1937 in sports
Sports-related events of 1937
Overview of the events of 1937 in sports
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1937 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 7th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are held at Chamonix, France. The events are a downhill, a slalom and a combined race in both the men's and women's categories. The winners are:
- Men's Downhill – Emile Allais (France)
- Men's Slalom – Emile Allais (France)
- Men's Combined – Emile Allais (France)
- Women's Downhill – Christl Cranz (Germany)
- Women's Slalom – Christl Cranz (Germany)
- Women's Combined – Christl Cranz (Germany)
American football
- NFL Championship – the Washington Redskins won 28–21 over the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field.
- First Cotton Bowl Classic is played in Dallas.
- Pittsburgh Panthers – college football national championship
- The Cleveland Rams join the National Football League.
Association football
England
- First Division – Manchester City win the 1936–37 title.
- FA Cup – Sunderland beat Preston North End 3–1.
Spain
- La Liga – not contested due to the Spanish Civil War
Germany
Italy
Portugal
- Primeira Liga won by S.L. Benfica
France
Sweden
- Allsvenskan 1936/1937: AIK
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- 25 September – Geelong wins the 41st VFL Premiership, defeating Collingwood 18.14 (122) to 12.18 (90) in the 1937 VFL Grand Final
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Dick Reynolds (Essendon)
- South Australian National Football League
- 2 October – Port Adelaide 13.16 (94) defeat South Adelaide 10.10 (70) to win their second consecutive SANFL premiership.
- Magarey Medal won by Harold Hawke (North Adelaide)
- Western Australian National Football League
- 9 October – East Fremantle 14.13 (97) defeat Claremont 13.9 (87) to win their eighteenth premiership.
- Sandover Medal won by "Scranno" Jenkins (South Fremantle).
Baseball
- World Series – New York Yankees defeat New York Giants, 4–1.
- Hall of Fame election – Continuing toward the goal of 10 initial inductees from the 20th century, voters select Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Cy Young. A special committee selects managers Connie Mack and John McGraw, former league presidents Morgan Bulkeley and Ban Johnson, and pioneer shortstop/promoter George Wright. Selections of nineteenth-century players are postponed.
- Aguilas Cibaenas, a club of Dominican Republic, officially founded in Santiago de los Caballeros on January 28.[citation needed]
Basketball
Events
- Major professional basketball returns with the formation of the National Basketball League.
- Eurobasket 1937 – Lithuania win the second European basketball championship.
- The fifth South American Basketball Championship in Valparaíso and Santiago is won by Chile.
- The first NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament played in Kansas City.
Boxing
Events
- 22 June – Joe Louis defeats James J. Braddock at Chicago by an eighth-round knockout to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
- 30 August – in his first title defence, Louis defeats Tommy Farr at Bronx on a fifteen-round decision
Lineal world champions[1]
- World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Braddock → Joe Louis
- World Light Heavyweight Championship – John Henry Lewis
- World Middleweight Championship – vacant
- World Welterweight Championship – Barney Ross
- World Lightweight Championship – Lou Ambers
- World Featherweight Championship – vacant → Henry Armstrong
- World Bantamweight Championship – Sixto Escobar → Harry Jeffra
- World Flyweight Championship – vacant → Benny Lynch
Cricket
Events
- England tours Australia, losing the five-Test series two games to three, despite winning the first two games.
- County Championship – Yorkshire
- Minor Counties Championship – Lancashire Second Eleven
- Most runs – Wally Hammond 3,252 @ 65.04 (HS 217)
- Most wickets – Tom Goddard 248 @ 16.76 (BB 10–113)
- New Zealand play a three-test series against England, losing the series one Test to nil with two draws.
- Wisden Cricketers of the Year – Tom Goddard, Joe Hardstaff, Jr., Leonard Hutton, Jim Parks, Sr., Eddie Paynter
Australia
- Sheffield Shield – Victoria
- Most runs – Don Bradman 1,552 @ 86.22 (HS 270)
- Most wickets
- Chuck Fleetwood-Smith 53 @ 20.24 (BB 8–79)
- Frank Ward 53 @ 28.41 (BB 7–127)
India
- Ranji Trophy – Nawanagar beat Bengal by 256 runs
- Bombay Pentangular – Muslims
New Zealand
South Africa
- Currie Cup – not contested
West Indies
Cycling
- Roger Lapébie wins the Tour de France.[2]
- Gino Bartali of Legnano wins the 25th Giro d'Italia
Field hockey
- July 14 – foundation of HC Den Bosch, a Dutch club based in 's-Hertogenbosch
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Felix Kaspar, Austria
- Ladies’ champion: Megan Taylor, Great Britain
- Pair skating champion: Maxi Herber & Ernst Baier, Germany
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Byron Nelson
- PGA Championship – Denny Shute
- U.S. Open – Ralph Guldahl
- British Open – Henry Cotton
Men's amateur
Women's professional
Horse racing
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – not held due to flooding of Cheltenham Racecourse
- Grand National – Royal Mail
Hurdle races
- Champion Hurdle – Free Fare
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by The Trump
- Canada – King's Plate won by Goldlure
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Corrida
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Phideas
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Le Ksar
- The Derby – Mid-day Sun[3]
- St. Leger Stakes – Chulmleigh
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – War Admiral
- Preakness Stakes – War Admiral
- Belmont Stakes – War Admiral
Ice hockey
- April 15 – The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 3–0 to win the 1937 Stanley Cup Finals
- April 17 – The Winnipeg Monarchs defeat the Copper Cliff Redmen 7–0 to win the 1937 Memorial Cup
Motorsport
Nordic skiing
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
- 10th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1937 are held at Chamonix, France
Rowing
The Boat Race
- 24 March — Oxford wins the 89th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Rugby league
- 1936–37 European Rugby League Championship
- 1937 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1937 NSWRFL season
- 1936–37 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1937–38 Northern Rugby Football League season
Rugby union
- 50th Home Nations Championship series is won by England
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Joe Davis beats Horace Lindrum 32–29
Speed skating
Speed Skating World Championships
- Men's All-round Champion – Michael Staksrud (Norway)
- Women's All-round Champion – Laila Schou Nilsen (Norway)
Tennis
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Vivian McGrath (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 6–3, 1–6, 6–0, 2–6, 6–1
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Emily Hood Westacott (Australia) 6–3, 5–7, 6–4
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Don Budge (USA) defeats Gottfried von Cramm (Germany) 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Dorothy Round Little (Great Britain) defeats Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (Poland) 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
France
- French Men's Singles Championship – Henner Henkel (Germany) defeats Bunny Austin (Great Britain) 6–1, 6–4, 6–3
- French Women's Singles Championship – Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (Germany) defeats Simonne Mathieu (France) 6–2, 6–4
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship – Don Budge (USA) defeats Gottfried von Cramm (Germany) 6–1, 7–9, 6–1, 3–6, 6–1
- American Women's Singles Championship – Anita Lizana (Chile) defeats Jadwiga Jędrzejowska (Poland) 6–4, 6–2
Davis Cup
- 1937 International Lawn Tennis Challenge –
United States 4–1 
Great Britain at Centre Court, Wimbledon (grass) London, United Kingdom
Yacht racing
- The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Ranger defeats British challenger Endeavour II, of the Royal Yacht Squadron, 4 races to 0
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Don Budge, Tennis
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Katherine Rawls, Swimming
