2001 in sports

Artistic Gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships:
- Men's all-around champion: Feng Jing, China
- Women's all-around champion: Svetlana Khorkina, Russia
- Men's team competition champion: Belarus
- Women's team competition champion: Romania

Auto Racing

Stock car racing:
- Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500, a race that also saw the death of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt in an unspectacular crash during the final lap.
- NASCAR Championship - Jeff Gordon
Indy Racing League - Sam Hornish Jr. won the season championship
Indianapolis 500 - Helio Castroneves
CART Racing - Gil de Ferran won the season championship
Formula One Championship - Michael Schumacher of Germany
24 hours of Le Mans: Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro driving an Audi R8
Rally racing:
- the team of Tommi Mäkinen / Risto Mannisenmaki won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
- Richard Burns of Great Britain won the World Rally Championship
Drag racing - Kenny Bernstein won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

World Series: Only 4 seasons old, the Arizona Diamondbacks became the youngest franchise to win a World Series by defeating the New York Yankees 4 games to 3. Series co-MVPs were Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, both of Arizona.

The Seattle Mariners tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs record with 116 wins.

Season MVPs: National League: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners.

Rookies of the Year: National League: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals. American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle.

Cy Young Award: National League: Randy Johnson, Arizona. American League: Roger Clemens, New York.

Books published:
- Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract: Revised edition of his classic 1985 book, introducing his Win shares system of player evaluation.

See also

2001 in baseball

Basketball

NBA Finals:
- Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1. The Lakers only loss in the postseason comes in Game 1 of the Finals, which the 76ers win in overtime.

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- Duke wins 82-72 over Arizona*

October 30 - Michael Jordan returns to the National Basketball Association with the Washington Wizards after 3 1/2 years (the Wizards lose 93-91 to the New York Knicks).

WNBA Finals:
- Los Angeles Sparks win 2 games to 0 over the Charlotte Sting, earning the franchise's first championship

Chinese Basketball Association finals:
- Bayi Rockets defeat Shanghai Sharks, 3 games to 1

Boxing

March 3 - John Ruiz defeats Evander Holyfield in their second fight by a decision in 12 rounds, winning the WBA's world Heavyweight championship, becoming the first Hispanic to win the world Heavyweight title.

September 29 - In a gala event dedicated to the victims and rescuers of 9/11, Bernard Hopkins defeats Félix Trinidad by a knockout in round 12 to unify the world's Middleweight championships.

Cricket

Courtney Walsh retires from international cricket, plays his last test match against South Africa.
The Ashes - Australia win 4-1
V.V.S. Laxman becomes the first Indian to score 250 in a test match as India fight back from following on to win the second test against Australia, ending the Australian's record 16 match winning streak. India go on to win the series 2-1.
County Championship (England and Wales) - Yorkshire
ICC Trophy - Netherlands

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Gilberto Simoni of Italy
Tour de France - Lance Armstrong of the United States
World Cycling Championship: Óscar Freire, of Spain

Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
- Doug Swingley with lead dogs: Stormy & Pepi

Field Hockey

World Competitions

Men's World Cup Qualifier Tournament in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Gold Medal: Argentina
- Silver Medal: Spain
- Bronze Medal: Poland

Men's Champions Trophy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Gold Medal: Germany
- Silver Medal: Australia
- Bronze Medal: The Netherlands

Men's Champions Challenge in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Gold Medal: India
- Silver Medal: South Africa
- Bronze Medal: Argentina

Women's World Cup Qualifier Tournament in Amiens / Abbeville, France
- Gold Medal: England
- Silver Medal: Russia
- Bronze Medal: Ukraine

Women's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- Gold Medal: Argentina
- Silver Medal: The Netherlands
- Bronze Medal: Australia

Regional Competitions

Women's Pan American Cup in Kingston, Jamaica
- Gold Medal: Argentina
- Silver Medal: United States
- Bronze Medal: Canada

Figure Skating

World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Evgeny Plushenko, Russia
- Ladies' champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
- Pairs champions: Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, Canada
- Ice dance champions: Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio

