View source for 1978 in sports

{{Short description|none}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2016}}
'''1978 in sports''' describes the year's events in world sport.
{{Year nav sports topic5|1978|sports}}

==[[Alpine skiing]]==
* [[1977–78 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup|Alpine Skiing World Cup]]
** Men's overall season champion: [[Ingemar Stenmark]], Sweden
** Women's overall season champion: [[Hanni Wenzel]], [[Liechtenstein]]

==[[American football]]==
* January 15 − [[Super Bowl XII]]: the [[Dallas Cowboys]] (NFC) won 27−10 over the [[Denver Broncos]] (AFC)
** Location: [[Louisiana Superdome|Superdome]]	
** Attendance: 76,400	
** co–MVPs: [[Harvey Martin]], DE and [[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]], DT (Dallas)
* [[Holy Roller (American football)|The Holy Roller Game]] – [[Oakland Raiders]] vs [[San Diego Chargers]]
* [[1978 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]] (1977 season):
** The [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish]] won 38–10 over the [[Texas Longhorns]] to win the college football [[1977 NCAA Division I football season|national championship]]

==[[Artistic gymnastics]]==
* [[1978 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]] –
** Men's all-around champion: [[Nikolai Andrianov]], [[USSR]]
** Women's all-around champion: [[Elena Mukhina]], [[USSR]]
** Men's team competition champion: Japan
** Women's team competition champion: [[USSR]]

==[[Association football]]==
* [[1978 FIFA World Cup|Football World Cup]] – [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] wins 3-1 (after extra time) over the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]]
* England - [[1978 FA Cup Final|FA Cup]] – [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] win 1–0 over [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
* [[1977–78 Football League|England - League]] – [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] win the championship as well as the League Cup
* [[1977–78 La Liga|La Liga]] won by [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]]
* [[1977–78 Primeira Divisão|Primeira Liga]] won by [[FC Porto]]
* [[1977–78 Serie A|Serie A]] won by [[Juventus FC|Juventus]]
* [[1977–78 French Division 1|French Division 1]] won by [[AS Monaco FC|AS Monaco]]
* [[1977–78 European Cup|European Cup]] won by '''{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]'''
* [[Kirin Cup]] tournament is first held in Japan (international club competition phase).
* [[Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992)|Major Indoor Soccer League]] begins operations in the United States.

==[[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]==
* August – [[Athletics at the 1978 Commonwealth Games|1978 Commonwealth Games]] held at [[Edmonton]], Alberta, Canada
* September – [[1978 European Championships in Athletics]] held at Prague
* December – [[Athletics at the 1978 Asian Games|1978 Asian Games]] held at [[Bangkok, Thailand]]

==[[Australian rules football]]==
'''[[Victorian Football League]]'''
* 1 July: [[Footscray Football Club|Footscray]] beat Carlton's nine year record for the highest VFL score when they kick 33.15 (213) to [[St Kilda Football Club|St. Kilda]]’s 16.10 (106). [[Kelvin Templeton]] and [[Ian Dunstan]] amass 22 goals between them, equalling the 1931 record of [[Doug Strang]] and [[Jack Titus]] (who died that year).
* [[Hawthorn Football Club|Hawthorn]] wins the 82nd [[1978 VFL season|VFL Premiership]] (Hawthorn 18.13 (121) d [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] 15.13 (103))
* [[Brownlow Medal]] awarded to [[Malcolm Blight]] (North Melbourne)
'''[[South Australian National Football League]]'''
* 30 September: [[Norwood Football Club|Norwood]] 16.15 (111) pip [[Sturt Football Club|Sturt]] 14.26 (110) to win their twenty-fourth league premiership after the Double Blues had lost only one match all season.
* [[Magarey Medal]] awarded to [[Kym Hodgeman]] ([[Glenelg Football Club|Glenelg]])
'''[[Western Australian National Football League]]'''
* 23 September: [[East Perth Football Club|East Perth]] 11.15 (81) defeat [[Perth Football Club|Perth]] 12.7 (79) to win their fourteenth [[1978 WANFL season|WA(N)FL premiership]]
* [[Sandover Medal]] won by [[Phil Kelly (Australian footballer)|Phil Kelly]] (East Perth)

