1991 in sports

1991 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
- Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria

American football

Super Bowl XXV – the New York Giants (NFC) won 20–19 over the Buffalo Bills (AFC)
- Location: Tampa Stadium
- Attendance: 73,813
- MVP: Ottis Anderson, RB (New York)
Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills is named the NFL MVP
Orange Bowl (1990 season):
- The Colorado Buffaloes won 10–9 over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the AP Poll national championships
Desmond Howard, University of Michigan wide receiver seals the Heisman Trophy with a 93-yard punt return in Michigan's 31–3 hammering of Ohio State.
World Bowl '91: London Monarchs won 21–0 over the Barcelona Dragons in the inaugural World Bowl.
Quarterback Stan Gelbaugh of the London Monarchs is named the World League of American Football's inaugural seasons Most Valuable Player

Artistic gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –
- Men's all-around champion: Grigory Misutin, USSR
- Women's all-around champion: Kim Zmeskal, United States^[1]
- Men's team competition champion: USSR
- Women's team competition champion: USSR

Association football

European Cup – Red Star Belgrade beat Olympique de Marseille 5–3 on penalties (0–0 aet)
FIFA Women's World Cup – United States won 2–1 over Norway

Athletics

1991 World Championships in Athletics held in Tokyo
30 August – Track & Field World Championship Mike Powell breaking Bob Beamon's 23-year-old Long Jump world record with a mark of 29' 4 1/2"

Australian rules football

Australian Football League
- The Adelaide Crows join the league
- 25 April – North Melbourne and Sydney kick between them 32.18 (210) in the first half. It is the record aggregate score for a half of VFL/AFL football.
- 2 June – Carlton kick their first goal with 33 second to go against Footscray, the closest a team has come to finishing goalless since Richmond kicked 0.8 (8) in 1961 against St. Kilda.
- 8 September – Hawthorn beat West Coast 18.16 (124) to 15.11 (101) in the first final outside Melbourne.
- 1991 AFL Grand Final (28 September) – Hawthorn wins the 95th AFL premiership beating West Coast 20.19 (139) to 13.8 (86) in the only Grand Final at VFL Park.
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Jim Stynes (Melbourne)
7 October – death of Darren Millane, who played for Collingwood between 1984 and 1991, from a car crash in Prahran.

Baseball

Dave Righetti breaks Sparky Lyle's major league record for left-handers of 238 career saves.
1 May – Nolan Ryan pitchers his seventh career no hitter with a 3–0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays
28 July – Dennis Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitches the 13th perfect game in major league history, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–0.
World Series – The Minnesota Twins win 4 games to 3 over the Atlanta Braves. The series MVP is Jack Morris of Minnesota.
Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles is named AL MVP
Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves is named NL MVP
Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox is named AL Cy Young award winner. It is his third of six in his career
Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves is named NL Cy Young award winner
Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins is named AL Rookie of the Year
Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros is named NL Rookie of the Year

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – Duke wins 72–65 over Kansas
Larry Johnson of UNLV is named Naismith College Player of the Year
9 February – Dee Brown win the Gatorade Slam Dunk Contest
10 February – NBA All-Star Game is held in Charlotte, North Carolina
12 June – NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers to earn the franchise's first championship, starting a run of six titles in eight seasons.
Michael Jordan is named the NBA MVP, his second of 5 awards.
7 November – Lakers' superstar Magic Johnson announces he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, thus ending his career in the NBA.
National Basketball League (Australia) Finals: Perth Wildcats defeated the Eastside Melbourne Spectres 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.
17 December – The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148 to 80, the largest margin of victory in any NBA game.

Boxing

3 March – Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a seventh-round TKO
19 April – Evander Holyfield defeats George Foreman to retain WBC, WBA & IBF Heavyweight titles
7 to 12 May – 29th European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Gothenburg, Sweden
3 June – Thomas Hearns defeats Virgil Hill with a unanimous decision to win WBA Light Heavyweight title
1 June at Palm Springs, California – Terry Norris knocked out Donald Curry in the 8th Round to win the WBC Super Welterweight Championship.
28 June Mike Tyson defeats Donovan Ruddock in a rematch with a 12-round unanimous decision
2 to 18 August – Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba.
5 October – James Toney defeats Michael Nunn with a TKO to win IBF Middleweight title
James Toney is named Ring Magazine fighter of the year

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 36–21 over the Calgary Stampeders
B.C. Lions Quarterback Doug Flutie is named CFL Most Outstanding Player
Vanier Cup – Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks win 25–18 over the Mount Allison Mounties

Cricket

South Africa readmitted to the International Cricket Council following the abolition of apartheid, and play their first international game since 1970.

