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1987 in sports

Years in sports:	1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Years:	1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990

Contents 1 Artistic Gymnastics 2 Athletics 2.1 Marathon 2.1.1 International Races 2.1.2 National Champions 3 Auto Racing 4 Baseball 5 Basketball 6 Boxing 7 Cricket 8 Cycling 9 Dogsled racing 10 Field Hockey 10.1 World Competitions 10.2 Continental Competitions 11 Figure skating 12 Football (American) 13 Football (Australian rules football) 14 Football (Canadian) 15 Football (Soccer) 16 Gaelic Athletic Association 17 Golf 18 Thoroughbred Horse Racing 19 Harness Racing 20 Ice Hockey 21 Lacrosse 22 Rugby Union 23 Skiing 24 Snooker 25 Swimming 25.1 Events 25.2 Records 26 Taekwondo 27 Tennis 28 Volleyball 29 Water polo 29.1 Men's Competition 29.2 Women's Competition 30 Yacht racing 31 Multi-sport events 32 Awards 33 Births 33.1 January 33.2 February 33.3 March 33.4 April 33.5 May 33.6 June 33.7 July 33.8 August 33.9 September 33.10 October 33.11 November 33.12 December 34 Deaths

Artistic Gymnastics

• World Artistic Gymnastics Championships:
  • Men's all-around champion: Dmitry Bilozerchev, USSR
  • Women's all-around champion: Aurelia Dobre, Romania
  • Men's team competition champion: USSR
  • Women's team competition champion: Romania

Athletics

For an extensive coverage see 1987 in athletics (track and field)

Marathon

International Races

• January 25 — Osaka Marathon, Japan
  • Women's Winner: Lorraine Moller (NZL) 2:30:40

• February 8 — Tokyo Marathon, Japan
  • Men's Winner: Hiromi Taniguchi (JPN) 2:10:06

• March 1 — Los Angeles Marathon, United States
  • Men's Winner: Art Boileau (CAN) 2:13:08
  • Women's Winner: Nancy Ditz (USA) 2:35:24

• March 15 — Seoul Marathon, South Korea
  • Men's Winner: Lee Jong-Hee (KOR) 2:12:21
  • Women's Winner: Ahn Young-Ok (KOR) 2:41:50

• April 18 — Rotterdam Marathon, Netherlands
  • Men's Winner: Belayneh Densamo (ETH) 2:12:58
  • Women's Winner: Nelly Aerts (BEL) 2:41:24

• April 20 — Boston Marathon, United States
  • Men's Winner: Toshihiko Seko (JPN) 2:11:50
  • Women's Winner: Rosa Mota (POR) 2:25:21

• April 26 — Hamburg Marathon, Germany
  • Men's Winner: Karel Lismont (BEL) 2:13:46
  • Women's Winner: Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:31:49

• May 3 — Rome Marathon, Italy
  • Men's Winner: Gelindo Bordin (ITA) 2:16:03
  • Women's Winner: Maria Araneo (ITA) 2:56:00

• May 10 — Amsterdam Marathon, Netherlands
  • Men's Winner: John Burra (TAN) 2:12:40
  • Women's Winner: Adriana Barbu (ROM) 2:36:21

• May 10 — London Marathon, United Kingdom
  • Men's Winner: Hiromi Taniguchi (JPN) 2:09:50
  • Women's Winner: Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) 2:22:48

• May 17 — Paris Marathon, France
  • Men's Winner: Abebe Mekonnen (ETH) 2:11:09
  • Women's Winner: Elena Cobos (ESP) 2:45:57

• June 17 — Enschede Marathon, Netherlands
  • Men's Winner: Marti ten Kate (NED) 2:13:52
  • Women's Winner: Helen Comsa (SUI) 2:39:29

• August 9 — Pan American Games Marathon, Indianapolis, USA
  • Men's Winner: Ivo Rodríguez (BRA) 2:20:13
  • Women's Winner: Maricarmen Cardenas (MEX) 2:52:06

• August 29 — IAAF World Championships Marathon, Rome, Italy
  • Women's Winner: Rosa Mota (POR) 2:25:17

• September 6 — IAAF World Championships Marathon, Rome, Italy
  • Men's Winner: Douglas Wakiihuri (KEN) 2:11:48

• September 24 — Mediterranean Games Marathon, Latakia, Syria
  • Men's Winner: Enrico Badessi (ITA) 2:24:13

• September 27 — Montreal Marathon, Canada
  • Men's Winner: Peter Maher (CAN) 2:15:05
  • Women's Winner: Jacqueline Gareau (CAN) 2:32:52

• October 4 — Berlin Marathon, West Germany
  • Men's Winner: Suleiman Nyambui (TAN) 2:11:11
  • Women's Winner: Kerstin Pressler (FRG) 2:31:22