==[[Baseball]]==
{{main|1978 in baseball}}
* May 5, 1978 – [[Pete Rose]] of [[1978 Cincinnati Reds season|the Cincinnati Reds]] becomes the 13th player in Major League history to [[3,000 hit club|collect 3,000 career hits]].
* June 14-July 31 – Pete Rose hits safely in 44 consecutive games, tying [[Willie Keeler]]’s all-time National League hitting streak.
* September 23 – [[Lyman Bostock]] (27) of [[list of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim seasons|the California Angels]] is shot and killed in error by a jealous husband.
* [[1978 World Series|World Series]] – [[1978 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] win 4 games to 2 over [[1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season|the Los Angeles Dodgers]]. The Series MVP is [[Bucky Dent]], New York

==[[Basketball]]==
* [[Wilt Chamberlain]] is elected to the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]], along with coaches [[Sam Barry]], [[Eddie Hickey]], [[John McLendon]], [[Ray Meyer]] and [[Pete Newell]], and referee [[Jim Enright (basketball)|Jim Enright]]
* [[1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game|NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship]] –
** [[University of Kentucky|Kentucky]] wins 94-88 over [[Duke University|Duke]]
* [[1978 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] –
** [[1977–78 Washington Bullets season|Washington Bullets]] win 4 games to 3 over [[1977–78 Seattle SuperSonics season|the Seattle SuperSonics]]
* [[1978 FIBA World Championship|FIBA World Championship]]
** [[Yugoslavia]] World Champion

==[[Boxing]]==
* February 15 – [[Leon Spinks]] defeats [[Muhammad Ali]] by decision in 15 rounds to win the world heavyweight title.
* [[1978 World Amateur Boxing Championships|Second World Amateur Boxing Championships]] held in [[Belgrade]], [[Yugoslavia]]
* September 15 – Muhammad Ali recovers the world’s heavyweight title, beating Leon Spinks by decision in their rematch. It is the first time a boxer wins the world heavyweight title for a third time.

==[[Canadian football]]==
* [[66th Grey Cup|Grey Cup]] – [[Edmonton Eskimos]] win 20–13 over the [[Montreal Alouettes]]
* [[14th Vanier Cup|Vanier Cup]] – [[Queen's Golden Gaels]] win 16–3 over the [[UBC Thunderbirds]]

==[[Cycle sport|Cycling]]==
* [[1978 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]] won by [[Johan de Muynck]] of Belgium
* [[1978 Tour de France|Tour de France]] won by [[Bernard Hinault]] of France
* [[1978 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race]] – [[Gerrie Knetemann]] of Netherlands

==[[Dogsled racing]]==
* [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race|Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion]] –
** [[Dick Mackey]] wins with lead dogs: ''Skipper'' & ''Shrew''

==[[Field hockey]]==
* [[1978 Men's Hockey World Cup|Men's World Cup]] held in Buenos Aires and won by Pakistan
* [[1978 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship|Men’s European Nations Cup]] held in Hannover and won by West Germany
* [[1978 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy|Men’s Champions Trophy]] held in Lahore and won by Pakistan
* [[1978 Women's Hockey World Cup|Women’s World Cup]] held in Madrid and won by the Netherlands

==[[Figure skating]]==
* [[1978 World Figure Skating Championships|World Figure Skating Championships]] –
** Men’s champion: [[Charles Tickner]], United States
** Ladies’ champion: [[Anett Pötzsch]], Germany
** Pair skating champions: [[Irina Rodnina]] & [[Alexander Zaitsev (skater)|Alexander Zaitsev]], Soviet Union
** Ice dancing champions: [[Natalia Linichuk]] & [[Gennadi Karponossov]], Soviet Union

==[[Golf]]==
'''Men's professional'''
* [[1978 Masters Tournament|Masters Tournament]] - [[Gary Player]]
* [[1978 U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] - [[Andy North]]
* [[1978 Open Championship|British Open]] - [[Jack Nicklaus]]
* [[1978 PGA Championship|PGA Championship]] - [[John Mahaffey]]
* [[PGA Tour]] money leader - [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]] - $362,429
'''Men's amateur'''
* [[The Amateur Championship|British Amateur]] - [[Peter McEvoy]]
* [[United States Amateur Championship (men's golf)|U.S. Amateur]] - [[John Cook (golfer)|John Cook]]
'''Women's professional'''
* [[1978 LPGA Championship|LPGA Championship]] - [[Nancy Lopez]]
* [[1978 U.S. Women's Open|U.S. Women's Open]] - [[Hollis Stacy]]
* [[LPGA|LPGA Tour]] money leader - [[Nancy Lopez]] - $189,814

