1960 in sports

1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

 * The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
 * Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France
 * Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria
 * Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland
 * The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
 * Downhill: Heidi Biebl, West Germany
 * Slalom: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
 * Giant Slalom: Yvonne Rüegg, Switzerland
 * FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
 * Men's combined champion: Guy Périllat, France
 * Women's combined champion: Ann Heggtveit, Canada, who becomes the first non-European to win a world championship title in Alpine skiing.

American football

 * NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 17–13 over the Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field in Philadelphia
 * Cotton Bowl (1959 season):
 * The Syracuse Orangemen won 23–17 over the Texas Longhorns to win the college football national championship
 * National Football League names Pete Rozelle commissioner of the league. The league expands to Dallas for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St.Paul for the 1961 season. The Chicago Cardinals relocate to St. Louis.
 * The American Football League (AFL) played its first season
 * First black pro football placekicker: Gene Mingo (Denver Broncos, AFL)
 * First Hispanic pro football quarterback: Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders, AFL)
 * AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 24–16 over the Los Angeles Chargers

Association football

 * England – FA Cup – Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–0 over Blackburn Rovers
 * The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2–1 to win the first European Football Championship

Australian rules football

 * Victorian Football League
 * Melbourne wins the 64th VFL Premiership to McDonalds (Melbourne 8.14 (62) d Collingwood 2.2 (14))
 * Brownlow Medal awarded to John Schultz (Footscray)

Baseball

 * World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is New York's Bobby Richardson.
 * October 13 – 1960 World Series Game 7 at Forbes Field – Pittsburgh Pirates player Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run, and still the only player to do it in the decisive seventh game.
 * The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

Basketball
NBA Finals
 * Boston Celtics win four games to three over the St. Louis Hawks

Boxing

 * March 16 – Flash Elorde won the world junior lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Harold Gomes in Quezon City, Philippines.
 * June – Floyd Patterson recovered the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson, becoming the first-ever boxer to do so.
 * September 5 – Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in boxing at the Rome Olympic Games.

Canadian football

 * Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 34–9

Cycling

 * Tour de France – Gastone Nencini of Italy
 * Giro d'Italia – Jacques Anquetil of France

Field hockey

 * Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy
 * Gold Medal: Pakistan
 * Silver Medal: India
 * Bronze Medal: Spain

Figure Skating

 * January 30 - US Figure Skating championship Civic Ice Arena in Seattle January 30
 * US female championship won by Carol Heiss
 * US male championship won by David Jenkins
 * The Pairs won Nancy Ludington / Ron Ludington
 * Ice dancing won Margie Ackles / Charles Phillips

Golf
Men's professional Men's amateur Women's professional
 * Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer
 * U.S. Open – Arnold Palmer
 * British Open – Kel Nagle
 * PGA Championship – Jay Hebert
 * PGA Tour money leader – Arnold Palmer – $75,263
 * British Amateur – Joe Carr
 * U.S. Amateur – Deane Beman
 * Women's Western Open – Joyce Ziske
 * LPGA Championship – Mickey Wright
 * U.S. Women's Open – Betsy Rawls
 * Titleholders Championship – Fay Crocker
 * LPGA Tour money leader – Louise Suggs – $16,892

Harness racing

 * United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
 * Cane Pace – Countess Adios
 * Little Brown Jug – Bullet Hanover
 * Yonkers Trot – Duke of Decatur
 * Kentucky Futurity – Elaine Rodney
 * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
 * Pacers: Caduceus

Horse racing
Steeplechases
 * Cheltenham Gold Cup – Pas Seul
 * Grand National – Merryman II

Flat races
 * Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
 * Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Park
 * France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Puissant Chef
 * Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Chamour
 * English Triple Crown Races:
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Martial
 * The Derby – St. Paddy
 * St. Leger Stakes – St. Paddy
 * United States Triple Crown Races:
 * Kentucky Derby – Venetian Way
 * Preakness Stakes – Bally Ache
 * Belmont Stakes – Celtic Ash

Ice hockey

 * The American Olympic men's ice-hockey team won the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal with a record of 7–0–0 during the tournament.
 * Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
 * Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
 * World Hockey Championship
 * Men's champion: Canada defeats the United States
 * NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5–3 in Boston

Olympic Games

 * 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
 * USSR wins the most medals (103), and the most gold medals (43)
 * 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, United States
 * USSR wins the most medals (21), and the most gold medals (7)
 * First Paralympic Games held in Rome, Italy
 * Italy wins the most medals (80) and the most gold medals (29)
 * First Winter Universiade held in Chamonix, France

Rugby league

 * 1960 New Zealand rugby league season
 * 1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1960–61 Northern Rugby Football League season
 * 1960 NSWRFL season
 * 1960 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

 * 66th Five Nations Championship series is shared by England and France

Swimming

 * June 12 – Marianne Heemskerk from the Netherlands breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Leipzig, East Germany – 2:34.4.
 * July 10 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Evansville, Indiana, clocking 2:15.0.
 * July 23 – Thirteen days after breaking his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) Troy once again betters the world's best time in that event, this time at a meet in Toledo, Ohio clocking 2:13.4.
 * August 4 – Less than a month before the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Troy again breaks the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course), when he clocks 2:13.2 at a meet in Detroit, Michigan.
 * September 2 – Michael Troy wins the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy by breaking his own world record – 2:12.8.

Tennis
Australia England France USA Davis Cup
 * Australian Men's Singles Championship – Rod Laver (Australia) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
 * Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Jan Lehane O'Neill (Australia) 7–5, 6–2
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Sandra Reynolds Price (South Africa) 8–6, 6–0
 * French Men's Singles Championship – Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) defeats Luis Ayala (Chile) 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
 * French Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Yola Ramírez (Mexico) 6–3, 6–4
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Neale Fraser (Australia) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 	6–4, 6–4, 9–7
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Darlene Hard (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–4, 10–12, 6–4
 * 1960 Davis Cup – 4–1  at White City Stadium (grass) Sydney, Australia

Volleyball

 * 1960 FIVB Men's World Championship in Rio de Janeiro won by the USSR

Awards

 * Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Rafer Johnson, Track and field
 * Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Wilma Rudolph, Track and field