1978 in sports
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See also: 1977 in sports, other events of 1978, 1979 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
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Auto racing
- USAC - A J Foyt won final season championship under USAC.
- CART, Championship Auto Racing Teams open wheel racing established in the United States.
- Indianapolis 500 - won by Al Unser Snr
Baseball
- World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Series MVP is Bucky Dent, New York
Basketball
- Wilt Chamberlain is elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, along with coaches Sam Barry, Eddie Hickey, John McLendon, Ray Meyer and Pete Newell, and referee Jim Enright
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship:
- Kentucky wins 94-88 over Duke
- NBA Finals:
- Washington Bullets won 4 games to 3 over the Seattle SuperSonics
- FIBA World Championship
- Yugoslavia World Champion
Boxing
- February 15: Leon Spinks defeats Muhammad Ali by decision in 15 rounds to win the world's Heavyweight title.
- 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.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Johan de Muynck of Belgium
- Tour de France - Bernard Hinault of France
- World Cycling Championship: Gerrie Knetemann of Netherlands
Field hockey
- March 11 - In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium,England. England drew with the United States of America 2-2.
- Women's Field Hockey World Cup - The Netherlands are the World Champions.
- November 17 - 24: Champions Trophy first held in Lahore, Pakistan won by Pakistan.
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Charles Tickner, United States
- Women's champion: Anett Pötzsch, Germany
- Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Saizew, Soviet Union
Football (American)
- Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys won 27-10 over the Denver Broncos
Football (Australian Rules)
- Victorian Football League
- Hawthorn wins the 82nd VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 18.13 (121) d North Melbourne 15.13 (103))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Malcolm Blight (North Melbourne)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos win 20-13 over the Montreal Alouettes
- Vanier Cup: Queen's Golden Gaels win 16-3 over the UBC Thunderbirds
Football (Soccer)
- Football World Cup: Argentina wins 3-1 over the Netherlands
- England - FA Cup: Ipswich Town won 1-0 over Arsenal
- England - League: Nottingham Forest won the championship as well as the League Cup
Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Tom Watson - $362,429
- US Women's Open - Hollis Stacy
- LPGA Championship - Nancy Lopez
- Nancy Lopez: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $189,213.
Thoroughbred horse racing
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Arwon
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Regal Embrace
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Alleged
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Shirley Heights
- July 13: At Belmont Park, Elmont, New York, star jockey, Ron Turcotte is injured in a racing accident ending his career, leaving him a paraplegic.
- Affirmed, ridden by jockey Steve Cauthen, wins the United States Triple Crown Races by narrowly defeating Alydar in all three races:
Harness racing
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Markovina
- Trotters: Derby Royale
Ice hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 2 over the Boston Bruins
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
- 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.
Skiing
- Alpine Skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden
- The women's overall season champion: Hanni Wenzel, Liechtenstein
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship: Ray Reardon beats Perrie Mans 25-18
- World rankings: Ray Reardon remains world number one for 1978/79.
Speed skating
- First ISU Short Track Speed Skating Championships for men and ladies held in Solihull, UK
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Davis Cup: United States won 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.
- Total prize money at US Open exceeds US $500,000.
General sporting events
- First Ironman Triathlon held in Hawaii
- Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
- Dick Mackey won with lead dogs: Skipper & Shrew
Births
- January 28 - Gianluigi Buffon, Italian football player
- June 19 - Dirk Nowitzki, German NBA player
- August 23 - Kobe Bryant, NBA player
- October 20 - Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
- December 2 - Louisa Walter, German field hockey goalkeeper
- December 21 - Jackie Stiles, WNBA player
- December 29 - Kieron Dyer, English football player
Deaths
- January 13 - Joe McCarthy, baseball manager
- January 21 - Dit Clapper, NHL star, Boston Bruins
- September 3 - Alexander Belov, 26, USSR Olympic basketball player
- September 15 - Ricardo Zamora, 77, Spanish football player
- September 23 - Lyman Bostock, Major League Baseball playerfr:1978 en sport