==[[Harness racing]]==
* [[Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers|United States Pacing Triple Crown races]] –
*# [[Cane Pace]] - [[Armbro Tiger]]
*# [[Little Brown Jug (horse racing)|Little Brown Jug]] - [[Happy Escort]]
*# [[Messenger Stakes]] - [[Abercrombie (horse)|Abercrombie]]
* [[Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters|United States Trotting Triple Crown races]] –
*# [[Hambletonian Stakes|Hambletonian]] - [[Speedy Somolli]]
*# [[Yonkers Trot]] - [[Speedy Somolli]]
*# [[Kentucky Futurity]] - [[Doublemint]]
* [[Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship]] –
** Pacers: [[Markovina]]
** Trotters: [[Derby Royale]]

==[[Horse racing]]==
'''Steeplechases'''
* [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] – [[Midnight Court (horse)|Midnight Court]]
* [[1978 Grand National|Grand National]] – [[Lucius]]
'''Hurdle races'''
* [[Champion Hurdle]] – [[Monksfield]]
'''Flat races'''
* Australia – [[Melbourne Cup]] won by [[Arwon]]
* Canada – [[Queen's Plate]] won by [[Regal Embrace]]
* France – [[1978 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe|Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe]] won by [[Alleged (horse)|Alleged]]
* Ireland – [[Irish Derby Stakes]] won by [[Shirley Heights]]
* [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|English Triple Crown Races]]:
*# [[2,000 Guineas Stakes]] – [[Roland Gardens]]
*# [[Epsom Derby|The Derby]] – [[Shirley Heights]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Epsom Derby {{!}} History, Winners, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/Derby-horse-race |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=3 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
*# [[St. Leger Stakes]] – [[Julio Mariner]]
* [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|United States Triple Crown Races]]:
*# [[1978 Kentucky Derby|Kentucky Derby]] – [[Affirmed]]
*# [[1978 Preakness Stakes|Preakness Stakes]] – [[Affirmed]]
*# [[1978 Belmont Stakes|Belmont Stakes]] – [[Affirmed]]

==[[Ice hockey]]==
* [[Art Ross Trophy]] as the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]’s leading scorer during the regular season: [[Guy Lafleur]], [[1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]]
* [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] for the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]’s Most Valuable Player: [[Guy Lafleur]], [[1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]]
* [[1978 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup]] – [[1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season|Montreal Canadiens]] win 4 games to 2 over [[1977–78 Boston Bruins season|the Boston Bruins]]
* [[1978 Ice Hockey World Championships|World Hockey Championship]]
** Men’s champion: Soviet Union defeated [[Czechoslovakia]]
** [[1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|Junior Men’s champion]]: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
**Note: In the early years of the Junior tournament, Canada did not send a true National Junior team to the event. Instead, the [[Memorial Cup]] champions usually went to represent Canada. The exception was 1978 in Montreal, when an “all-star” team was put together.
* [[Avco World Trophy]] - [[Winnipeg Jets]] won 4 games to 0 over the [[Hartford Whalers|New England Whalers]]

==[[Motorsport]]==
{{main|1978 in motorsport|List of 1978 motorsport champions}}

==[[Orienteering]]==
*[[1978 World Orienteering Championships]].<ref name=iof-woc1978>{{cite web | url=http://orienteering.org/events/?event_id=22 | title=World Orienteering Championships 1978 |publisher=[[International Orienteering Federation]] |access-date=13 September 2017}}</ref>

==[[Rowing (sport)|Rowing]]==
* March – The Cambridge boat sinks during the annual [[The Boat Race|English University Boat Race]], the first sinking in the race since 1951.