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Franco Chioccioli of Italy
Tour de France – Miguel Indurain of Spain
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Gianni Bugno of Italy

Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
- Rick Swenson won with lead dog: Goose

Field hockey

Men's Champions Trophy: Germany
Women's Champions Trophy: Australia

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Kurt Browning, Canada
- Ladies' champion: Kristi Yamaguchi, United States
- Pair skating champions: Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Isabelle Duchesnay & Paul Duchesnay, France

Golf

Men's professional

Master – Ian Woosnam
U.S. Open – Payne Stewart
British Open – Ian Baker-Finch
PGA Championship – John Daly
PGA Tour money leader – Corey Pavin – $979,430
Senior PGA Tour money leader – Mike Hill – $1,065,657
Ryder Cup – United States team won 14½ – 13½ over the Europe in team golf.

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Gary Wolstenholme
U.S. Amateur – Mitch Voges
European Amateur – Jim Payne
Tiger Woods, at age 15, won his first USGA title, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Women's professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore – Amy Alcott
LPGA Championship – Meg Mallon
U.S. Women's Open – Meg Mallon
Classique du Maurier – Nancy Scranton
LPGA Tour money leader – Pat Bradley – $763,118

Harness racing

North America Cup – Precious Bunny
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
1. Cane Pace – Silky Stallone
2. Little Brown Jug – Precious Bunny
3. Messenger Stakes – Die Laughing
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
1. Hambletonian – Giant Victory
2. Yonkers Trot – Crown's Invitation
3. Kentucky Futurity – Whiteland Janice
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Mark Ranover
- Trotters: Fraggle Rock

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Garrison Savannah
Grand National – Seagram

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Let's Elope
Canadian Triple Crown Races:
1. Queen's Plate – Dance Smartly
2. Prince of Wales Stakes – Dance Smartly
3. Breeders' Stakes – Dance Smartly
- Dance Smartly becomes the country's third consecutive Triple Crown winner.
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Suave Dancer
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Generous
Japan – Japan Cup won by Golden Pheasant
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Mystiko
2. The Derby – Generous^[2]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Toulon
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Strike the Gold
2. Preakness Stakes – Hansel
3. Belmont Stakes – Hansel
Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Black Tie Affair
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Dance Smartly
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Arazi
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Pleasant Stage
5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Opening Verse
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Sheikh Albadou
7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Miss Alleged

Ice hockey

Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues
Stanley Cup
- Pittsburgh Penguins win 4 games to 2 over the Minnesota North Stars
Conn Smythe Trophy – Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Sweden defeated Canada
- Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated the USSR
Sheffield Steelers formed
San Jose Sharks formed
Northern Michigan University wins the NCAA Division I title in hockey, 8–7 in the third overtime against Boston University.

Lacrosse

The Detroit Turbos defeat the Baltimore Thunder to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship

Motorsport

Radiosport

The Friendship Radiosport Games held in Portland, Oregon, United States was the first international Amateur Radio Direction Finding competition held in the Americas.
Third European High Speed Telegraphy Championship held in Neerpelt, Belgium.

Rugby League

Penrith Panthers defeat two-time defending premiers Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium. It is Penrith's first premiership since their admission in 1967.
Wigan retained their title in the English Rugby League competition, with Oldham, Sheffield Eagles and Rochdale Hornets being relegated. To date this is Rochdale's last appearance in the top flight.

Rugby Union

97th Five Nations Championship series is won by England who complete the Grand Slam
Australia wins the 1991 Rugby World Cup

Snooker

World Snooker Championship – John Parrott beats Jimmy White 18–11
World rankings – Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1991/92

Swimming

The sixth FINA World Championships, held in Perth, Australia (3 January – 13)
Eleventh Pan American Games held in Havana, Cuba (12–18 August)
20th European LC Championships, held in Athens, Greece (18–25 August)
Fourth Pan Pacific Championships, held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (22–25 August)
First European Sprint Championships, held in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (6–8 December)
13 December – Steve Crocker sets the first official world record in the men's 50m freestyle (short course) in Sheffield, United Kingdom, clocking 25.64.