1994 in sports

See also: 1993 in sports, other events of 1994, 1995 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Athletics (track and field)

• February 20: At Boston, Massachusetts, in a remarkable athletic achievement, Ireland's 41-year-old Eamonn Coghlan becomes the first man over the age of 40 to run a sub-four minute mile when he clocked 3min.58.15sec.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Sterling Marlin won the Daytona 500
  • Jeff Gordon wins the Coca Cola 600
  • Jeff Gordon wins the first Brickyard 400
  • NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt
• CART Racing - season championship won by Al Unser, Jr.
  • Indianapolis 500 - Al Unser, Jr.
• Formula One - Michael Schumacher wins the Drivers' Championship.
  • The season is marred when, during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix, Roland Ratzenberger crashes at the Villeneuve corner and dies from his injuries. The race goes ahead and Ayrton Senna crashes at Tamburello and dies as well.
• 24 hours of Le Mans: Yannick Dalmas / Hurley Haywood / Mauro Baldi won, driving a Porsche 962LM
• Rally racing - Didier Auriol won the World Rally Championship
  • the team of Francois Delecour / Daniel Grataloup won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth
• Drag racing - Scott Kalitta won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.

Baseball

• A strike by baseball players results in the premature termination of the season and the cancellation of the Baseball/World Series, for the first time since 1904.

• January 12: Steve Carlton, winner of 329 games and four Cy Young Awards, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

• June 22: OF Ken Griffey Jr. leads the Mariners to a 12-3 win over the Angels by stroking his 31st home run of the season. In doing so, Griffey Jr. breaks Babe Ruth's record for most home runs before the end of June.

• September 14: A labor strike by Major League Baseball players results in the premature termination of the season, and the cancellation of the World Series for the first time since 1904. The Montreal Expos were the league-leading team up to the strike, with a 74-40 record.

• Mets pitcher John Franco breaks Dave Righetti's major league record for left-handers of 252 career saves.

• The Richmond Braves win the International League championship.

• The Albuquerque Dukes win the Pacific Coast League championship.

• The Indianapolis Indians win the American Association championship.

• The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

• The Yomuiri Giants win the Japan Series, and in the view of the baseball media, are World Champions.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Arkansas wins 76-72 over Duke

• NBA Finals:
  • Houston Rockets win 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks to win the franchise's first championship.

• FIBA World Championship:
  • USA World Champion

• National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
  • North Melbourne Giants defeated the Adelaide 36ers 2-0 in the best-of-three final series.

• Basketball magazine SLAM is launched, as the sport begins to develop a stronger hip hop culture.

Boxing

• January 29 - Frankie Randall causes Julio César Chávez his first defeat in 91 professional bouts, winning the WBC world Jr. Welterweight title in the process, by a split decision in 12 rounds.
• November 5 - Forty-five year old George Foreman becomes boxing's oldest heavyweight champion when he knocked out Michael Moorer in the 10th round of a Las Vegas, Nevada fight.

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Eugeni Berzin of Russia
• Tour de France - Miguel Indurain of Spain
• World Cycling Championship: Luc Leblanc of France

Dogsled racing

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Martin Buser wins with lead dogs: D2 & Dave

Field Hockey

World Competitions

• Men's Champions Trophy in Lahore, Pakistan
  • Gold Medal: Pakistan
  • Silver Medal: Germany
  • Bronze Medal: The Netherlands

• Men's World Cup in Sydney, Australia
  • Gold Medal: Pakistan
  • Silver Medal: The Netherlands
  • Bronze Medal: Australia

• Women's World Cup in Dublin, Republic of Ireland
  • Gold Medal: Australia
  • Silver Medal: Argentina
  • Bronze Medal: United States

Regional Competitions

• Asian Games (Men's Competition) in Hiroshima, Japan
  • Gold Medal: South Korea
  • Silver Medal: India
  • Bronze Medal: Pakistan

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Elvis Stojko, Canada
  • Ladies' champion: Yuka Sato, Japan
  • Pairs' champions: Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, Russia
  • Ice dancing champions: Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov, Russia