• October 18 — Beijing Marathon, China PR
  • Men's Winner: Juma Ikangaa (TAN) 2:12:19

• November 1 — New York City Marathon, United States
  • Men's Winner: Ibrahim Hussein (KEN) 2:11:01
  • Women's Winner: Priscilla Welch (GBR) 2:30:17

• November 8 — Lisbon Marathon, Portugal
  • Men's Winner: Gualdino Viegas (POR) 2:13:59
  • Women's Winner: Umbelina Nunes (POR) 3:00:56

• November 15 — Tokyo Marathon, Japan
  • Women's Winner: Katrin Dörre (GDR) 2:25:24

• December 6 — Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
  • Men's Winner: Takeyuki Nakayama (JPN) 2:08:18

• December 13 — Honolulu Marathon, United States
  • Men's Winner: Ibrahim Hussein (KEN) 2:18:26
  • Women's Winner: Carla Beurskens (NED) 2:35:11

National Champions

• October 4 — Toronto, Canada
  • Men's Winner: Michael Dyon — 2:17:41
  • Women's Winner: Marjorie Stewart — 2:46:02

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Bill Elliott won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt
• CART Racing - Bobby Rahal won the season championship
  • Indianapolis 500 - Al Unser Sr.
• Formula One Championship - Nelson Piquet of Brazil
• 24 hours of Le Mans: won by the team of Derek Bell / Hans-Joachim Stuck / Al Holbert driving a Porsche 962C
• Rally racing - Juha Kankkunen in a Lancia won the World Rally Championship
  • the team of Miki Biasion / Tiziano Siviero won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Delta HF 4x4
• Drag racing:
  • Dick LaHaie won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.
  • Darrell Gwynn won Top Fuel at the NHRA Winston Finals
• Touring car racing:
  • Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonné won the Bathurst 1000 endurance race in Australia, only to have their Ford Sierra (as well that of second-place team-mates Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz) disqualified for illegal wheel arches. Peter Brock, David Parsons and Peter McLeod in a Holden Commodore, who finished third, were awarded the victory. It was Brock's 9th and final Bathurst win.
  • That disqualification changed the result of the one-off Group A World Touring Car Championship, taking it from Ludwig and Niedzwiedz and giving it to Roberto Ravaglia who drove a BMW M3 for Schnitzer Motorsport.

Baseball

• January 14: Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hunter made his name as the ace of the Oakland A's staff in their championship years and made his fortune as one of the first free agents. Williams set an National League record by playing in 1,117 consecutive games and accumulating 426 home runs and a batting title.

• August 3: Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Niekro is suspended for 10 days for possessing a nail file on the pitcher's mound. Niekro claimed he had been filing his nails in the dugout and put the file in his back pocket when the inning started.

• World Series: Minnesota Twins won 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Series MVP was Frank Viola, Minnesota
  • Lowest regular-season record of any World Series champion (85-77, .525)until 2006 (Cardinals 83-79)
  • First World Series game played indoors (Game 1 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)
  • First World Series where the home team won every game

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Indiana won 74-73 over Syracuse
• NBA Finals:
  • Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 2 over the Boston Celtics
• National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
  • Brisbane Bullets defeated the Perth Wildcats 2-0 in the best-of-three final series.

Boxing

• March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mike Tyson adds the WBA heavyweight title to his WBC belt when he beats James Smith in a 12 round decision.

• April 6 - Sugar Ray Leonard beats Marvin Hagler for boxing's world Middleweight championship.

Cricket

• 1987 Cricket World Cup - Final: Australia beat England by 7 runs

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Stephen Roche of Ireland
• Tour de France - Stephen Roche of Ireland
• World Cycling Championship: Stephen Roche of Ireland

Dogsled racing

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Susan Butcher won with lead dogs: Granite & Mattie

Field Hockey

World Competitions

• Men's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
  • Gold Medal: West Germany
  • Silver Medal: The Netherlands
  • Bronze Medal: Australia

• Women's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
  • Gold Medal: The Netherlands
  • Silver Medal: Australia
  • Bronze Medal: South Korea

• Women's Olympic Qualifier in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Gold Medal: United States
  • Silver Medal: Canada
  • Bronze Medal: Great Britain

Continental Competitions

• Men's European Nations Cup in Moscow, Soviet Union
  • Gold Medal: The Netherlands
  • Silver Medal: England
  • Bronze Medal: West Germany

• Pan American Games (Men's Competition) in Indianapolis, United States
  • Gold Medal: Canada
  • Silver Medal: Argentina
  • Bronze Medal: United States

• Women's European Nations Cup in London, England
  • Gold Medal: The Netherlands
  • Silver Medal: England
  • Bronze Medal: Soviet Union

• Pan American Games (Women's Competition) in Indianapolis, United States
  • Gold Medal: Argentina
  • Silver Medal: United States
  • Bronze Medal: Canada

• March 21 – In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium, London, where England beat the United States of America 3-1.

Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Brian Orser, Canada
  • Ladies' champion: Katarina Witt, Germany
  • Pair skating champions: Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions: Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin, Soviet Union

Football (American)

• Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants won 39-20 over the Denver Broncos

Football (Australian rules football)

• Victorian Football League
  • The West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears join the league.
  • Carlton wins the 91st VFL Premiership (Carlton 15.14 (104) d Hawthorn 9.17 (71))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Tony Lockett (St Kilda) and John Platten (Hawthorn)

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos won 38-36 over the Toronto Argonauts
• Vanier Cup: McGill Redmen won 47-11 over the UBC Thunderbirds

Football (Soccer)

For an extensive coverage see 1987 in football (soccer)

Gaelic Athletic Association

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

• Gaelic football
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Meath 1-14 d. Cork 0-11
  • National Football League: Dublin 1-11 d. Kerry 0-11

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

• Hurling
  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Galway 1-12 d. Kilkenny 0-9
  • National Hurling League:

Golf

Men's Golf

• Major championship results:
  1. April 9-12 - The Masters - Larry Mize
  2. June 18-21 - US Open - Scott Simpson
  3. July 16-19 - British Open - Nick Faldo
  4. August 6-9 - PGA Championship - Larry Nelson

• PGA Tour leading money winner for the year: Curtis Strange - $925,941
• Champions Tour leading money winner Chi Chi Rodriguez - $509,145
• Ryder Cup: Europe won 15-13 over the United States in world team golf.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Laura Davies
• LPGA Championship - Jane Geddes
• British Women's Open - Alison Nicholas
• Ayako Okamoto: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $466,034

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Kensei
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Market Control
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Trempolino
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sir Harry Lewis

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes - Don't Forget Me
  2. Epsom Derby - Reference Point
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Reference Point

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. May 2 - Kentucky Derby - Alysheba
  2. Preakness Stakes - Alysheba
  3. Belmont Stakes - Bet Twice

• Breeders' Cup:
  1. Breeders' Cup Classic - Ferdinand
  2. Breeders' Cup Distaff - Sacahuista
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Success Express
  4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Epitome
  5. Breeders' Cup Mile - Miesque
  6. Breeders' Cup Sprint - Very Subtle
  7. Breeders' Cup Turf - Theatrical

Harness Racing

• The North America Cup - Runnymede Lobell

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Righteous Bucks
  2. Little Brown Jug - Jaguar Spur
  3. Messenger Stakes - Redskin

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Mack Lobell
  2. Yonkers Trot - Mack Lobell
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Napoletano

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Lightning Blue
  • Trotters: Tussle

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

• Stanley Cup: Edmonton Oilers won 4 games to 3 over the Philadelphia Flyers

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Sweden defeated the Soviet Union
  • Junior Men's champion: Finland defeated Czechoslovakia after a bench clearing brawl occurred between Canada and the Soviet Union

Lacrosse

• Inaugural season of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (later the National Lacrosse League)
  • Championship won by the Baltimore Thunder

Rugby Union

• Rugby Union World Cup
  • First World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, won by New Zealand

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland
  • The women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Steve Davis beats Joe Johnson 18-14
• World rankings: Steve Davis remains world number one for 1987/88

Swimming

Events

• Tenth Pan American Games held in Indianapolis, United States (August 9 – August 15)
• Second Pan Pacific Championships held in Brisbane, Australia (August 13 – August 16)

Records

• August 13 — Tom Jager regains the world record from fellow American Matt Biondi (22.33) in the 50m freestyle (long course) at the 1987 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Brisbane, Australia, clocking 22.32.

Taekwondo

• World Championships held in Barcelona, Spain

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Stefan Edberg
  2. French Open - Ivan Lendl
  3. Wimbledon championships - Pat Cash
  4. US Open - Ivan Lendl

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Hana Mandlikova
  2. French Open - Steffi Graf
  3. Wimbledon championships - Martina Navratilova
  4. US Open - Martina Navratilova

• Davis Cup

• Sweden defeats India (5-0) in the final

Volleyball

• Asian Championship
  • Men's Tournament in Kuwait City, Kuwait
    • Gold Medal:  Japan
    • Silver Medal:  China
    • Bronze Medal:  South Korea
  • Women's Tournament in Shanghai, PR China
    • Gold Medal:  China
    • Silver Medal:  Japan
    • Bronze Medal:  South Korea

