1952 in sports

June 14: In an effort to promote the code outside its traditional strongholds in the southern and western states, the League holds a “National Day Round” of matches in selected interstate and country venues: Albury, Euroa, Yallourn, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart. Despite flooding rains, attendances were high enough to deem the venture a success though it was never repeated.
Geelong wins the 56th VFL Premiership by defeating Collingwood 13.8 (86) to 5.10 (40) in the 1952 VFL Grand Final
Brownlow Medal awarded to Roy Wright (Richmond) and Bill Hutchison (Essendon)^[a]

South Australian National Football League

October 4: North Adelaide beat Norwood 23.15 (153) to 6.9 (45) in the most one-sided SANFL Grand Final until 2004.
Magarey Medal awarded to Len Fitzgerald (Sturt)

Western Australian National Football League

October 11: South Fremantle win their sixth premiership beating West Perth 12.19 (91) to 10.10 (70)
Sandover Medal awarded to Steve Marsh (South Fremantle)

Baseball

January 31 – The Hall of Fame elects two new members – Harry Heilmann, with 203 votes, and Paul Waner with 195. Waner, a .333 career hitter, rapped out 3,152 hits and struck out just 376 times in 9,459 career at–bats. Heilmann was similarly skilled with the bat, winning four batting titles with the Tigers and finishing his career with a .342 average
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 3 over the Brooklyn Dodgers

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Kansas wins 80–63 over St. John's

NBA Finals

Minneapolis Lakers over New York Knicks (4–3)

Spain

Saski Baskonia was founded in Vitoria Gasteiz on December 3.^{[ citation needed ]}

Boxing

June 25 at Yankee Stadium, Joey Maxim defeats Sugar Ray Robinson by knockout to retain his world light heavyweight title. This is the only knockout Robinson would ever suffer.
August 11 – death in a road accident of Dave Sands (26), Australian Aborigine middleweight rated third in the world at the time
September 23 at Philadelphia, Rocky Marciano knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 21–11 over the Edmonton Eskimos

Cricket

Events

16 October–18 October, Delhi – Pakistan plays its first Test match, against India. India won by an innings and 70 runs.

England

County Championship – Surrey
Minor Counties Championship – Buckinghamshire
Most runs – Len Hutton 2567 @ 61.11 (HS 189)
Most wickets – Johnny Wardle 172 @ 19.27 (BB 7–49)
Wisden Cricketers of the Year – Fred Trueman, Harold Gimblett, Tom Graveney, David Sheppard, Stuart Surridge
India make a fourth tour of England, and lose the four-Test series three games to nil

Australia

Sheffield Shield – New South Wales
Most runs – Lindsay Hassett 855 @ 61.07 (HS 229)
Most wickets – Bill Johnston 54 @ 20.62 (BB 7–114)
The West Indies make a second tour of Australia, losing as in the first four Tests to one

India

Ranji Trophy – Bombay
England make a second tour of India, drawing the five-test series with one victory each and three draws

New Zealand

Plunket Shield – Canterbury

South Africa

Currie Cup – Transvaal

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Fausto Coppi of Italy
Tour de France – Fausto Coppi of Italy
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Heinz Müller of Germany

Field hockey

Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Helsinki, Finland
- Gold Medal: India
- Silver Medal: The Netherlands
- Bronze Medal: Great Britain

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- Ladies’ champion: Jacqueline du Bief, France
- Pair skating champions: Ria Falk & Paul Falk, Germany
- Ice dancing champions: Jean Westwood & Lawrence Demmy, Great Britain
In this year, ice dancing introduced as part of the World Figure Skating Championships.
American defending champion Dick Button becomes first figure-skater to land a triple jump in competition; performs a triple loop in the Olympic free skate in Oslo

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Sam Snead
U.S. Open – Julius Boros
PGA Championship – Jim Turnesa
British Open – Bobby Locke
PGA Tour money leader – Julius Boros – $37,033

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Harvie Ward
U.S. Amateur – Jack Westland

Women's professional

Women's Western Open – Betsy Rawls
U.S. Women's Open – Louise Suggs
Titleholders Championship – Babe Zaharias
LPGA Tour money leader – Betsy Rawls – $14,505

Harness racing

Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Meadow Rice
Hambletonian for trotters won by Sharp Note
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Avian Derby

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Mont Tremblant
Grand National – Teal

Hurdle races

Champion Hurdle – Sir Ken

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Dalray
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Epigram
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Nuccio
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Thirteen of Diamonds
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2000 Guineas Stakes – Thunderhead
2. The Derby – Tulyar ^[1]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Tulyar
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Hill Gail
2. Preakness Stakes – Blue Man
3. Belmont Stakes – One Count

Ice hockey

World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada defeated the United States
Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 0 over the Montreal Canadiens
Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Colorado College Tigers 4–1 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
November 1 – Hockey Night in Canada makes its television debut on CBC. It is the oldest sports-related TV program still airing.

Motorsport

Professional wrestling

WWE is founded by Roderick James "Jess" McMahon and Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt.

Rugby league

Rugby union

58th Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales who complete the Grand Slam

Skiing

Alpine skiing
Men's Olympic gold medals:
- Downhill: Zeno Colò, Italy
- Slalom: Othmar Schneider, Austria
- Giant Slalom: Stein Eriksen, Norway
- Women's Olympic gold medals:
- Downhill: Trude Jochum-Beiser, Austria
- Slalom: Andrea Mead Lawrence, United States
- Giant Slalom: Andrea Mead Lawrence, United States

Snooker

Schism in snooker means two world championships are held:
- World Snooker Championship (World Professional Match-play Championship): Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 38–35
- World Snooker Championship (BACC event): Horace Lindrum beats Clark McConachy 94–49

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

Men's All-round Champion – Hjalmar Andersen (Norway)

Tennis

Australia

Australian Men's Singles Championship – Ken McGregor (Australia) defeats Frank Sedgman (Australia) 7–5, 12–10, 2–6, 6–2
Australian Women's Singles Championship – Thelma Coyne Long (Australia) defeats Helen Angwin (Australia) 6–2, 6–3

England

Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats Jaroslav Drobný (Egypt) 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly Brinker (USA) defeats Louise Brough Clapp (USA) 6–4, 6–3

France

French Men's Singles Championship – Jaroslav Drobný (Egypt) defeats Frank Sedgman (Australia) 6–2, 6–0, 3–6, 6–4
French Women's Singles Championship – Doris Hart (USA) defeats Shirley Fry Irvin (USA) 6–4, 6–4

USA

American Men's Singles Championship – Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats Gardnar Mulloy (USA) 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
American Women's Singles Championship – Maureen Connolly (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–3, 7–5

Davis Cup

1952 Davis Cup – Australia 4–1 United States at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre (grass) Adelaide, Australia

Volleyball

Men's World Championship in Moscow, Soviet Union
- Gold Medal: Soviet Union
- Silver Medal: Czechoslovakia
- Bronze Medal: Bulgaria

Olympic Games

1952 Summer Olympics takes place in Helsinki, Finland
- United States wins the most medals (76), and the most gold medals (40).
- Emil Zátopek wins marathon.
1952 Winter Olympics takes place in Oslo, Norway
- Norway wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (7).

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Bob Mathias, Track and field
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Maureen Connolly, Tennis

Notes

^a Awarded retrospectively by the VFL in 1989.

References

↑ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

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[1] "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

[1]

1952 in sports

Contents

Awards

Notes

References