Recap of the year 1997 in sports.
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:
- 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 earlier, 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
Golf[]
Men's Golf[]
- Major championship results:
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
- 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[]
- 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:
1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Entrepreneur
2. Epsom Derby - Benny the Dip
3. St. Leger Stakes - Silver Patriarch
- United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby - Silver Charm
2. Preakness Stakes - Silver Charm
3. Belmont Stakes - Touch Gold
- Breeders' Cup:
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
Harness Racing[]
- North America Cup - Gothic Dream
- Western Dreamer won the United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
1. Cane Pace - Western Dreamer
2. Little Brown Jug - Western Dreamer
3. Messenger Stakes - Western Dreamer
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
1. Hambletonian - Malabar Man
2. Yonkers Trot - Lord Stormont
3. Kentucky Futurity - Take Chances
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
o Pacers: Our Sir Vancelot
o Trotters: Pride Of Petite
Ice Hockey[]
- 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
o Men's champion: Canada defeated Sweden
o Junior Men's champion: Finland defeated Russia
o Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States
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[]
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
1. Australian Open - Pete Sampras 2. French Open - Gustavo Kuerten 3. Wimbledon championships - Pete Sampras 4. US Open - Patrick Rafter
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
1. Australian Open - Martina Hingis 2. French Open - Iva Majoli 3. Wimbledon championships - Martina Hingis 4. US Open - Martina Hingis
- Davis Cup: Sweden won 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.