• European Championship in Gent, Belgium
  • Men's Tournament
    • Gold Medal:  Soviet Union
    • Silver Medal:  France
    • Bronze Medal:  Greece
  • Women's Tournament
    • Gold Medal:  East Germany
    • Silver Medal:  Soviet Union
    • Bronze Medal:  Czechoslovakia

• Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States
  • Men's Tournament
    • Gold Medal:  United States
    • Silver Medal:  Cuba
    • Bronze Medal:  Brazil
  • Women's Tournament
    • Gold Medal:  Cuba
    • Silver Medal:  Peru
    • Bronze Medal:  United States

Water polo

Men's Competition

• FINA World Cup in Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Gold Medal:  Yugoslavia
  • Silver Medal:  Soviet Union
  • Bronze Medal:  West Germany

• European Championship in Strasbourg, France
  • Gold Medal:  Soviet Union
  • Silver Medal:  Yugoslavia
  • Bronze Medal:  Italy

• Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States
  • Gold Medal:  United States
  • Silver Medal:  Cuba
  • Bronze Medal:  Brazil

Women's Competition

• European Championship in Strasbourg, France
  • Gold Medal:  Netherlands
  • Silver Medal:  Hungary
  • Bronze Medal:  France

Yacht racing

• The America's Cup returns to the United States as challenger Stars & Stripes '87, of the San Diego Yacht Club, beats Australian defender Kookaburra III, from the Royal Perth Yacht Club, 4 races to 0.

Multi-sport events

• Tenth Pan American Games held in Indianapolis, United States

• Fourth All-Africa Games held in Nairobi, Kenya

• Tenth Mediterranean Games held in Latakia, Syria

• Fourteenth Summer Universiade held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia

• Thirteenth Winter Universiade held in Štrbské Pleso, Czechoslovakia

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Ben Johnson, Track and field
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track and field

Births

January

• January 1 — Lavra Babič, Slovenian freestyle swimmer
• January 6 — Amanda and Tess Oliveira, Brazilian water polo players
• January 16 — Ciça Canetti, Brazilian water polo player
• January 21 — Augustine Choge, Kenyan long and middle distance runner
• January 25 — Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player

February

• February 2 — Håvard Bøkko, Norwegian speed skater
• February 8 — Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater
• February 15 — Beatrix Boulsevicz, Hungarian butterfly swimmer

March

April

• April 1 — Kate Haywood, British swimmer
• April 10 — Maya Gabeira, Brazilian surfer
• April 19 — Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player
• April 23 — Amy Korner, Australian field hockey player
• April 24 — Duygu Ulusoy, Turkish skier
• April 25 — Alexandra Caso, Dominican Republic volleyball player
• April 26 — Yuki Ishikawa, Japanese volleyball player
• April 29 — Joanna Maranhão, Brazilian medley swimmer

May

• May 1 — Shahar Peer, Israeli tennis player
• May 14 — François Steyn, South African rugby player
• May 15 — Andrew Murray, Scottish tennis player
• May 21 — Tim Cuddihy, Australian archer
• May 28 — Kate Hollywood, Australian field hockey player

June

• June 10 — Amobi Okoye, Nigeria-born American football player

July

• July 17 — Gemma Beadsworth, Australian water polo player

August

• August 1 — Karen Carney, English soccer player
• August 7 — Sidney Crosby, Canadian ice hockey player
• August 20 — Cătălina Ponor, Romanian gymnast
• August 24 — Anze Kopitar, Slovenian ice hockey player
• August 27 — Darren McFadden, American football player

September

• September 21 — Jimmy Clausen, American football player
• September 21 — Ashley Paris, American basketball player
• September 21 — Courtney Paris, American basketball player
• September 22 — Nanae Takizawa, Japanese volleyball player

October

November

• November 13 — Dana Vollmer, American swimmer
• November 29 — Danni Miatke, Australian swimmer

December

• December 16 — Igor Chervynskyi, Ukrainian swimmer
• December 18 — Fernando Jara, Panamanian/American jockey
• December 31 — Émilie Lepennec, French gymnast

Deaths

• March 11 — Woody Hayes, American football coach
• March 17 — Georg Lammers (81), German athlete (b. 1905)
• March 23 — Dean Paul Martin (29), tennis pro killed in plane crash, son of singer Dean Martin
• April 1 — Henri Cochet, French champion tennis player (b. 1901)
• May 31 — Dequinha, Brazilian soccer player
• May 31 — Jerry Adair, Major League Baseball player (1958-1970)
• June 17 — Dick Howser, Major League Baseball player (1961-1968) and manager (1980-1986)
• August 16 — Nick Vanos, NBA basketball player
• November 7 — Arne Borg, Swedish swimmer (b. 1901)
• November 17 — Paul Derringer, Major League Baseball pitcher, (1931-1945)
• November 18 — Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist