1979 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
Alpine Skiing World Cup
Men's overall season champion: Peter Lüscher, Switzerland
Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austria
American football
Super Bowl XIII – the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC) won 35−31 over the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) Location: Miami Orange Bowl Attendance: 79,484 MVP: Terry Bradshaw, QB (Pittsburgh) Sugar Bowl (1978 season): The Alabama Crimson Tide won 14–7 over the Penn State Nittany Lions to claim AP Poll national championship August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany. November 10 – German Bowl I – Frankfurter Löwen defeated the Ansbach Grizzlies 14–8.
Artistic gymnastics
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships –
Men's all-around champion: Alexander Dityatin, USSR
Women's all-around champion: Nellie Kim, USSR
Men's team competition champion: USSR
Women's team competition champion: Romania
Association football
May 12 – England – FA Cup – Arsenal win 3–2 over Manchester United
Sport Club Internacional win the Brazilian Championship undefeated
Australian rules football
Victorian Football League
April 28: Collingwood beats a 70-year-old record for the greatest winning margin in VFL football when they beat St. Kilda by 178 points 31.21 (207) to 3.11 (29) July 28: Fitzroy beats Collingwood's three-month-old record when they beat Melbourne 36.22 (238) to 6.12 (48) with Bob Beecroft kicking ten goals Carlton win the 83rd VFL Premiership (Carlton 11.16 (82) d Collingwood 11.11 (77)) Brownlow Medal awarded to Peter Moore (Collingwood)
Baseball
January 23 – Willie Mays receives 409 of 432 votes in the BBWAA election to earn enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. July 12 – Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers August 2 – death of Thurman Munson, New York Yankees catcher, in an air crash World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates won 4 games to 3 over the Baltimore Orioles. The Series MVP was Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh. The Pirates become the only team in sports history to come back from a three games to one deficit in a championship series twice, having also achieved the comeback in the 1925 World Series.
Basketball
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship –
Michigan St. wins 75–64 over Indiana St. NBA Finals – Seattle SuperSonics, coached by Lenny Wilkens, won 4 games to 1 over the Washington Bullets for the only finals win in Seattle SuperSonics history. National Basketball League (Australia) – The Australian NBL was founded. The St Kilda Saints became the first champions by defeating the Canberra Cannons 94–93 in the final.
Boxing
September 28 in Las Vegas, Larry Holmes retains his World Heavyweight title with an 11th-round TKO of Earnie Shavers. November 30 in Las Vegas, dual world championship undercard: Vito Antuofermo retains his world Middleweight title with a 15-round draw (tie) against Marvin Hagler, and Sugar Ray Leonard wins his first world title, beating WBC world Welterweight champion Wilfred Benítez by knockout in round 15.
Canadian football
Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos win 17–9 over the Montreal Alouettes
Vanier Cup – Acadia Axemen win 34–12 over the Western Ontario Mustangs
Cricket
Cricket World Cup – West Indies beat England by 92 runs
World Series Cricket rival competition to official International Cricket Council matches is disbanded.
Cycling
Giro d'Italia – won by Giuseppe Saronni of Italy
Tour de France – Bernard Hinault of France
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Jan Raas of Netherlands
Dogsled racing
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
Rick Swenson won with lead dogs: Andy & O.B. (Old Buddy)
Field hockey
1979 Pan American Games men's competition held in San Juan, Puerto Rico and won by Argentina August – The 2nd Women's World Field Hockey Championships are held at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with the Netherlands as the champions.