1918 in sports
- Note — many sporting events did not take place because ofWorld War Ior the1918 flu pandemic
1918 in sportsdescribes the year's events in world sport.
College championship
Professional football
- Most teams shut down due to World War I and the flu pandemic; those that continue play are forced to delay the start of play until the middle of October or later
- Dayton TrianglesdefeatDetroit Heralds,both of whom continue full operations despite war and flu, to establish themselves as the strongest team in the US
- Buffalo NiagarassignTommy Hughittfor play in a citywide league, establishing a trend of expansion of top-level professional competition outside Ohio
Europe
- There is no major football in Europe due toWorld War I
VFL Premiership
- South Melbournewins the 22ndVFLPremiershipbeatingCollingwood9.8 (62) to 7.15 (57) in the1918 VFL Grand Final.
South Australian Football League:
- not contested due to World War I
West Australian Football League:
- 21 September:East Fremantle11.8 (74) defeatEast Perth8.5 (53) for their tenthWAFL premiership.
Sweden
- Championship final–IFK Uppsala4–1IK Sirius(replay following 2–2 draw)
World Series
- 5–11 September —Boston Red Sox(AL) defeatsChicago Cubs(NL) to win the1918 World Seriesby 4 games to 2
Events
- Babe Ruthleads theAmerican Leagueinhome runsfor the first time, hitting 11
- 2 September — professional baseball is curtailed to accelerate mobilisation for war
Events
- No world titles change hands in 1918 butJack Dempsey,with a series of knockouts including one againstBattling Levinsky,is now the main challenger toJess Willard.
Lineal world champions[1]
- World Heavyweight Championship–Jess Willard
- World Light Heavyweight Championship–Battling Levinsky
- World Middleweight Championship–Mike O'Dowd
- World Welterweight Championship–Ted "Kid" Lewis
- World Lightweight Championship–Benny Leonard
- World Featherweight Championship–Johnny Kilbane
- World Bantamweight Championship–Pete Herman
- World Flyweight Championship–Jimmy Wilde
Grey Cup
- not contested due toWorld War I
Events
- There is nofirst-class cricketin England, Australia, South Africa or the West Indies due toWorld War I.A number of first-class matches are arranged in New Zealand but are not part of any official competition.
India
- Bombay Quadrangular–Hindusshared withParsees
New Zealand
- Plunket Shield–not contested
- not contested due toWorld War I[2]
- not contested due toWorld War I
World Figure Skating Championships
- not contested due toWorld War I
Events
- All major championships are cancelled due toWorld War I
England
- Grand National–not held due toWorld War I
- 1,000 Guineas Stakes–Ferry
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes–Gainsborough
- The Derby– Gainsborough[3]
- The Oaks–My Dear
- St. Leger Stakes– Gainsborough
Australia
- Melbourne Cup– Night Watch
Canada
- King's Plate– Springside
Ireland
- Irish Grand National– Ballyboggan
- Irish Derby Stakes– King John
USA
- Kentucky Derby– Exterminator
- Preakness Stakes–not contested as a single race
- Belmont Stakes– Johren
Stanley Cup
- The temporaryToronto Arenasteam defeats theMontreal Canadiens10–7 to win the inauguralNational Hockey League(NHL)championship
- Vancouver MillionairesdefeatsSeattle Metropolitans3–2 to win thePacific Coast Hockey Associationchampionship
- 20–30 March — Toronto Arenas (NHL) defeats Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA) in the1918 Stanley Cup Finalsby 3 games to 2
Events
- 2 January —Montreal Wanderersdisbands following destruction of its home venue by fire
- Allan Cupis won byKitchener Greenshirts
Events
- No major races are held anywhere worldwide due toWorld War I
The Boat Race
- Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race– not contested due toWorld War I[4]
England
- All first-class competitions are cancelled due toWorld War I
Australia
- NSW Premiership–South Sydney(outright winner)
New Zealand
Five Nations Championship
- Five Nations Championshipseries is not contested due toWorld War I
Speed Skating World Championships
- not contested due toWorld War I
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship– not contested due toWorld War I
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship– not contested due toWorld War I
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship– not contested due toWorld War I
France
- French Men's Singles Championship– not contested due toWorld War I
- French Women's Singles Championship– not contested due toWorld War I
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship–Lindley Murray(USA) defeatsBill Tilden(USA) 6–3 6–1 7–5
- American Women's Singles Championship–Molla Bjurstedt Mallory(Norway) defeatsEleanor E. Goss(USA) 6–4 6–3
Davis Cup
- 1918 International Lawn Tennis Challenge –not contested
References
[edit]- ^Cyber Boxing Zone
- ^"Cycling-Tour de France list of winners".Eurosport UK.26 August 2020.Retrieved18 February2021.
- ^"Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica".www.britannica.com.Retrieved2 January2022.
- ^"WW1 boat race medal sold at auction".BBC News.26 September 2014.Retrieved30 April2021.