==[[Rugby league]]==
*15 January - 28 May [[1978 European Rugby League Championship]] in England and France
*15 March - 16 August [[1978 Amco Cup]] in Australia and New Zealand
*27 March – 17 September [[1978 Brisbane Rugby League season]] in Australia
*30 September - 6 December [[1978 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France]]
*[[1978 New Zealand rugby league season]]
*[[1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season]] / [[1978–79 Northern Rugby Football League season]]
*[[1978 NSWRFL season]]
** 28 May – In a horrific accident at [[Penrith Park]], [[Penrith Panthers|Panther]] prop [[John Farragher]] is left a [[quadriplegic]] after breaking his neck in a scrum – the worst accident in rugby league history.<ref>Lester, Gary and Pritchard, Greg; ''Bound for Glory: The Story of the Penrith Panthers''; pp. 101-103 {{ISBN|9780949853486}}</ref>

==[[Rugby union]]==
* 84th [[1978 Five Nations Championship|Five Nations Championship]] series is won by [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] who complete the [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]]

==[[Snooker]]==
* [[1978 World Snooker Championship|World Snooker Championship]] – [[Ray Reardon]] beats [[Perrie Mans]] 25-18
* [[Snooker world rankings|World rankings]] – [[Ray Reardon]] remains [[Snooker world number ones|world number one]] for 1978/79.

==[[Speed skating]]==
* First [[International Skating Union|ISU]] [[World Short Track Speed Skating Championships|Short Track Speed Skating Championships]] for men and ladies held in [[Solihull]], UK

==[[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]]==
* The third [[1978 World Aquatics Championships|FINA World Championships]] held in [[West-Berlin]], [[West Germany]]
* July 29 – USA's [[Ron Manganiello]] sets a world record in the [[World record progression 50m freestyle|50m freestyle]] at a swimming meet in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], Florida (United States), shaving off 0.02 of the previous record (23.74) set by [[Joe Bottom]] a year ago: '''23.72'''.

==[[Tennis]]==
* [[Grand Slam in tennis]] men's results:
*# [[1978 Australian Open – Men's singles|Australian Open]] - [[Guillermo Vilas]]
*# [[1978 French Open – Men's singles|French Open]] - [[Björn Borg]]
*# [[1978 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|Wimbledon championships]] - [[Björn Borg]]
*# [[1978 U.S. Open – Men's Singles|U.S. Open]] - [[Jimmy Connors]]
* [[Grand Slam in tennis]] women's results:
*# [[1978 Australian Open – Women's singles|Australian Open]] - [[Chris O'Neil (tennis)|Chris O'Neil]]
*# [[1978 French Open – Women's singles|French Open]] - [[Virginia Ruzici]]
*# [[1978 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|Wimbledon championships]] - [[Martina Navratilova]]
*# [[1978 U.S. Open – Women's singles|U.S. Open]] - [[Chris Evert]]
* [[1978 Davis Cup|Davis Cup]] – United States win 4–1 over Great Britain in world tennis.
* US Open moves to hard courts of the [[USTA National Tennis Center]] in [[Flushing Meadows]], [[New York (state)|New York]].
* Total prize money at US Open exceeds US$500,000.

==[[Triathlon]]==
* First [[Ironman Triathlon]] held in Kona, [[Hawaii]]

==[[Volleyball]]==
* [[1978 FIVB Men's World Championship]] held in Rome and won by USSR

==[[Water polo]]==
* [[1978 World Aquatics Championships]] held in West Berlin and won by Italy.

==General sporting events==
* Third [[1978 All-Africa Games|All-Africa Games]] held in [[Algiers]], Algeria
* Eighth [[1978 Asian Games|Asian Games]] held in [[Bangkok]], Thailand
* [[1978 Central American and Caribbean Games|Central American and Caribbean Games]] held in [[Medellín]], Colombia
* [[1978 Commonwealth Games|The Commonwealth Games]] held in [[Edmonton]], Canada<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Games {{!}} Commonwealth Games Federation |url=https://thecgf.com/games |website=thecgf.com |access-date=4 January 2022|archive-date=4 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104004327/https://thecgf.com/games |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Ninth [[1978 Winter Universiade|Winter Universiade]] held in [[Špindleruv Mlýn]], [[Czechoslovakia]]

==Awards==
* [[Associated Press Athlete of the Year#List of award winners|Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year]] – [[Ron Guidry]], [[Major League Baseball]]
* [[Associated Press Athlete of the Year#List of award winners|Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year]] – [[Nancy Lopez]], [[LPGA|LPGA golf]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sports by year 1951 – 2000}}

[[Category:1978 in sports| ]]
[[Category:Sports by year]]