1917 in sports

Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War I

1917 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football

College championship

• College football national championship – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (coached by John Heisman)
• Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, opens

Association football

Europe

• There is no major football in Europe due to World War I

Norway

• Foundation of Rosenborg BK at Trondheim

Athletics

Men's 1500 metres

• John Zander (Sweden) breaks the world record by running a time of 2:19.1

Australian rules football

VFL Premiership:

• Collingwood wins the 21st VFL Premiership: Collingwood 9.20 (74) d Fitzroy 5.9 (39) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

South Australian Football League :

• not contested due to World War I

West Australian Football League :

• 15 September: South Fremantle 6.5 (41) defeats East Fremantle 3.8 (26) for their second consecutive WAFL premiership.

Bandy

Sweden

• Championship final – IFK Uppsala 11–2 AIK

Baseball

World Series

• 6–15 October — Chicago White Sox (AL) defeats New York Giants (NL) to win the 1917 World Series by 4 games to 2.

Boxing

Events

• Ted "Kid" Lewis regains the World Welterweight Championship and holds it until 1919.
• Al McCoy loses the World Middleweight Championship title to Mike O'Dowd, who knocks him out in the 6th round at Brooklyn
• Benny Leonard, widely regarded as the greatest-ever lightweight, defeats Freddie Welsh at New York to win the World Lightweight Championship, which he holds until he retires in 1925
• Another great champion, Pete Herman defeats Kid Williams over 20 rounds at New Orleans to take the World Bantamweight Championship, which he holds until 1920

Lineal world champions ^[1]

• World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
• World Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky
• World Middleweight Championship – Al McCoy → Mike O'Dowd
• World Welterweight Championship – Jack Britton → Ted "Kid" Lewis
• World Lightweight Championship – Freddie Welsh → Benny Leonard
• World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
• World Bantamweight Championship – Kid Williams → Pete Herman
• World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

Canadian football

Grey Cup

• not contested due to World War I

Cricket

Events

• There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I

India

• Bombay Quadrangular – Europeans shared with Parsees

Cycling

Tour de France

• not contested due to World War I ^[2]

Giro d'Italia

• not contested due to World War I

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Golf

Events

• All major championships are cancelled due to World War I

Handball

• The first official handball match was played on December 2 in Berlin, Germany. ^[3]

Horse racing

England

• Grand National – not held due to World War I
• 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Diadem
• 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gay Crusader
• The Derby – Gay Crusader ^[4]
• The Oaks – Sunny Jane
• St. Leger Stakes – Gay Crusader

Australia

• Melbourne Cup – Westcourt

Canada

• King's Plate – Belle Mahone

Ireland

• Irish Grand National – Pay Only
• Irish Derby Stakes – First Flier

USA

• Kentucky Derby – Omar Khayyam
• Preakness Stakes – Kalitan
• Belmont Stakes – Hourless

Ice hockey

Stanley Cup

• 17–26 March — Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) defeats Montreal Canadiens (NHA) in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 1

Events

• Allan Cup – Toronto Dentals
• 10 November — after Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto NHA team, refuses to sell, the NHA votes to suspend operations
• 26 November — in a secret meeting, several owners of the NHA form the National Hockey League (NHL) to force out the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts NHA team. Toronto's Arena Gardens will operate a temporary franchise in Toronto while Quebec Bulldogs becomes an NHL member but is suspended for the inaugural season.
• 19 December — the opening NHL games are played to begin the new league's inaugural season

Motor racing

Events

• No major races are held anywhere worldwide due to World War I

Multi-sport events

Far Eastern Championship Games

• Third Far Eastern Championship Games held in Tokyo, Empire of Japan

Rowing

The Boat Race

• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – not contested due to World War I ^[5]
• International Eight Boat Race - England v Australia. Rowed Putney To Hammersmith, London, 20th Oct. 1917. Won By Australia by 3/4 length.

Rugby league

England

• All first-class competitions are cancelled due to World War I

Australia

• NSW Premiership – Balmain (outright winner)

New Zealand

• 1917 New Zealand rugby league season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship

• Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War I

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• French Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Lindley Murray (USA) defeats Nathaniel Niles (USA) 5–7 8–6 6–3 6–3
• American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Marion Vanderhoef Morse (USA) 4–6 6–0 6–2

Davis Cup

• 1917 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested

References

1. Cyber Boxing Zone
2. "Cycling-Tour de France list of winners". Eurosport UK. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
3. Pazen, Björn (31 October 2017). "Handball in Germany celebrates 100th anniversary". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
4. "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
5. "WW1 boat race medal sold at auction". BBC News. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2021.