2001 in sports

See also: 2000 in sports, other events of 2001, 2002 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500
  • 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 Emanuele Pirro driving an Audi R8
• Rally racing:
  • the team of Tommi Makinen / 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.

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

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

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

Basketball

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

• NBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Lakers win 4 games to 1 Philadelphia 76ers

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 Felix Trinidad by a knockout in round 12 to unify the world's Middleweight championships.

Cycling

• Tour de France - Lance Armstrong of the United States

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Jewgeni Pluschenko, Russia
  • Women's champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
  • Pairs champions: Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, Canada

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Liverpool won 2-1 over Arsenal

Football (American)

• January 28 - Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV by defeating the New York Giants 34 to 7.

Canadian Football League

• Grey Cup: Calgary Stampeders win 27-19 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds defeat the Ottawa Gee Gees 39-23 in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU) championship.

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters golf tournament - Tiger Woods
  2. June - US Open - Retief Goosen
  3. July - British Open - David Duval
  4. August - PGA Championship - David Toms

• PGA tour's 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

• US Women's Open - Karrie Webb
• LPGA Championship - Karrie Webb
• Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $2,105,868

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Ethereal
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Dancethruthedawn
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Sakhee
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Galileo

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Golan
  2. Epsom Derby - Galileo
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Milan

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Monarchos
  2. Preakness Stakes - Point Given
  3. Belmont Stakes - Point Given

Harness Racing

• The North America Cup - Bettor's Delight

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Four Starzz Shark
  2. Little Brown Jug - Bettor's Delight
  3. Messenger Stakes - Bagel Beach Boy

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Scarlet Knight
  2. Yonkers Trot -
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Chaising Tail

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Yulestar
  • Trotters: Take A Moment

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins

• Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Joe Sakic - Colorado Avalanche

• Stanley Cup: Colorado Avalanche win 4 games to 3 over the New Jersey Devils

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

Skiing

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

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis mens results:
  1. Australian Open - Andre Agassi
  2. French Open - Gustavo Kuerten
  3. Wimbledon championships - Goran Ivanicevic
  4. US Open - Lleyton Hewitt

• Grand Slam in tennis womens results:
  1. Australian Open - Jennifer Capriati
  2. French Open - Jennifer Capriati
  3. Wimbledon championships - Venus Williams
  4. US Open - Venus Williams

• Davis Cup: France won 3-2 over Australia in world tennis.

General sporting events

• Embassy World Snooker Championship:
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan won 18-14 over John Higgins

Deaths

• Cam Fella - harness racing horse
• February 18 - Dale Earnhardt - NASCAR race car driver
• April 10 - Willie Stargell - baseball player, member of the United States Baseball Hall of Fame.
• September 11 - Garnet Bailey, former Boston Bruins ice hockey player and a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings died in the crash of United Airlines Flight 175 in the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack.