1950 in sports

1950 in Sports describes the year's events in world sport. Popular sports during the 1950s were badminton and soccer. Also, 1950 was a huge year for horse racing – horse racing tripled in spectators and prize pools increased.

American football

• NFL Championship: the Cleveland Browns won 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Stadium
• Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams

Association football

FIFA World Cup

• 1950 World Cup held in Brazil. Uruguay are the winners after beating Brazil in the final group decider.
• United States defeats England 1–0 in one of the great upsets in sports history

England

• First Division – Portsmouth win the 1949–50 title.
• FA Cup – Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–0.

France

• Olympique Lyonnais, officially rename from Lyon Olympique on August 3.^{[citation needed]}

Athletics

The 4th European Athletics Championships were held from 23 August to 27 August at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Australian rules football

• The Victorian Football Association began playing as an affiliated member of the Australian National Football Council and playing under the same rules as the rest of the country. This ended a decade-long schism which had begun in 1938, during which the VFA had played under its own rival set of rules under which throwing the football in general play was legalised.
• Victorian Football League
  • Essendon wins the 54th VFL Premiership (Essendon 13.14 (92) d North Melbourne 7.12 (54))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Allan Ruthven (Fitzroy)

Baseball

• The Japanese Baseball League is reorganized, creating the modern Nippon Professional Baseball.
• World Series – The New York Yankees sweep the Philadelphia Phillies four games to none.
• Japan Series – In the inaugural Japan Series, the Mainichi Orions defeat the Shochiku Robins 4 games to 2.

Basketball

NBA Finals

• Minneapolis Lakers over Syracuse Nationals (4–2)

Boxing

• January – Joey Maxim wins the light-heavyweight world title, stopping champion Freddie Mills in 10 rounds.
• September 27 – Ezzard Charles retains his World Heavyweight Championship with a 15-round unanimous decision over Joe Louis in New York City.

Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 13–0 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia – Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
• Tour de France – Ferdinand Kubler of Switzerland
• Vuelta a España – Emilio Rodriguez of Spain
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Briek Schotte of Belgium

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
  • Ladies' champion: Aja Zanova, Czechoslovakia
  • Pairs skating champions: Karol Kennedy & Michael Kennedy, United States

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – Jimmy Demaret
• U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
• PGA Championship – Chandler Harper
• British Open – Bobby Locke
• PGA Tour money leader – Sam Snead – $35,759

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – Frank Stranahan
• U.S. Amateur – Sam Urzetta

Women's professional

• Thirteen women golfers found the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
• Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
• U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
• Titleholders Championship – Babe Zaharias
• Babe Zaharias named Woman Athlete of the Half–Century by the Associated Press.
• LPGA Tour money leader – Babe Zaharias – $14,800

Harness racing

• Little Brown Jug for pacers – Dudley Hanover
• Hambletonian for trotters – Lusty Song
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship for pacers – Captain Sandy

Horse racing

• The United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is founded in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cottage Rake for the third successive year
• Grand National – Freebooter

Hurdle races

• Champion Hurdle – Hatton's Grace

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Comic Court
• Canada – King's Plate won by McGill
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Tantieme
• Ireland – Irish Derby won by Dark Warrior
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Palestine
  2. The Derby – Galcador^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Scratch
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Middleground
  2. Preakness Stakes – Hill Prince
  3. Belmont Stakes – Middleground

Ice hockey

• Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Ted Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings
• Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Charlie Rayner, New York Rangers
• Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 3 over the New York Rangers
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Canada's Edmonton Mercurys
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Colorado College Tigers defeat Boston University Terriers 13–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Motorsport

Main articles: 1950 in motorsport and List of 1950 motorsport champions

Nordic skiing

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

• 13th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1950 are held in the United States at Lake Placid (ski jumping) and Rumford, Maine (cross-country skiing). These are the first world championships since 1939.

Rowing

The Boat Race

• 1 April — Cambridge wins the 96th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Rugby league

Australia

• 1950 NSWRFL season

England

• 1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season/1950–51 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship

• 56th Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales who complete the Grand Slam

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship – Walter Donaldson beats Fred Davis 51–46.

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• Men's All-round Champion – Hjalmar Andersen (Norway)
• Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova (USSR)

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats Ken McGregor (Australia) 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–4, 3–6, 6–4

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Budge Patty (USA) defeats Frank Sedgman (Australia) 6–1, 8–10, 6–2, 6–3
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) 6–1, 3–6, 6–1

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Budge Patty
• French Women's Singles Championship – Doris Hart

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Arthur Larsen
• American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne duPont

Davis Cup

• 1950 Davis Cup –   Australia 4–1   United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

Multi-sport events

• 4th British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand^[2]

References

1. "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
2. . thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.