1964 in sports

1964 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

 * Men's Olympic gold medal:
 * Downhill: Egon Zimmermann, Austria
 * Slalom: Josef Stiegler, Austria
 * Giant Slalom: François Bonlieu, France
 * Women's Olympic gold medal:
 * Downhill: Christl Haas, Austria
 * Slalom: Christine Goitschel, France
 * Giant Slalom: Marielle Goitschel, France
 * FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
 * Men's combined champion: Ludwig Leitner, Germany
 * Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

American football

 * NFL Championship: the Cleveland Browns won 27–0 over the Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Stadium
 * Cotton Bowl (1963 season):
 * The Texas Longhorns won 28–6 over the Navy Midshipmen to win the college football national championship
 * Heisman Trophy – John Huarte QB, Notre Dame
 * AFL Championship – Buffalo Bills win 20–7 over the San Diego Chargers

England

 * FA Cup final – West Ham United won 3–2 over Preston North End

International

 * Spain beat the Soviet Union 2–1 to win the European Championship.
 * In October during the celebration of the 1964 Summer Olympics FIFA gives the right to host the Football World Cup in 1970 to Mexico.
 * The 1964 Jutland Series runs from 30 March to 15 November in Denmark

Athletics

 * March 6 – Tom O'Hara sets a new world record for the indoor mile run by completing it in 3 minutes and 56.4 seconds

Australian rules football

 * Victorian Football League
 * Melbourne wins the 68th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 8.16 (64) d Collingwood 8.12 (60))
 * Brownlow Medal awarded to Gordon Collis (Carlton)

Baseball

 * February 15 – death of Ken Hubbs (22), Chicago Cubs player, in an air crash just before the season began
 * April 17 – The New York Mets play their first game at brand-new Shea Stadium and lose 4–3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Willie Stargell hits the first home run in the stadium's history, a second-inning solo shot off the Mets' Jack Fisher.
 * June 21 – Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game in a 6–0 victory over the New York Mets.
 * World Series – St. Louis Cardinals win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is pitcher, Bob Gibson of St. Louis.
 * AL MVP – Brooks Robinson 3B, Baltimore Orioles
 * NL MVP – Ken Boyer 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
 * AL Rookie of the Year – Tony Oliva OF, Minnesota Twins
 * NL Rookie of the Year – Dick Allen 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
 * Cy Young Award – Dean Chance, Los Angeles Angels

Basketball

 * NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
 * UCLA wins 97–83 over Duke
 * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year – Gary Bradds F, Ohio State
 * NBA Finals – Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 over the San Francisco Warriors
 * NBA MVP – Oscar Robertson G, Cincinnati Royals
 * NBA Rookie of the Year – Jerry Lucas F, Cincinnati Royals

Boxing

 * February 25 in Miami Beach, Florida – Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston by TKO in the 7th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
 * December 14 in Philadelphia, Joey Giardello won a 15-round decision over Rubin "Hurricane" Carter to win the World Middleweight title.

Canadian football

 * Grey Cup – B.C. Lions win 34–24 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Cycling

 * Giro d'Italia won by Jacques Anquetil of France
 * Tour de France – Jacques Anquetil of France
 * UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Jan Janssen of Netherlands

Field hockey

 * Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Tokyo, Japan
 * Gold Medal: India
 * Silver Medal: Pakistan
 * Bronze Medal: Australia

Figure skating

 * World Figure Skating Championships
 * Men's champion: Manfred Schnelldorfer, Germany
 * Ladies' champion: Sjoukje Dijkstra, Netherlands
 * Pair skating champions: Marika Kilius & Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, Germany
 * Ice dancing champions: Eva Romanová & Pavel Roman, Czechoslovakia

