Sporting Highlights for 1980
Here are some of the sporting highlights in the world of sport for 1980. The major events of this year in sport were the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
It was the year of the Olympics and it is most notable for the boycott of the United States. The ex-Soviet Union would do the same, boycotting the following Olympics in Los Angeles. In the Winter Olympics, the United States hockey team's gold medal win stands out as the most memorable event. The game against the ex-Soviet Union, was termed as "Miracle on Ice", and still stands dear to many Americans. The other most notable achievement was also by an American, Eric Heiden, who won all five speedskating races. He, to this date remains as the only skater to have won five gold medals in the Winter Olympics.
Rosie Ruiz, can easily be called the best cheat of all-time. She was initially declared as the winner on the Boston marathon in the fastest time ever by a women. Investigations found that she did not run the entire course, and her win was disqualified eight days later. There are several theories about how she found herself on the finish line, but to this date, Rosie maintains that she really completed the race.
Bjorn Borg won both the French Open and Wimbledon for the third straight time. John McEnroe defended his US Open title by defeating Borg in the finals. Chris Evert won the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships for her 10th and 11th grand slam titles.
In the 67th Tour de France, Bernard Hinault was on his way for his third straight win but unfortunately pulled out of the race because of tendinitis. Joop Zoetemelk of Netherlands took home the race that year.
See some videos from the world of sport in 1980.
Below is a timeline of some significant results in the world of sport for the year 1980.
| Date | Results |
|---|---|
| Jan | Super Bowl held in Pasadena won by Pittsburgh |
| Feb 14-23 | Winter Olympic Games were held in Lake Placid, USA |
| April | Golf Masters won by Seve Ballesteros (1st win) |
| May | Tennis French Open won by Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert Lloyd |
| June | Golf US Open won by Jack Nicklaus |
| July | the Cycling Tour de France won by Joop Zoetemelk |
| July | Tennis Wimbledon won by Bjorn Borg and Evonne Cawley |
| July | Golf The Open Championship won by Tom Watson |
| July 19 - Aug 3 | Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow, USSR |
| Aug | Golf US PGA won by Jack Nicklaus (5) |
| Sep | Tennis US Open won by John McEnroe and Chris Evert Lloyd |
| Oct | The Baseball World Series won by Philadelphia Phillies |
| Dec | Tennis Australia Open won by Brian Teacher and Hana Mandlikova |
Please note that the dates for past events are not always known, and are sometimes just placed in the month that the current event is held. If no exact date is listed, then it is just an estimated month that it was held.
If you have a correction or know of events that should be included here, please let me know.
Related Pages
- Ballon D'or Winners for 1980
- Timeline (all years) in the world of sport
- For current and future sporting events, see the Calendar of Major Sporting Events
- More about the World of Sport
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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