1998 in sports

Last updated August 01, 2025

The following events happened in world sport in the year 1998.

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria
- Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany

American football

Super Bowl XXXII – the Denver Broncos (AFC) won 31–24 over the Green Bay Packers (NFC)
- Location: San Diego Stadium
- Attendance: 68,912
- MVP: Terrell Davis, RB (Denver)
Rose Bowl (1997 season):
- The Michigan Wolverines won 21–16 over the Washington State Cougars to win the AP Poll national championship
- The Orange Bowl was the original venue for the championship game, but the Big Ten Conference was not a part of the Bowl Alliance, so the game instead featured the #2 Nebraska Cornhuskers and the #3 Tennessee Volunteers
January 13 – ABC and ESPN negotiate a $1.15 billion per season contract to keep Monday Night Football.
December 13 – The Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings return an NFL record 3 kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Artistic gymnastics

1998 Summer Goodwill Games - held in New York City, United States
- Mixed pairs champions: China (Ling Jie, Huang Xu)
- Women's all-around champion: Dominique Moceanu, United States
- Women's vault champion: Vanessa Atler, United States
- Women's uneven bars champion: Svetlana Khorkina, Russian Federation
- Women's balance beam champion: Kristen Maloney, United States
- Women's floor exercise champion: Vanessa Atler, United States
- Men's all-around champion: Ivan Ivankov, Belarus
- Men's vault champion: Sergei Fedorchenko, Kazakhstan
- Men's floor exercise champion: Alexei Nemov, Russian Federation
- Men's parallel bars champion: Huang Xu, China
- Men's pommel horse champion: Nikolai Kryukov, Russian Federation
- Men's still rings champion: Chris Lamorte, United States
- Men's horizontal bar champion: Ivan Ivankov, Belarus
1998 European Gymnastics Championships - held in Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Women's team champions: Romania
- Women's all-around champion: Svetlana Khorkina, Russian Federation
- Women's vault champion: Adrienn Varga, Hungary
- Women's uneven bars champion:Svetlana Khorkina, Russian Federation
- Women's balance beam champion: Evgenia Kuznetsova, Russian Federation
- Women's floor exercise champion: (tied) Corina Ungureanu, Romania / Svetlana Khorkina, Russian Federation
- Men's team champions: France
- Men's all-around champion: Alexei Bondarenko, Russian Federation
- Men's vault champion: Ioannis Melissanidis, Greece
- Men's floor exercise champion: Alexei Nemov, Russian Federation
- Men's still rings champion: Szilveszter Csollány, Hungary
- Men's parallel bars champion: Alexei Bondarenko, Russian Federation
- Men's horizontal bar champion: Jesús Carballo, Spain
- Men's pommel horse champion: Éric Poujade, France

Association football

FIFA World Cup - France beat Brazil 3–0
Champions League – Real Madrid C.F. beat Juventus FC 1–0
UEFA Cup – F.C. Internazionale Milano beat S.S. Lazio 3–0
Copa Libertadores – CR Vasco da Gama beat Barcelona Sporting Club 4–1 (Agg.)
Ecuador - Ecuadorian Serie A Champions: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito

Athletics

August – 1998 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
September – 1998 Commonwealth Games held at Kuala Lumpur
December – 1998 Asian Games held at Bangkok

Australian rules football

Australian Football League
- The Adelaide Crows win the 102nd AFL premiership and second premiership in a row by 35 points (Adelaide Crows 15.15 (105) d North Melbourne 8.22 (70))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Robert Harvey (St Kilda)

Baseball

The National League expands adding the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the American League expands adding the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The Milwaukee Brewers move from the American League to the National League.
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each chase the home run record set previously by Roger Maris in 1961. Both men end up breaking the record; McGwire with 70 and Sosa with 66.
Rookie 20-year-old Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros to tie the major league single game strikeout record
Cal Ripken Jr. ends his consecutive game streak at 2,632 in Baltimore against the New York Yankees. It was the first time he wasn't in the lineup since 1982.
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 0 over the San Diego Padres. The Series MVP is Scott Brosius, New York

Basketball

July 1 – The NBA locked out its players and the season was put on hold for the next 6½ months and the season began under a 50–game schedule.
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Kentucky wins 78–69 over Utah
NBA Finals –
- Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 2 over the Utah Jazz, to complete their second three–peat of the decade.
WNBA Finals –
- Houston Comets win two games to one over the Phoenix Mercury to repeat as champions.
FIBA World Championship
- Yugoslavia World Champion
National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
- Adelaide 36ers defeated the South East Melbourne Magic 2–0 in the best–of–three final series.

Boxing

May 17 to May 24 – 32nd European Amateur Boxing Championships held at Minsk, Belarus
June 27 – Shane Mosley stopped Wilfrido Ruiz in the 5th round to retain the IBF Lightweight Championship

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Calgary Stampeders win 26–24 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Vanier Cup – Saskatchewan Huskies win 24–17 over the Concordia Stingers

Curling

Curling makes its Winter Olympics debut:
- Men's Gold: Switzerland wins 9–3 over Canada
- Women's Gold: Canada wins 7–5 over Denmark

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Marco Pantani of Italy
Tour de France – Marco Pantani of Italy
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Oskar Camenzind of Switzerland

Dogsled racing

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion
- Jeff King wins with lead dogs: Red & Rocket

Field hockey

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Alexei Yagudin, Russia
- Ladies' champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
- Pairs' champions: Elena Berezhnaya / Anton Sikharulidze, Russia
- Ice dancing champions: Anjelika Krylova / Oleg Ovsyannikov, Russia

Floorball

Men's World Floorball Championships
- Champion: Sweden
European Cup
- Men's champion: Warberg IC
- Women's champion: Högdalens AIS