Golf
Men's professional Men's amateur Women's professional
 * Masters Tournament – Arnold Palmer
 * U.S. Open – Ken Venturi
 * British Open – Tony Lema
 * PGA Championship – Bobby Nichols
 * PGA Tour money leader – Jack Nicklaus – $113,285
 * British Amateur – Gordon Clark
 * U.S. Amateur – William C. Campbell
 * Women's Western Open – Carol Mann
 * LPGA Championship – Mary Mills
 * U.S. Women's Open – Mickey Wright
 * Titleholders Championship – Marilynn Smith
 * LPGA Tour money leader – Mickey Wright – $29,800

Harness racing

 * United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
 * Cane Pace – Race Time
 * Little Brown Jug – Vicar Hanover
 * Messenger Stakes – Race Time
 * Ayres won the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
 * Hambletonian – Ayres
 * Yonkers Trot – Ayres
 * Kentucky Futurity – Ayres
 * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
 * Pacers: Minuteman

Horse racing
Steeplechases Flat races
 * Northern Dancer becomes the first Canadian–bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby
 * Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
 * Grand National – Team Spirit
 * Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Polo Prince
 * Canada – Queen's Plate won by Northern Dancer
 * France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Prince Royal
 * Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Santa Claus
 * English Triple Crown Races:
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Baldric
 * The Derby – Santa Claus
 * St. Leger Stakes – Indiana
 * United States Triple Crown Races:
 * Kentucky Derby – Northern Dancer
 * Preakness Stakes – Northern Dancer
 * Belmont Stakes – Quadrangle

Ice hockey

 * Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
 * Stanley Cup – Toronto Maple Leafs won 4–3 over the Detroit Red Wings
 * World Hockey Championship –
 * Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
 * NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Michigan Wolverines defeat University of Denver Pioneers 6–3 in Denver, Colorado

Lacrosse

 * Guelph Mohawks win the first Castrol Cup.
 * Vancouver Carlings win the Mann Cup.
 * Oshawa Green Gaels win the Minto Cup.

Rugby league

 * 1964 New Zealand rugby league season
 * 1964 NSWRFL season
 * 1963–64 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1964–65 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

 * 70th Five Nations Championship series is shared by Scotland and Wales

Snooker

 * The World Snooker Championship is revived in a challenge format:
 * John Pulman beats Fred Davis 19-16
 * John Pulman beats Rex Williams 40-33

Swimming

 * February 29 – in Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the women's 100m freestyle (long course) competition: 58.9 seconds.
 * March 29 – Australia's Kevin Berry sets a new world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Sydney, clocking 2:06.9.
 * July 12 – US swimmer Sharon Stouder breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) with one second, during a meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, clocking 2:28.1.
 * August 2 – Sharon Stouder once again breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course), this time in Los Altos, California, clocking 2:26.4.
 * October 18 – Kevin Berry breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) on the last day of the swimming competition at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, with a time of 2:06.6.

Tennis
Australia France UK USA Davis Cup
 * Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
 * Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Lesley Turner Bowrey (Australia) 6–3, 6–2
 * French Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy) 6–3, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
 * French Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Court (Australia) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) 6–4, 12–10, 4–6, 6–3
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Margaret Smith Court (Australia) 6–4, 7–9, 6–3
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Fred Stolle (Australia) in straight sets 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Carole Caldwell Graebner (USA) in straight sets 6–1, 6–0
 * 1964 Davis Cup – 3–2  at Harold Clark Courts (clay) Cleveland, United States

Volleyball

 * Volleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics won by USSR (men) and Japan (women)

Yacht racing

 * The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Constellation defeats British challenger Sovereign, of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, 4 races to 0

Multi-sport events

 * 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan
 * United States wins the most gold medals (36) but the Soviet Union wins the most overall medals (96).
 * This Olympic opening ceremony is first time of live Olympic telecast program by geostationary communication satellite.
 * 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria
 * USSR wins the most medals (25), and the most gold medals (11).
 * Third Winter Universiade held in Špindleruv Mlýn, Czechoslovakia

Awards

 * Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Don Schollander, Swimming
 * Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Mickey Wright, LPGA golf
 * ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: Don Schollander, Swimming
 * Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – Ken Venturi – Golf