1952 in sports in Encyclopedia

January 31 – The Hall of Fame elects two new members – Harry Heilmann, with 203 votes, and Paul Waner with 195. Waner, a .333 career hitter, rapped out 3,152 hits and struck out just 376 times in 9,459 career at–bats. Heilmann was similarly skilled with the bat, winning four batting titles with the Tigers and finishing his career with a .342 average
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 3 over the Brooklyn Dodgers

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- Kansas wins 80–63 over St. John's
NBA Finals|NBA Finals –
- Minneapolis Lakers won 4 games to 3 over the Syracuse Nationals

Boxing

June 25 at Yankee Stadium, Joey Maxim defeats Sugar Ray Robinson by knockout to retain his world light heavyweight title. This is the only knockout Robinson would ever suffer.
August 11 – death in a road accident of Dave Sands (26), Australian Aborigine middleweight rated third in the world at the time
September 23 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rocky Marciano knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 21-11 over the Edmonton Eskimos

Cricket

16 October–18 October, Delhi – Pakistan plays its first Test match, against India. India won by an innings and 70 runs.

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Fausto Coppi of Italy
Tour de France – Fausto Coppi of Italy
World Cycling Championship – Heinz M ller of Germany

Field hockey

Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Helsinki, Finland
- Gold Medal: India
- Silver Medal: The Netherlands
- Bronze Medal: Great Britain

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- Ladies' champion: Jacqueline du Bief, France
- Pair skating champions: Ria Falk & Paul Falk, Germany
- Ice dancing champions: Jean Westwood & Lawrence Demmy, Great Britain

In this year, ice dancing introduced as part of the World Figure Skating Championships.

Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament – Sam Snead
U.S. Open – Julius Boros
PGA Championship – Jim Turnesa
British Open – Bobby Locke
PGA Tour money leader – Julius Boros – $37,033

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Harvie Ward
U.S. Amateur – Jack Westland

Women's professional

Women's Western Open – Betsy Rawls
U.S. Women's Open – Louise Suggs
Titleholders Championship – Babe Zaharias
LPGA Tour money leader – Betsy Rawls – $14,505

Harness racing

Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Meadow Rice
Hambletonian for trotters won by Sharp Note
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Avian Derby

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Mont Tremblant
Grand National – Teal

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Dalray
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Epigram
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Nuccio
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Thirteen of Diamonds
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Thunderhead II
2. Epsom Derby – Tulyar
3. St. Leger Stakes – Tulyar
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Hill Gail
2. Preakness Stakes – Blue Man
3. Belmont Stakes – One Count

Ice hockey

World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada defeated the United States
Stanley Cup – Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 0 over the Montreal Canadiens
Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Colorado College Tigers 4–1 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
November 1 – Hockey Night in Canada makes its television debut on CBC. It is the oldest sports-related TV program still airing.

Motor racing

NASCAR Championship – Tim Flock in a Hudson Hornet
AAA Racing –
- 30 May – Troy Ruttman wins the 36th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Agajanian Special Kuzma-Offenhauser
- Chuck Stevenson wins the season championship
Formula One – Alberto Ascari (Italy) is World Drivers' Champion, driving for Ferrari
June 14 15 – Hermann Lang / Fritz Reiss share a Mercedes-Benz 300SL to win the 20th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Rally racing –
- Sydney Allard / Guy Warburton wins the Monte Carlo Rally driving an Allard J2
Drag racing – In cities and towns across North America, drag racing begins to move from the streets to organized events usually at abandoned airport strips.

Professional wrestling

World Wrestling Entertainment is founded by Vincent J. McMahon and Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt.

Rugby union

58th Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales who complete the Grand Slam

Skiing

Alpine Skiing
Men's Olympic Gold Medals:
- Downhill: Zeno Col , Italy
- Slalom: Othmar Schneider, Austria
- Giant Slalom: Stein Eriksen, Norway
- Women's Olympic Gold Medals:
- Downhill: Trude Jochum-Beiser, Austria
- Slalom: Andrea Mead Lawrence, United States
- Giant Slalom: Andrea Mead Lawrence, United States

Snooker

Schism in snooker means two world championships are held:
- World Snooker Championship (World Matchplay event): Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 38–35
- World Snooker Championship (BACC event): Horace Lindrum beats Clark McConachy 94–49

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

Men's All-round Champion Hjalmar Andersen (Norway)

Tennis

Australia

Australian Men's Singles Championship Ken McGregor (Australia) defeats Frank Sedgman (Australia) 7 5, 12 10, 2 6, 6 2
Australian Women's Singles Championship Thelma Coyne Long (Australia) defeats Helen Angwin (Australia) 6 2, 6 3

England

Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats Jaroslav Drobn (Egypt) 4 6, 6 2, 6 3, 6 2
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship Maureen Connolly Brinker (USA) defeats Louise Brough Clapp (USA) 6 4, 6 3

France

USA

Davis Cup

1952 Davis Cup 4 1 at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre (grass) Adelaide, Australia

Volleyball

Men's World Championship in Moscow, Soviet Union
- Gold Medal: Soviet Union
- Silver Medal: Czechoslovakia
- Bronze Medal: Bulgaria

Olympic Games

1952 Summer Olympics takes place in Helsinki, Finland
- United States wins the most medals (76), and the most gold medals (40).
- Emil Z topek wins marathon.
1952 Winter Olympics takes place in Oslo, Norway
- Norway wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (7).