1941 in sports
- Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II
1941 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
American football
- NFL Championship: the Chicago Bears won 37–9 over the New York Giants at Wrigley Field
- Minnesota Golden Gophers – college football national champions.
- Chicago Bears win only meeting vs. Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. On January 23, 2011, they will meet again in the playoffs.
- At a college game in Youngstown, Ohio, game officials use a penalty flag for the first time.
Association football
- Atlético Aviación
- German football championship won by SK Rapid Wien
- Bologna
- Sporting CP
- There is no major football competition in England, Scotland or France due to World War II. In England, several regional leagues are played but statistics from these are not counted in players’ figures.
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- 1941 VFL Grand Final
- Footscray)
- South Australian National Football League:
- 4 October: Norwood 14.16 (100) beats Sturt 10.11 (71) for their nineteenth premiership but first since 1929.
- Western Australian National Football League:
- 11 October: West Perth 14.14 (98) beat East Fremantle 10.17 (77) to win their eighth WANFL premiership.
Baseball
- New York Yankees win the World Series, beating Brooklyn Dodgers by 4 games to 1
- Ted Williams records a season batting average of .406; it is the last time a major leaguer hit over .400
- Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16)
Basketball
NBL Championship
- Sheboygan Redskins(3–0)
Events
- Ninth Argentina.
Boxing
Events
- The highlight of the year is the World Heavyweight title fight between two current world champions, Joe Louis and Billy Conn, won by Louis with a 13th-round knockout.
Lineal world champions[1]
- World Heavyweight Championship – Joe Louis
- World Light Heavyweight Championship – Billy Conn
- World Middleweight Championship – vacant → Tony Zale
- Freddie "Red" Cochrane
- World Lightweight Championship – Lew Jenkins → Sammy Angott
- Lou Salica
- World Flyweight Championship– vacant
Cricket
England and South Africa
- There is no first-class cricket in England or South Africa due to World War II.
India
- Madrasby six wickets.
- Bombay Pentangular – Hindus
Australia
- During the 1940–41 season, although the Sheffield Shield is not contested, a number of interstate cricket matches are played for patriotic funding. For the 1941–42 season, seven three-day interstate matches are scheduled but only one is played before the urgency of the Pacific War puts an end to Australian first-class cricket until November 1945.
New Zealand and West Indies
- New Zealand abandons the Plunket Shield for 1940–41 but here, and in the West Indies, a small number of first-class matches are arranged and played each season until after the war without being part of an official competition.
Cycling
Tour de France
- not contested due to World War II[2]
- not contested due to World War II
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships
- not contested due to World War II
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Craig Wood
- 1941 U.S. Open – Craig Wood
- British Open – not played due to World War II[3]
- PGA Championship – Vic Ghezzi
Men's amateur
- British Amateur – not played due to World War II
- U.S. Amateur – Bud Ward
Women's professional
Horse racing
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – Poet Prince
- Grand National – not held due to World War II
Hurdle races
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Skipton
- Canada – King's Plate won by Budpath
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Le Pacha
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sol Oriens
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Lambert Simnel
- The Derby – Owen Tudor[4]
- St. Leger Stakes – Sun Castle
- United States Triple Crown Races:
Ice hockey
- Stanley Cup – Boston Bruins defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 0.
Motorsport
Rowing
The Boat Race
- Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II
Rugby league
- 1941 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1941 NSWRFL season
- 1940–41 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1941–42 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
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship– not contested
- Australian Women's Singles Championship– not contested
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship– not contested
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship– not contested
France
- French Men's Singles Championship – Bernard Destremau (France) defeats Henri Cochet(France) 8–6, 6–2
- French Women's Singles Championship – Alice Weiwers(Luxembourg) † details to be ascertained
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Bobby Riggs (USA) defeats Frank Kovacs (USA) 5–7, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3
- Pauline Betz Addie(USA) 7–5, 6–2
Davis Cup
- 1941 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball
- Betty Hicks Newell, golf
References
- ^ Cyber Boxing Zone
- ^ "Cycling-Tour de France list of winners". Eurosport UK. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-313-35653-7.
- ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2 January 2022.