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXVIII: Dallas Cowboys won 30-13 over the Buffalo Bills

Football (Australian rules football)

• Australian Football League
  • The West Coast Eagles win the 98th AFL premiership (West Coast Eagles 20.23 (143) d Geelong 8.15 (63))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Greg Williams (Carlton)in 1994

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: B.C. Lions win 26-23 over the Baltimore Stallions
• Vanier Cup: Western Ontario Mustangs win 50-40 over the Saskatchewan Huskies

Football (rugby league)

It was the final year rugby league in Australia had its national competition run by the New South Wales Rugby League. For 1995 it was to be titled the Australian Rugby League. It was also the end of a magnificent Winfield Cup trophy which was regarded as a symbol of the game's most successful era. Cast in bronze by Alan Ingham, it was the game's ultimate prize for the duration of the Winfield sponsorship from 1982-94.

• The 16 club teams for 1994 were:

Balmain Tigers,

Brisbane Broncos,

Canberra Raiders,

Canterbury Bulldogs,

Cronulla Sharks,

Gold Coast Seagulls,

Illawarra Steelers,

Manly Sea Eagles,

Newcastle Knights,

North Sydney Bears,

Parramatta Eels,

Penrith Panthers,

St. George Dragons,

South Sydney Rabbitohs,

Eastern Suburbs Roosters,

Western Suburbs Magpies.

• Canberra Raiders captian & rugby league legend Mal Meninga ends his club career on a winning note leading the Raiders to their third title winning 36-12 over Canterbury Bulldogs in the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final. Meninga's playing career in 1994 finished with him leading the Kanagroos on a successful tour of Great Britain & France.

Football (Soccer)

• 1994 World Cup: - Brazil wins its record fourth world cup, defeating Italy on penalties in the final at Pasadena, California.

For fuller coverage, see: 1994 in football (soccer)

Gaelic Athletic Association

• Camogie
  • All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny
  • National Camogie League:

• Gaelic football
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Down 1-12 d. Dublin 0-13
  • National Football League: Meath 2-11 d. Armagh 0-8

• Ladies' Gaelic football
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Waterford
  • National Football League: Monaghan

• Hurling
  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Offaly 3-16 d. Limerick 2-13
  • National Hurling League:

Golf

Men's Golf

• Major championship results:
  1. May - The Masters - José María Olazábal
  2. June - US Open - Ernie Els
  3. July - British Open - Nick Price
  4. August - PGA Championship - Nick Price

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Nick Price - $1,499,927
• PGA Champions Tour leading money winner: Dave Stockton - $1,402,519

• Tiger Woods becomes the youngest man ever to win the U.S. Amateur, at age 18.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Patty Sheehan
• LPGA Championship - Laura Davies
• Laura Davies: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $687,201.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Jeune
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Basqueian
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Carnegie
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Balanchine

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mister Baileys
  2. Epsom Derby - Erhaab
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Moonax

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Go for Gin
  2. Preakness Stakes - Tabasco Cat
  3. Belmont Stakes - Tabasco Cat

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Concern
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - One Dreamer
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Timber Country
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Flanders
  5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Barathea
  6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Cherokee Run
  7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Tikkanen

Harness Racing

• North America Cup - Cam's Card Shark

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Falcons Future
  2. Little Brown Jug - Magical Mike
  3. Messenger Stakes - Cam's Card Shark

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Victory Dream
  2. Yonkers Trot -
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Bullville Victory

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Weona Warrior
  • Trotters: Diamond Field

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings

• Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Sergei Fedorov - Detroit Red Wings

• Stanley Cup: New York Rangers won 4 games to 3 over the Vancouver Canucks

• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Canada defeated Finland
  • Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated Sweden
  • Women's champion: Canada defeated the United States

Lacrosse

• The 7th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Manchester, England. The United States win and Australia is the runner-up.
• The Philadelphia Wings beat the Buffalo Bandits 26-15 in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League Championship.
• The ­Six Nations Chiefs win the Mann Cup.
• The Orillia Rogers Kings win the Founders Cup.
• The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Minto Cup.

