1989 in sports

1989 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing[edit]

Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
- Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland

American football[edit]

Super Bowl XXIII – the San Francisco 49ers (NFC) won 20–16 over the Cincinnati Bengals (AFC)
- Location: Joe Robbie Stadium
- Attendance: 75,129
- MVP: Jerry Rice, WR (San Francisco)
January 2 - Fiesta Bowl (1988 season):
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 34-21 over the West Virginia Mountaineers to win the national championship

Artistic gymnastics[edit]

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –
- Men's all-around champion: Igor Korobchinsky, USSR
- Women's all-around champion: Svetlana Boginskaya, USSR
- Men's team competition champion: USSR
- Women's team competition champion: USSR

Association football[edit]

Australian rules football[edit]

Victorian Football League
- May 6 – Geelong kicks the highest losing score in VFL/AFL history, kicking 25.13 (163) to Hawthorn’s 26.15 (171)
- June 24 – Essendon kicks the lowest winning score since the 1927 Grand Final, beating Footscray 3.10 (28) to 3.5 (23).
- Hawthorn wins the 93rd VFL Premiership beating Geelong 21.18 (144) d 21.12 (138)
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Paul Couch (Geelong)

Baseball[edit]

April 8 – One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes his major-league debut with the California Angels, without spending a single day in the minor leagues. He went on to a 12–12 record for the season.
August 10 – Ten months after undergoing surgery for cancer in his pitching arm, San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky returns to the major leagues, winning his comeback 4–3.
August 15 – Dave Dravecky's comeback bid ends when his pitching arm breaks in the sixth inning of his second start. Two years later, the cancer-stricken arm would be amputated.
August 24 – Following an investigation that he gambled on baseball, superstar player Pete Rose is banned from baseball for life.
World Series – Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 0 over the San Francisco Giants in a series that was delayed because of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The Series MVP was Dave Stewart, Oakland.
Taiwan Professional Baseball League, officially founded on October 23.^{[citation needed]}

Basketball[edit]

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Michigan wins 80–79 over Seton Hall in overtime
NBA Finals –
- The Detroit Pistons win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Lakers to win the franchise's first championship.
National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
- North Melbourne Giants defeated the Canberra Cannons 2–1 in the best-of-three final series.

Boxing[edit]

February 11 – In Grenoble, France, Rene Jacquot won a 12-round decision over Donald Curry to win the World Welterweight Championship
May 29 to June 3 – 28th European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Athens, Greece

Canadian football[edit]

Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders won 43–40 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Vanier Cup – Western Ontario Mustangs won 35–10 over the Saskatchewan Huskies

Cycling[edit]

Giro d'Italia won by Laurent Fignon of France
Tour de France – Greg LeMond of the United States
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Greg LeMond of the United States

Dogsled racing[edit]

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
- Joe Runyan won with lead dogs: Rambo & Ferlin the Husky

Field hockey[edit]

Men's Champions Trophy: Australia
Women's Champions Trophy: South Korea

Figure skating[edit]

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Kurt Browning, Canada
- Ladies’ champion: Midori Ito, Japan
- Pair skating champions: Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Marina Klimova / Sergei Ponomarenko, Soviet Union

Gaelic Athletic Association[edit]

Camogie
- All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny
- National Camogie League: Kilkenny
Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Cork 0–17 died Mayo 1–11
- National Football League – Cork 0–15 died Dublin 0–12
Ladies' Gaelic football
- All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry
- National Football League: Kerry
Hurling
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Tipperary 4–24 died Antrim 3–9
- National Hurling League – Galway 2–16 beat Tipperary 4–8

Golf[edit]

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Nick Faldo
U.S. Open – Curtis Strange
British Open – Mark Calcavecchia
PGA Championship – Payne Stewart
PGA Tour money leader – Tom Kite – $1,395,278
Senior PGA Tour money leader – Bob Charles – $725,887
Ryder Cup – Europe and the United States teams tied 14–14 in team golf.

Men's amateur

Women's professional

Nabisco Dinah Shore – Juli Inkster
LPGA Championship – Nancy Lopez
U.S. Women's Open – Betsy King
Classique du Maurier – Tammie Green
LPGA Tour money leader – Betsy King – $654,132

Harness racing[edit]

North America Cup – Goalie Jeff
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
1. Cane Pace – Dancing Master
2. Little Brown Jug – Goalie Jeff
3. Messenger Stakes – Sandman Hanover
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
1. Hambletonian – Park Ave Joe & Probe (dead heat)
2. Yonkers Trot – Valley Victory
3. Kentucky Futurity – Peace Corps
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Jodie's Babe
- Trotters: Yankee Loch

Horse racing[edit]

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Desert Orchid
Grand National – Little Polveir

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Tawrrific
Canadian Triple Crown Races:
1. Queen's Plate – With Approval
2. Prince of Wales Stakes – With Approval
3. Breeders' Stakes – With Approval
- With Approval becomes the first horse to win the Canadian Triple Crown since 1963.
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Carroll House
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Old Vic
Japan – Japan Cup won by Horlicks
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Nashwan
2. The Derby – Nashwan^[1]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Michelozzo
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. May 6 – Kentucky Derby – Sunday Silence
2. Preakness Stakes – Sunday Silence
3. Belmont Stakes – Easy Goer
Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
1. Breeders' Cup Classic – Sunday Silence
2. Breeders' Cup Distaff – Bayakoa
3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Rhythm
4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Go for Wand
5. Breeders' Cup Mile – Steinlen
6. Breeders' Cup Sprint – Dancing Spree
7. Breeders' Cup Turf – Prized

Ice hockey[edit]

Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
March 22 – St. Louis Blues’ Steve Tuttle slits the jugular vein of Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Clint Malarchuk, with a total of 300 stitches needed to close the wound thanks to trainer Jim Pizzutelli.
Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL’s Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
Stanley Cup – The Calgary Flames won 4 games to 2 over the Montreal Canadiens. This constitutes the only time that the visiting team won the cup at the Montreal Forum against the Canadiens.
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Canada
- Junior Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden

Lacrosse[edit]

The Philadelphia Wings defeat the New York Saints to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship

Motorsport[edit]

Radiosport[edit]

Second European High Speed Telegraphy Championship held in Hanover, Germany.

Rugby league[edit]

June 7 – 1989 Panasonic Cup tournament final: Brisbane Broncos 22–20 Illawarra Steelers at Parramatta Stadium
June 14 – 1989 State of Origin title is wrapped up by Queensland in Game Two of the three-match series against New South Wales at the Sydney Football Stadium before 40,000.
July 23 – first of the 1989–1992 World Cup's twenty tournament matches is won by Australia 22–14 over New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium before 15,000
September 24 – 1989 NSWRL season Grand Final: Canberra Raiders 19–14 Balmain Tigers at Sydney Football Stadium before 40,500.
October 4 – 1989 World Club Challenge match is won by Widnes who defeats Canberra Raiders 30–18 at Old Trafford before 30,768

Rugby union[edit]

95th Five Nations Championship series is won by France

Snooker[edit]

World Snooker Championship – Steve Davis beats John Parrott 18–3
World rankings – Steve Davis remains world number one for 1989/90

Swimming[edit]

Third Pan Pacific Championships, held in Tokyo, Japan (August 17 – 20)
August 20 – Tom Jager once again regains the world record (22.14) in the 50m freestyle (long course) during 1989 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, with a time of 22.12.