Gaelic Athletic Association

Camogie
- All–Ireland Camogie Champion: Cork
- National Camogie League: Cork
Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Galway 1–14 died Kiladre 1–10
- National Football League – Offaly 0–9 died Derry 0–7
Ladies' Gaelic football
- All–Ireland Senior Football Champion: Waterford
- National Football League: Waterford
Hurling
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Offaly 2–16 died Kilkenny 1–13
- National Hurling League – Cork 2–14 beat Waterford 0–13

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Mark O'Meara
U.S. Open – Lee Janzen
British Open – Mark O'Meara
PGA Championship – Vijay Singh
PGA Tour money leader – David Duval – $2,591,031
PGA Tour Player of the Year – Mark O'Meara
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Steve Flesch
Senior PGA Tour money leader – Hale Irwin – $2,861,945

Men's amateur

Women's professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore – Pat Hurst
LPGA Championship – Se Ri Pak
U.S. Women's Open – Se Ri Pak
Classique du Maurier – Brandie Burton
LPGA Tour money leader – Annika Sörenstam – $1,092,748
The Solheim Cup is retained by the United States team who beat the European team 16 to 12.

Handball

Harness racing

North America Cup – Straight Path
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
1. Cane Pace – Shady Character
2. Little Brown Jug – Shady Character
3. Messenger Stakes – Fit For Life
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
1. Hambletonian – Muscles Yankee
2. Yonkers Trot – Muscles Yankee
3. Kentucky Futurity – Trade Balance
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Our Sir Vancelot
- Trotters: Buster Hanover

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cool Dawn
Grand National – Earth Summit

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup – Jezabeel
Canada – Queen's Plate – Archers Bay
Dubai – Dubai World Cup won by Silver Charm
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Sagamix
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Dream Well
Japan – Japan Cup won by El Condor Pasa
English Triple Crown races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – King of Kings
2. The Derby – High-Rise ^[1]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Nedawi
United States Triple Crown races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Real Quiet
2. Preakness Stakes – Real Quiet
3. Belmont Stakes – Victory Gallop
Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Awesome Again
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Escena
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Answer Lively
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Silverbulletday
5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Da Hoss
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Reraise
7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Buck's Boy

Ice hockey

For the first time, professional players from the National Hockey League participate in the Winter Olympics. And also for the first time in Olympic history, women took part in ice hockey.
Women's Gold – United States won 3–1 over Canada
Men's Gold – Czech Republic won 1–0 over Russia
Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jaromír Jágr, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Dominik Hašek – Buffalo Sabres
Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 4 games to 0.
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Sweden defeated Finland
- Junior Men's champion: Russia defeated Canada

Lacrosse

The 8th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Baltimore, Maryland. The United States win, and Canada is the runner–up.
The Philadelphia Wings sweep the Baltimore Thunder in the best of three series held to determine the winner of the Champion's Cup.
The Brampton Excelsiors win the Mann Cup.
The Clarington Green Gaels win the Founders Cup.
The Burnaby Lakers win the Minto Cup.

Mixed martial arts

The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 1998 in chronological order.

Date	Event	Alternate Name/s	Location	Attendance	PPV Buyrate	Notes
March 13	UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou	—	New Orleans, Louisiana, US	4,600	—	This event featured the first ever UFC lightweight tournament. As well as a middleweight championship bout. And a heavyweight and middleweight superfights.
March 15	Pride 2	—	Yokohama, Japan	—	—	Event featured six MMA bouts and two kickboxing bouts.
May 15	UFC 17: Redemption	—	Mobile, Alabama, US	—	—	This event was the last UFC event aside from UFC 23, to feature the "tournament" style format. This event featured a four-man middleweight tournament. As well as three heavyweight superfights.
June 24	Pride 3	—	Tokyo, Japan	—	—	—
October 11	Pride 4	—	Tokyo, Japan	—	—	—
October 16	UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil	UFC 17.5	São Paulo, Brazil	—	—	This event caused controversy due to the fact that the Brazilian flag was wrongly represented on the promotional material.

Motorsport

Rugby league

Rugby union

104th Five Nations Championship series is won by France who complete the Grand Slam
Tri Nations series is won by South Africa for the first time, with a clean sweep of victories. South Africa goes on to equal New Zealand's all-time record of 17 consecutive test victories.

Snooker

World Snooker Championship – John Higgins beats Ken Doherty 18–12
World rankings – John Higgins becomes world number one for 1998/99

Swimming

Eighth FINA World Championships, held in Perth, Australia (January 8 – 17)
Second European SC Championships, held in Sheffield, United Kingdom (December 11 – December 13)
December 1 – American swimmer Jenny Thompson breaks her own world record in the women's 100m butterfly (short course): 56:90
December 13 – Mark Foster twice breaks the world record in the men's 50m freestyle (short course) during the European SC Championships in Sheffield, clocking 21.31 eventually.

Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

Australian Open – Martina Hingis
French Open – Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Wimbledon championships – Jana Novotná
U.S. Open – Lindsay Davenport
Davis Cup – Sweden wins 4–1 over Italy in world tennis.

Water polo

Men's World Championship: Spain
Women's World Championship: Italy

Weightlifting

The 1998 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Lahti, Finland from November 7 to November 15.

Multi-sport events

1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano, Japan
- Germany wins the most medals (29), and the most gold medals (12)
Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ^[2]
Central American and Caribbean Games held in Maracaibo, Venezuela
Summer Goodwill Games held in New York City, United States

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Mark McGwire, Major League Baseball
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Se Ri Pak, LPGA golf

References

↑ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
↑ "Our Games | Commonwealth Games Federation". thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

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[1] "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

[2] "Our Games | Commonwealth Games Federation". thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

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1998 in sports

Contents

Awards

References