Football (American)

Orange Bowl: The Oklahoma Sooners won 13-2 over the Florida State Seminoles in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.
- MVP: Torrance Marshall (LB)
Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens won 34-7 over the New York Giants in their first and so far only Super Bowl Appearance
- MVP: Ray Lewis (LB)

Football (Australian Rules)

Australian Football League
- The Brisbane Lions win the 105th AFL premiership (Brisbane Lions 15.18 (108) d Essendon 12.10 (82))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Jason Akermanis (Brisbane Lions)
- See also Australian Football League season 2001

Football (Canadian)

Grey Cup: Calgary Stampeders win 27-19 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds won 39-23 over the Ottawa Gee Gees

Football (Soccer)

Confederations Cup: Held one year before the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, this tournament served as a prelude, for both South Korea & Japan and the participating nations. France defeated Japan to win the tournament.
Champions' League: Bayern Munich won 5-4 on penalties, in the final against Valencia, after a 1-1 draw at the end of the match. This was Bayern Munich's 4th European Cup title.
UEFA Cup: Liverpool won 5-4 after extra-time, in the final against Alavés, with an unfortunate own goal/golden goal by Delfi Gelí. This was Liverpool's third UEFA Cup title.
European Super Cup: Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3-2, winning the cup for the second time.
Intercontinental Cup: Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors 1-0, winning the cup for the second time.
Asian Champions Cup - Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings won their first Asian Champions Cup crown, defeating Jubilo Iwata 1-0. They also lifted the 2001 Asian Super Cup.

For fuller coverage, see: 2001 in football (soccer)

Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie
- All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Tipperary
- National Camogie League: Cork

Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Galway 10-17 d. Meath 1-8
- National Football League: Mayo 0-13 d. Galway 0-12

Ladies' Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Laois
- National Football League: Clare

Hurling
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Tipperary 2-18 d. Galway 2-15
- National Hurling League:

Golf

Men's Golf

Major championship results:
1. April - The Masters - Tiger Woods
2. June - US Open - Retief Goosen
3. July - British Open - David Duval
4. August - PGA Championship - David Toms

PGA TOUR leading money winner for the year: Tiger Woods - $5,687,777
PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Allen Doyle - $2,553,582
Ryder Cup of world golf postponed until 2002

Women's Golf

Kraft Nabisco Championship - Annika Sörenstam
US Women's Open - Karrie Webb
LPGA Championship - Karrie Webb
Women's British Open - Pak Se Ri
Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $2,105,868

World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Czech Republic defeated Finland
- Junior Men's champion: Czech Republic defeated Finland
- Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States

Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse begins play as a single-entity-ownership league.
Long Island Lizards win the first Steinfeld Cup over Baltimore Bayhawks, 15-11.
The Philadelphia Wings defeat the Toronto Rock 9-8, to win the Champion's Cup.
The 100th anniversaries of the donations of both the Mann Cup and the Minto Cup.
The Coquitlam Adanacs win the 100th Mann Cup.
The St. Catharines Athletics win the 100th Minto Cup.
The Wallaceburg Red Devils win the Founders Cup.

Radiosport

Fourth High Speed Telegraphy World Championship held in Constanţa, Romania.

Orienteering

Orienteering included as an event for the first time in the World Games held 18-19 August in Akita, Japan.

Rugby Union

Six Nations - England
Tri Nations - Australia
Heineken Cup - Leicester Tigers beat Stade Francais 34-30

Skiing

Alpine Skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
- The women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia

Snooker

World Snooker Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats John Higgins 18-14
World rankings: Mark Williams remains world number one for 2001/02

Swimming

Fifth European SC Championships, held in Antwerp, Belgium (December 13 – December 16)

Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

Davis Cup: France won 3-2 over Australia in world tennis.
Elena Dementieva finishes in the WTA top 20 for the second successive year, becomes the no. 1 Russian tennis player, a position held by Anna Kournikova since December 1997.