Radiosport

• Seventh Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Södertalje, Sweden.

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Kjetil André Aamodt, Norway
  • The women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Stephen Hendry beats Jimmy White 18-17
• World rankings: Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1994/95

Swimming

• Seventh FINA World Championships, held in Rome, Italy (September 1 – 11)
• Fourth European Sprint Championships, held in Stavanger, Norway (December 3 – 4)
  • Germany wins the most medals (13), and the most gold medals (7)

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Pete Sampras
  2. French Open - Sergi Bruguera
  3. Wimbledon championships - Pete Sampras
  4. US Open - Andre Agassi

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Steffi Graf
  2. French Open - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
  3. Wimbledon championships - Conchita Martinez
  4. US Open - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

• Davis Cup: Sweden won 4-1 over Russia in world tennis.

Water Polo

• Men's World Championship in Rome, Italy
  • Gold Medal: Italy
  • Silver Medal: Spain
  • Bronze Medal: Russia

• Women's World Championship in Rome, Italy
  • Gold Medal: Hungary
  • Silver Medal: The Netherlands
  • Bronze Medal: Italy

General sporting events

• 1994 Winter Olympics takes place in Lillehammer, Norway
  • Norway wins the most medals (26), the Russian Federation wins the most gold medals (11).

• Asian Games held in Hiroshima, Japan

• Summer Goodwill Games held in St. Petersburg, Russia

• Fourth Gay Games held in New York, United States

Births

Deaths

January-April

• January 5 — Brian Johnston, English cricketer, BBC radio commentator
• January 5 — Eliska Junkova (Elizabeth Junek), Grand Prix motor racing driver
• January 8 — Harvey Haddix, MLB baseball player, pitched 12 perfect innings for Pittsburgh Pirates
• January 9 — Johnny Temple, Major League Baseball player (1952-1964)
• January 14 — Ivan Fuqua (84), American athlete (b. 1909)
• January 29 — Ulrike Maier (26), Austrian World Cup skier
• February 4 — Mikhail Linge (35), Soviet athlete (b. 1958)
• February 5 — Fred de Bruyne, Flemish cyclist
• February 19 — Renske Vellinga (19), Dutch ice speed skater
• February 25 — Jersey Joe Walcott, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
• April 10 — Reinaldo Gorno (75), Argentine long-distance runner(b. 1918)
• April 15 — John Curry, English Olympic figure skating champion
• April 30 — Roland Ratzenberger (31), Austrian race car driver

May-August

• May 1 — Ayrton Senna, Brazilian F1 race car driver
• May 10 — Eduardo Lausse, Argentinian middleweight boxer (b. 1927)
• May 19 — Luis Ocaña, Spanish cyclist, Tour de France winner
• May 28 — Julius Boros, American golfer, US Open champion
• June 20 — John Farrell (87), American ice speed skater (b. 1906)
• July 2 — Roberto Balado (25), Cuban boxer
• July 2 — Andrés Escobar, Colombian World Cup soccer player
• July 3 — Lew Hoad, Australian tennis player, Wimbledon champion
• July 10 — Otto Bonsema, Dutch soccer player and trainer
• July 14 — César Tovar, Major League Baseball player (1965-1976)
• July 17 — Jean Borotra, French tennis player
• July 24 — Robert Wangila, Kenyan boxer (b. 1967)
• August 5 — Terry Hibbitt, English soccer star
• August 10 — Kay Petre, Canadian-born pioneer driver in British auto racing
• August 17 – Jack Sharkey, World champion heavyweight boxer

September-December

• September 2 — Detlef Macha, German champion cyclist
• September 3 — Billy Wright, English soccer player
• September 18 — Vitas Gerulaitis, American tennis player
• November 7 — Charles Mathiesen (83), Norwegian speed skater (b. 1911)
• November 12 — Wilma Rudolph, American track and field athlete
• December 10 — Alex Wilson (89), Canadian track and field athlete (b. 1905)
• December 31 — Bruno Pezzey (39), Austrian soccer player (b. 1955)

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