1997

Auto Racing

 * Stock car racing:
 * Jeff Gordon is the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 on February 16
 * NASCAR Championship - Jeff Gordon
 * Indy Racing League -
 * Indianapolis 500 - Arie Luyendyk
 * CART Racing - Alex Zanardi won the season championship
 * Formula One Championship - Jacques Villeneuve of Canada
 * V8 Supercars Australia
 * Championship Series won by Glenn Seton in a Ford Falcon EL.
 * Bathurst 1000 for V8 Supercars won by Russel Ingall and Larry Perkins in a Holden Commodore VS.
 * Bathurst 1000 for Super Touring won by Jim Richards and Rickard Rydell. Rydell setting a shootout lap of 2:14.x, fastest super touring lap ever around the mountain at that time.
 * 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Michele Alboreto / Stefan Johansson / Tom Kristensen won, driving a TWR-Porsche
 * Rally racing - Tommi Mäkinen won the World Rally Championship
 * the team of Piero Liatti / Fabrizia Pons won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Subaru Impreza WRC97
 * Drag racing - Gary Scelzi won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

 * June 12 - Interleague play begins in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.
 * World Series: Florida Marlins won 4 games to 3 over the Cleveland Indians. The Series MVP was Liván Hernández, Florida

Basketball

 * NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
 * Arizona wins 84-79 over Kentucky
 * NBA Finals:
 * Chicago Bulls earn their second repeat of the decade as they beat the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 (see Steve Kerr).
 * WNBA Finals:
 * Houston Comets defeat the New York Liberty in one game playoff series.

Boxing

 * January 18 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Oscar De La Hoya maintained his World Boxing Council super lightweight title in with a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Gonzalez.
 * June 28 - Mike Tyson bites off a piece of the ear of Evander Holyfield in the third round of their WBA Heavyweight title fight, getting disqualified by referee Mills Lane.
 * July 9 - Mike Tyson's boxing license is suspended for at least a year and he is fined $3 million for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in a televised match.

Cricket

 * The Ashes - Australia win the six test series 3-2
 * ICC Trophy - Bangladesh
 * County Cricket Championship (England and Wales) - Glamorgan

Cycling

 * Giro d'Italia won by Ivan Gotti of Italy
 * Tour de France - Jan Ullrich of Germany
 * World Cycling Championship: Laurent Brochard of France

Field Hockey

 * October 17 - 19 - Champions Trophy held at Adelaide, Australia won by Germany. Hosts Australia finish second.

Figure Skating

 * World Figure Skating Championships:
 * Men's champion: Elvis Stojko, Canada
 * Women's champion: Tara Lipinski, United States
 * Pairs champions: Mandy Wötzel & Ingo Steuer, Germany

Football (American)

 * Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots

Football (Australian Rules)

 * Australian Football League
 * Port Adelaide join the league
 * The Adelaide Crows, who joined the league seven years ealier, win the 101st AFL premiership (Adelaide Crows 19.11 (125) d St Kilda 13.16 (94))
 * Brownlow Medal awarded to Robert Harvey (St Kilda)

Football (Canadian)

 * Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts won 47-23 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * Vanier Cup: UBC Thunderbirds win 39-23 over the Ottawa Gee Gees

Men's Golf
1. April 13 - The Masters - Tiger Woods 2. June - US Open - Ernie Els 3. July - British Open - Justin Leonard 4. August - PGA Championship - Davis Love III
 * Major championship results:


 * PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Tiger Woods - $2,066,833
 * PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Hale Irwin - $2,343,364
 * Ryder Cup: Europe won 14 1/2-13 1/2 over the United States in world team golf.

Women's Golf

 * US Women's Open - Alison Nicholas
 * LPGA Championship - Chris Johnson
 * Annika Sörenstam: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $1,236,789.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing
1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Entrepreneur 2. Epsom Derby - Benny the Dip 3. St. Leger Stakes - Silver Patriarch 1. Kentucky Derby - Silver Charm 2. Preakness Stakes - Silver Charm 3. Belmont Stakes - Touch Gold 1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Skip Away 2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Ajina 3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Favorite Trick 4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Countess Diana 5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Spinning World 6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Elmhurst 7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Chief Bearhart
 * Australia - Melbourne Cup - Might And Power
 * Canada - Queen's Plate - Awesome Again
 * France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Peintre Célèbre
 * Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Desert King
 * English Triple Crown Races:
 * United States Triple Crown Races:
 * Breeders' Cup:

Harness Racing
1. Cane Pace - Western Dreamer 2. Little Brown Jug - Western Dreamer 3. Messenger Stakes - Western Dreamer 1. Hambletonian - Malabar Man 2. Yonkers Trot - Lord Stormont 3. Kentucky Futurity - Take Chances o Pacers: Our Sir Vancelot o Trotters: Pride Of Petite
 * North America Cup - Gothic Dream
 * Western Dreamer won the United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
 * United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
 * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:

Ice Hockey
o Men's champion: Canada defeated Sweden o Junior Men's champion: Finland defeated Russia o Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States
 * Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres
 * Stanley Cup - Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 0 over the Philadelphia Flyers
 * World Hockey Championship

Skiing

 * Alpine Skiing
 * The men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France
 * The women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden

Snooker

 * World Snooker Championship: Ken Doherty beats Stephen Hendry 18-12
 * World rankings: Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1997/98

Tennis
1. Australian Open - Pete Sampras 2. French Open - Gustavo Kuerten 3. Wimbledon championships - Pete Sampras 4. US Open - Patrick Rafter 1. Australian Open - Martina Hingis 2. French Open - Iva Majoli 3. Wimbledon championships - Martina Hingis 4. US Open - Martina Hingis
 * Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
 * Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
 * Davis Cup: Sweden won 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.