1940 in sports

:Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II

1940 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

FIS Alpine World Ski Championships

The 10th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are cancelled due to World War II

American football

NFL championship

The Chicago Bears defeat the Washington Redskins 73–0 in the NFL championship game.
This game still holds records for the highest score and biggest win in National Football League history.

College championship

College football national championship – Minnesota Golden Gophers

Association football

La Liga – won by Athletic Aviación Club
Serie A – won by S.S. Ambrosiana-Inter
Primeira Liga – won by F.C. Porto.
There is no major football competition in England, Scotland or France due to World War II. In England, several regional leagues are set up but statistics from these are not counted in players’ figures.

Athletics

The 1940 Summer Olympics to be held in Helsinki, were cancelled due to outbreak of World War II. The major international athletics event of the year was thus the annual Finland-Sweden athletics international, held at the new Helsinki Olympic Stadium, exceptionally held as a triple international between Finland, Sweden and Germany.

Australian rules football

Victorian Football League
28 September: Melbourne wins the 44th VFL Premiership, defeating Richmond 15.17 (107) to 10.8 (68) in the 1940 VFL Grand Final.
Brownlow Medal awarded to Des Fothergill (Collingwood) and Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne)
South Australian National Football League
28 September: Sturt 14.16 (100) defeat South Adelaide 11.13 (79) for their fifth SANFL premiership, but their last until 1966.
Western Australian National Football League
17 August: Claremont become the first team to score 200 points in a senior WANFL match when they kick 33.22 (220) against Swan Districts.
12 October: Claremont 13.13 (91) defeat South Fremantle 9.20 (74) for their third successive WANFL premiership.

Baseball

The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 1940 World Series by 4 games to 3

Basketball

NBL Championship

Akron Firestone Non-Skids over Oshkosh All-Stars (3–2)

Events

The eighth South American Basketball Championship in Montevideo is won by Uruguay.

Boxing

Events

4 October – Henry Armstrong loses the last of his three world titles when defeated by new World Welterweight Champion Fritzie Zivic over fifteen rounds in New York City

Lineal world champions

World Heavyweight Championship – Joe Louis
World Light Heavyweight Championship – Billy Conn
World Middleweight Championship – vacant
World Welterweight Championship – Henry Armstrong → Fritzie Zivic
World Lightweight Championship – Lou Ambers → Lew Jenkins
World Featherweight Championship – Joey Archibald → Harry Jeffra
World Bantamweight Championship – vacant → Lou Salica
World Flyweight Championship – vacant

Cricket

England

Because of World War II, no first-class cricket is played in England from 1940 to 1944, and the Minor Counties Championship is similarly not contested until 1946.

Australia

Sheffield Shield – New South Wales
Most runs – Don Bradman, 1475 @ 122.61 (HS 267)
Most wickets – Clarrie Grimmett 73 @ 22.65 (BB 6–57)

India

Ranji Trophy – Maharashtra defeats United Provinces by ten wickets.
Bombay Pentangular – Hindus

New Zealand

Plunket Shield – Auckland

South Africa

The Currie Cup is not contested, but a total of nineteen first-class friendly matches are held. Inter-provincial cricket is abandoned after the 1939–40 season until the end of the war.
Most runs – Eric Rowan, 590 @ 147.50 (HS 306 not out)
Most wickets – Norman Gordon 28 @ 14.92 (BB 6–61)

West Indies

No first-class cricket is played in the 1939–40 season due to the outbreak of World War II, though in later years a few matches are arranged.

Cycling

Tour de France

not contested due to World War II

Giro d'Italia

Fausto Coppi

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

not contested due to World War II

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Jimmy Demaret
U.S. Open – Lawson Little
British Open – not played due to World War II
PGA Championship – Byron Nelson

Men's amateur

British Amateur – not played due to World War II
U.S. Amateur – Dick Chapman

Women's professional

Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
Titleholders Championship – Helen Hicks

Horse racing

March 2 – in his final race, Seabiscuit wins the $121,000 Santa Anita Handicap

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Roman Hackle
Grand National – Bogskar

Hurdle races

Champion Hurdle – Solford

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Old Rowley
Canada – King's Plate won by Willie the Kid
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – not held due to World War II
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Turkhan
English Triple Crown Races:
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Djebel
The Derby – Pont l'Eveque
St. Leger Stakes – Turkhan
United States Triple Crown Races:
Kentucky Derby – Gallahadion
Preakness Stakes – Bimelech
Belmont Stakes – Bimelech

Ice hockey

The New York Rangers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 2 to win the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.

Motorsport

Olympic Games

1940 Winter Olympics

The 1940 Winter Olympics, due to take place at Sapporo, are cancelled due to World War II

1940 Summer Olympics

The 1940 Summer Olympics, due to take place at Tokyo, are cancelled due to World War II

Rowing

The Boat Race

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II

Rugby league

1940 New Zealand rugby league season
1940 NSWRFL season
1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1940–41 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War II

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

not contested due to World War II

Tennis