — Britta Becker, German field hockey player
May 12 — Kira Bulten, Dutch swimmer
May 13 — Mike Beres, Canadian badminton player
May 14 — Mike van de Goor, Dutch volleybal player
May 19 — Dario Franchitti, automobile racer
May 22 — Tatiana Petrova, Russian water polo player
May 24 — Karim Alami, Moroccan tennis player
May 28 — Alberto Berasategui, Spanish tennis player
May 29 — Malcolm Allen, Australian freestyle swimmer
May 31 — Dominique van Roost, Belgian tennis player

June

June 1 — Fred Deburghgraeve, Belgian swimmer
June 2 — Marko Kristal, Estonian football midfielder
June 2 — Anja Smolders, Belgian athlete
June 4 — Greg van Hest, Dutch athlete
June 4 — Alexandra Verbeek, Dutch sailor
June 5 — Gella Vandecaveye, Belgian judoka
June 11 — Nicole van Hooren, Dutch badminton player
June 12 — Daron Rahlves, American alpine skier
June 13 — Gabriella Csépe, Hungarian breaststroke swimmer
June 14 — Alex Calatrava, German-born tennis player from Spain
June 15 — Vanina Oñeto, Argentine field hockey player
June 16 — Jan Maarten Heideman, Dutch marathon skater
June 16 — Nikos Machlas, Greek football player
June 17 — Leander Paes, Indian tennis player
June 21 — Alyson Annan, Australian field hockey player
June 27 — Simon Archer, British badminton player
June 28 — Brian Maisonneuve, American soccer player
June 29 — George Hincapie, American cyclist

July

July 5 — Marcus Allbäck, Swedish football player
July 11 — Konstantinos Kenteris, Greek athlete
July 11 — Joeri Stoffels, Dutch waterpolo player
July 12 — Christian Vieri, Italian football player
July 13 — Craig Parnham, English field hockey defender
July 14 — Maider Tellería, Spanish field hockey player
July 16 — Stefano Garzelli, Italian cyclist
July 20 — Peter Forsberg, Swedish ice hockey player
July 21 — Stephen Clarke, Canadian swimmer
July 21 — Mandy Wötzel, German figure skater
July 25 — Carolijn Brouwer, Dutch sailor
July 30 — Andrea Gaudenzi, Italian tennis player

August

August 1 — Veerle Dejaeghere, Belgian athlete
August 2 — Daniele Nardello, Italian cyclist
August 2 — Karina Habšudová, Slovak tennis player
August 2 — Susie O'Neill, Australian swimmer
August 7 — Larissa Loukianenko, Belarusian rhythmic gymnast
August 12 — Joseba Beloki, Spanish cyclist
August 14 — Jared Borgetti, Mexican football (soccer) player
August 14 — Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian football (soccer) player
August 14 — Kieren Perkins, Australian freestyle swimmer
August 14 — Nancy Sweetnam, Canadian medley swimmer
August 16 — Tracy Looze, Australian-born triathlete
August 20 — Scott Goodman, Australian butterfly swimmer
August 21 — Nikolay Valuev, Russian heavyweight boxer
August 22 — Okkert Brits, South African pole vaulter
August 22 — Mark Hickman, Australian field hockey goalkeeper
August 24 — Inge de Bruijn, Dutch swimmer
August 25 — Bas van Dooren, Dutch mountainbiker
August 27 — Karim Tulaganov, Uzbek boxer
August 29 — Olivier Jacqué, French motorcyclist

September

September 1 — Trent Bray, New Zealand freestyle swimmer
September 2 — Matthew Dunn, Australian swimmer
September 4 — Lidia Simon, Romanian long-distance runner
September 6 — Nikola Grbic, Serbian volleyball player
September 6 — Greg Rusedski, Canadian-born tennis player
September 9 — Vesa Hanski, Finnish butterfly swimmer
September 10 — Mark Huizinga, Dutch judoka
September 11 — Bas de Jong, Dutch waterpolo player
September 12 — Jack Rosendaal, Dutch athlete
September 13 — Christine Arron, French sprint athlete
September 13 — Fabio Cannavaro, Italian football player
September 16 — Alexandr Vinokoerov, Kazach cyclist
September 18 — Dario Frigo, Italian cyclist
September 19 — José Azevedo, Portuguese cyclist
September 21 — Virginia Ruano-Pascual, Spanish tennis player
September 21 — Andrei Kivilev, Kazach cyclist (d. 2003)
September 28 — Kathryn Leng, English cricketer
September 28 — Diederik van Weel, Dutch field hockey player

October

October 1 — Marijan Kanjer, Croatian freestyle swimmer
October 5 — Jacqueline Poelman, Dutch athlete
October 6 — Anna Gomis, French wrestler
October 8 — Toby Haenen, Australian backstroke swimmer
October 19 — Hicham Arazi, Moroccan tennis player
October 19 — Marc Lotz, Dutch cyclist
October 19 — Hanneke Smabers, Dutch field hockey player
October 22 — Marten Eikelboom, Dutch field hockey player
October 22 — Fleur van de Kieft, Dutch field hockey player
October 22 — Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball player, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001
October 22 — Mark van der Zijden, Dutch swimmer
October 23 — Semmy Schilt, Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist
October 23 — Conrad Stoltz, South African athlete
October 28 — Brent Cooper, American boxer
October 28 — Bing Chao Lin, Taiwanese tennis player
October 30 — Harry van der Meer, Dutch waterpolo player

November

November 2 — John "Bull" Hayes, Irish rugby union footballer
November 5 — Koos Moerenhout, Dutch cyclist
November 7 — Monique van der Lee, Dutch judoka
November 14 — Darren Smith, New Zealand field hockey player
November 15 — Mahammatkodir Abdoollayev, Uzbek boxer
November 15 — Albert Portas, Spanish tennis player
November 15 — Robert Sycz, Polish rower
November 16 — Joe Hudepohl, American swimmer
November 17 — Alexei Urmanov, Russian figure skater
November 23 — Claudia Zwiers, Dutch judoka
November 25 — Steven de Jongh, Dutch cyclist
November 27 — Mike Oliver, Canadian field hockey player
November 29 — Ryan Giggs, Welsh football player
November 30 — Carla Somerville, Canadian field hockey player

December

December 2 — Monica Seles, Yugoslavia-born American tennis champion
December 2 — Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
December 5 — Eelco Uri, Dutch waterpolo player
December 9 — Vénuste Niyongabo, Burundian middle distance runner
December 14 — Sue Armstrong, Canadian field hockey player
December 16 — Kristie Boogert, Dutch tennis player
December 16 — Tomasz Czubak, Polish athlete
December 17 — Paula Radcliffe, English athlete
December 18 — Heike Laetzsch, German field hockey player
December 19 — Marc Herremans, Belgian triathlete
December 20 — Antti Kasvio, Finnish swimmer
December 28 — Ids Postma, Dutch speed skater
December 28 — Garth da Silva, New Zealand boxer

Deaths

February 8 — Herbie Taylor, South African cricketer
March 12 — Frankie Frisch, Major League Baseball player (1919-1937)
March 26 — George Sisler, Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930)
July 2 — Swede Savage 26, USAC race car driver
July 8 — Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer
July 29 — Roger Williamson, Formula One driver, burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix
July 29 — Cecil Griffiths, British athlete (b. 1901)
August 7 — Wilbur Cooper, Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926)
August 9 — Charlie Daniels, US Olympic Gold medal swimmer
October 2 — Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner
December 3 — Count Fleet, thoroughbred racehorse and Triple Crown champion
December 16 — Syd Barnes, Australian cricketer

1973 | 1973 in sports

1973 en sport | 1973年のスポーツ | Sportåret 1973

Gourt Home::Gourt :: 1973 in sports

Football (American)

Football (Australian Rules)

Football (Canadian)

Football (Soccer)

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths