1986 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: Maria Walliser, Switzerland

American football

  • Super Bowl XX – the Chicago Bears (NFC) won 46–10 over the New England Patriots (AFC)
  • Location: Superdome
  • Attendance: 73,818
  • MVP: Richard Dent, DE (Chicago)
  • Linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants wins the NFL Most Valuable Player Award
  • January 1 – Orange Bowl (1985 season):
  • The Oklahoma Sooners won 25–10 over the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the national championship
  • Quarterback Vinny Testaverde of the Miami Hurricanes is awarded the Heisman Trophy

Association football

  • 1986 FIFA World Cup – In the final, Argentina defeated West Germany 3–2 and won their second World Cup title. It was played for the second time in Mexico City, Azteca Stadium.
  • UEFA Champions League – Steaua București 0–0 F.C. Barcelona; Steaua București won 2–0 on penalties
  • UEFA Cup –Two legs; 1st leg Real Madrid C.F. 5–1 1. FC Köln; 2nd leg 1.FC Köln 2–0 Real Madrid CF. Real Madrid CF won 5–3 on aggregate
  • Cup Winners' Cup – Dinamo Kiev 3–0 Atlético Madrid
  • Super Cup – Steaua București 1–0 Dinamo Kiev
  • Copa Libertadores de América – Two legs; 1st leg América de Cali 1–2 River Plate; 2nd leg River Plate 1–0 América. River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate
  • November 6 – Alex Ferguson is appointed manager of Manchester United F.C.
  • Milk Cup Final held at Wembley Stadium – Oxford United 3–0 QPR
  • Intercontinental Cup – River Plate 1–0 Steaua București

Australian rules football

  • Victorian Football League
  • Hawthorn wins the 90th VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 16.14 (110) d Carlton 9.14 (68))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Greg Williams (Sydney Swans) and Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn)
  • The national draft is held for the first time.

Baseball

  • Major League Baseball
  • American League defeats the National League 3–2 in the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game played in Houston, Texas. Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox is named the game's Most Valuable Player.
  • All-Star Game: American League Manager Dick Howser is diagnosed with brain cancer after mixing up signals during the game.
  • Dave Righetti saves 46 games for the New York Yankees, breaking a record shared by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter.
  • October 27 – World Series – The New York Mets win 4 games to 3 over the Boston Red Sox. The series is best remembered for Game 6, when the Red Sox were one out away from the Series victory but blew a 2-run lead with the bases empty and 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning; the game's final play was a groundball that rolled through the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner.
  • Jeff King of the University of Arkansas is the #1 overall pick in the 1986 MLB draft selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Arizona Wildcats defeat Florida State Seminoles 10–2 in College World Series

Basketball

  • NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
  • Louisville Cardinals wins 72–69 over Duke Blue Devils
  • Duke Blue Devils Guard Johnny Dawkins is named Naismith College Player of the Year
  • NBA Finals
  • June – Boston Celtics win 4 games to 2 over the Houston Rockets
  • Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird is awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award
  • National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
  • Adelaide 36ers defeated the Brisbane Bullets 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.
  • FIBA World Championship
  • United States World Champion

Boxing

  • March 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada – Marvin Hagler retains the World Middleweight Championship with an 11th-round knockout of John Mugabi.
  • May 8 to 18 – Fourth World Amateur Boxing Championships are held in Reno, United States
  • November 22 – Mike Tyson knocks out Trevor Berbick in round 2 to become the youngest world heavyweight-boxing champion at 20 years and 4 months old

Canadian football

  • Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats won 39–15 over the Edmonton Eskimos
  • Vanier Cup – UBC Thunderbirds won 25–23 over the Western Ontario Mustangs

Cricket

  • Sri Lanka defeats Pakistan to win the 1986 Asia Cup, the second edition of the Asia Cup.
  • Pakistan national cricket team defeats India in the final to win the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup, the inaugural edition of the Austral-Asia Cup.

Cycling

  • Giro d'Italia won by Roberto Visentini of Italy
  • Tour de France – Greg LeMond is the first winner from the United States
  • UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Moreno Argentin of Italy

Dogsled racing

  • Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
  • Susan Butcher won with lead dogs: Granite & Mattie

Field hockey

  • Men's World Cup held in London won by Australia
  • Women's World Cup held in Amstelveen won by the Netherlands
  • Men's Champions Trophy held in Karachi won by West Germany

Figure skating

  • World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: Brian Boitano, United States
  • Ladies' champion: Debi Thomas, United States
  • Pair skating champions: Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions: Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin, Soviet Union

Gaelic Athletic Association

  • Camogie
  • All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny
  • National Camogie League: Cork
  • Gaelic football
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Kerry 2–15 died Tyrone 1–10
  • National Football League – Laois 2–6 died Monaghan 2–5
  • Ladies' Gaelic football
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry
  • National Football League: Wexford
  • Hurling
  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Cork 4–13 died Galway 2–15
  • National Hurling League – Kilkenny 2–10 beat Galway 2–6

General

  • 17 October – The IOC votes that the 1992 Olympic Summer Games will be held in Barcelona, Spain.

Golf

Men's professional

  • Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus becomes the oldest Masters winner (age 46), and wins his last major golf championship (excluding the Senior PGA Tour).
  • U.S. Open – Raymond Floyd
  • British Open – Greg Norman
  • PGA Championship – Bob Tway
  • PGA Tour money leader – Greg Norman – $653,296
  • Senior PGA Tour money leader – Bruce Crampton – $454,299

Men's amateur

  • British Amateur – David Curry
  • U.S. Amateur – Buddy Alexander
  • European Amateur – Anders Haglund

Women's professional

  • Nabisco Dinah Shore – Pat Bradley
  • LPGA Championship – Pat Bradley
  • U.S. Women's Open – Jane Geddes
  • Classique du Maurier Classic – Pat Bradley
  • LPGA Tour money leader – Pat Bradley – $492,021

Harness racing

  • North America Cup – Quite A Sensation
  • United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  • Cane Pace – Barberry Spur
  • Little Brown Jug – Barberry Spur
  • Messenger Stakes – Amity Chef
  • United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  • Hambletonian – Nuclear Kosmos
  • Yonkers Trot – Gunslinger Spur
  • Kentucky Futurity – Sugarcane Hanover
  • Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers: Village Kid

Horse racing

Steeplechases

  • Cheltenham Gold Cup – Dawn Run
  • Grand National – West Tip

Flat races

  • Australia – Melbourne Cup won by At Talaq
  • Canada – Queen's Plate won by Golden Choice
  • France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Dancing Brave
  • Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Shahrastani
  • Japan – Japan Cup won by Jupiter Island
  • English Triple Crown Races:
  • 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Dancing Brave
  • The Derby – Shahrastani
  • St. Leger Stakes – Moon Madness
  • United States Triple Crown Races:
  • Kentucky Derby – Ferdinand
  • Preakness Stakes – Snow Chief
  • Belmont Stakes – Danzig Connection
  • Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
  • Breeders' Cup Classic – Skywalker
  • Breeders' Cup Distaff – Lady's Secret
  • Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Capote
  • Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Brave Raj
  • Breeders' Cup Mile – Last Tycoon
  • Breeders' Cup Sprint – Smile
  • Breeders' Cup Turf – Manila

Ice hockey

  • Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
  • Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
  • Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4 games to 1 over the Calgary Flames
  • World Hockey Championship –
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
  • Junior Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Canada

Lacrosse

  • The 5th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Toronto. The United States win, and Canada is the runner-up.
  • The first Japanese lacrosse team is formed at Keio University.
  • The Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) is formed as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League.
  • The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.
  • Mississauga wins the Founders Cup.
  • The Peterborough Maulers win the Minto Cup.

Motorsport

Radiosport

  • Third Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

Rugby league

  • 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France
  • 1986 National Panasonic Cup
  • 1986 New Zealand rugby league season
  • 1986 NSWRL season
  • 1986 Pacific Cup
  • 1986–87 Rugby Football League season / 1985–86 Rugby Football League season
  • 1986 State of Origin series
  • 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

  • 92nd Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Scotland

Snooker

  • World Snooker Championship – Joe Johnson beats Steve Davis 18–12
  • World rankings – Steve Davis remains world number one for 1986/87

Swimming

  • The fifth FINA World Championships held in Madrid, Spain
  • June 26 – Matt Biondi clocks 22.33 to take the world record from fellow American Tom Jager (22.40) in the 50m freestyle (long course)

Tennis

  • Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  • Australian Open – no tournament held
  • French Open – Ivan Lendl
  • Wimbledon championships – Boris Becker
  • U.S. Open – Ivan Lendl
  • Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  • Australian Open – no tournament held
  • French Open – Chris Evert
  • Wimbledon championships – Martina Navratilova
  • U.S. Open – Martina Navratilova
  • Davis Cup – Australia won 3–2 over Sweden in world tennis.

Volleyball

  • Men's World Championship held in Paris won by USA
  • Women's World Championship held in Prague won by China

Water polo

  • Men's World Championship held in Madrid won by Yugoslavia
  • Women's World Championship held in Madrid won by Australia

Multi-sport events

  • Asian Games held in Seoul, South Korea
  • Winter Asian Games held in Sapporo, Japan
  • Central American and Caribbean Games held in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
  • Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Summer Goodwill Games held in Moscow, Soviet Union

Awards

  • ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year – Debi Thomas, Figure Skating
  • Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Larry Bird, NBA Finals NBA basketball
  • Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Martina Navratilova, Tennis
  • Joe Paterno is named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year

References