2002 in sports

:* Bronze Medal: hb|DEN
*Asian Games in Busan, South Korea:* Gold Medal: hb|KOR:* Silver Medal: hb|KUW:* Bronze Medal: hb|QAT

Women's Competition

*European Championship in Denmark:* Gold Medal: hbw|DEN:* Silver Medal: hbw|NOR:* Bronze Medal: hbw|FRA
*Asian Games in Busan, South Korea:* Gold Medal: hbw|KOR:* Silver Medal: hbw|KAZ:* Bronze Medal: hbw|CHN

Harness racing

*North America Cup - Red River Hanover

*United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
*#Cane Pace won by Art Major
*#Little Brown Jug won by Million Dollar Cam
*#Messenger Stakes won by Allamerican Ingot

*United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
*#Hambletonian won by Chip Chip Hooray
*#Yonkers Trot won by Bubba Dunn
*#Kentucky Futurity won by Like a Prayer

*Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
**Pacers: Smooth Satin
**Trotters: Game Bid

Ice hockey

*Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames

*Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player:
**Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadiens

*Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 1 over the Carolina Hurricanes

*World Hockey Championship
** Men's champion: Slovakia defeats Russia
** Junior Men's champion: Russia defeats Canada
** Women's champion: no tournament

*Canada defeats the United States 5-2 to win the men's Olympic Gold Medal.

*Canada defeats the United States 3-2 to win the women's Olympic Gold Medal.

Lacrosse

* The Baltimore Bayhawks win the Steinfeld Cup over the Long Island Lizards.
* The Toronto Rock beat the Albany Attack, 13-12 to win the Champion's Cup.
* The 9th World Lacrosse Championship is held in Perth, Australia. The United States beat Canada 18-15 in the final.
* The Coquitlam Adanacs win the Mann Cup.
* The St. Catharines Athletics win the Minto Cup.
* The Wallaceburg Red Devils win the Founders Cup.

Orienteering

*First Mountain Bike Orienteering World Championships are held July 2-7 in Fontainebleau, France.

Radiosport

*The fourth World Radiosport Team Championship held in Helsinki, Finland. Gold medals go to Jeff Steinman N5TJ and Dan Street K1TO of the United States, the team's third victory in a row.
*Eleventh Amateur Radio Direction Finding World Championship held in Tatranske Matliare, Slovakia.

Rugby Union

*Six Nations - France (Grand Slam)
*Tri Nations - New Zealand
*Heineken Cup - Leicester Tigers beat Munster 15-9

Skiing

*Alpine Skiing
**The men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria
**The women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria

Snooker

*World Snooker Championship: Peter Ebdon beats Stephen Hendry 18-17
*World rankings: Ronnie O'Sullivan becomes world number one for 2002/03

Swimming

International tournaments

*Sixth World Short Course Championships, held in Moscow, Russia (April 3 – 7)
**United States wins the most medals (26), Australia the most gold medals (10)
*26th European LC Championships, held in Berlin, Germany (July 29 – August 4)
**Germany wins the most medals (23), and the most gold medals (10)
*Ninth Pan Pacific Championships, held in Yokohama, Japan (August 24 – 29)
**United States wins the most medals (52), and the most gold medals (21)
*Sixth European SC Championships, held in Riesa, Germany (December 12 – 15)
**Germany wins the most medals (22), and the most gold medals (7)

Records

*January 26 – In Berlin, Germany, Slovakia-swimmer Martina Moravcová betters Jenny Thompson's world record in the Women's 100m Butterfly (short course) from 56:56 to 56:55

*November 22 – US-swimmer Natalie Coughlin betters Martina Moravcová's world record in the Women's 100m Butterfly (short course) from 56:55 to 56:39

Tennis

*Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
*#Australian Open - Thomas Johansson
*#French Open - Albert Costa
*#Wimbledon championships - Lleyton Hewitt
*#US Open - Pete Sampras

*Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
*#Australian Open - Jennifer Capriati
*#French Open - Serena Williams
*#Wimbledon championships - Serena Williams
*#US Open - Serena Williams

*At the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, in Paris, France, Russia defeats France 3-2 to win the Davis Cup of world tennis.

Volleyball

Men's Competition

* Men's World League – Final Round in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
** Gold Medal: vb|RUS
** Silver Medal: vb|BRA
** Bronze Medal: vb|YUG|FR
* World Championship in several cities in Argentina
** Gold Medal: vb|BRA
** Silver Medal: vb|RUS
** Bronze Medal: vb|FRA
* Asian Games in Busan, South Korea
** Gold Medal: vb|KOR
** Silver Medal: vb|IRI
** Bronze Medal: vb|JPN

Women's Competition

* FIVB World Grand Prix – Final Round in Hong Kong, China
** Gold Medal: vbw|RUS
** Silver Medal: vbw|CHN
** Bronze Medal: vbw|GER
* World Championship in several cities in Germany
** Gold Medal: vbw|ITA
** Silver Medal: vbw|USA
** Bronze Medal: vbw|RUS
* Pan-American Cup in Mexicali, Mexico
** Gold Medal: vbw|CUB
** Silver Medal: vbw|DOM
** Bronze Medal: vbw|USA
* Asian Games in Busan, South Korea
** Gold Medal: vbw|CHN
** Silver Medal: vbw|KOR
** Bronze Medal: vbw|JPN

Water polo

Men's Competition

* FINA World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
** Gold Medal: wp|RUS
** Silver Medal: wp|HUN
** Bronze Medal: wp|SCG|name=Yugoslavia

* FINA World League in Patras, Greece
** Gold Medal: wp|RUS
** Silver Medal: wp|ESP
** Bronze Medal: wp|HUN

Women's Competition

* FINA World Cup in Perth, Australia
** Gold Medal: wpw|HUN
** Silver Medal: wpw|USA
** Bronze Medal: wpw|CAN

* Holiday Cup in Stanford, United States
** Gold Medal: wpw|USA
** Silver Medal: wpw|CAN
** Bronze Medal: wpw|BRA

Multi-sport events

* 2002 Winter Olympics takes place in Salt Lake City, United States
** Norway wins the most medals (25), and the most gold medals (13)
** Top performers include Janica Kostelić, Ole Einar Bjørndalen and Simon Ammann
** A scandal in figure skating dominates the news

* Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea

* Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Salvador, El Salvador

* Sixth Gay Games held in Sydney, Australia

Awards

*Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Lance Armstrong, Cycling
*Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Serena Williams, Tennis

Deaths

* January 9 — Les Kellett, British wrestler
* January 16 — Bobo Olson, American boxer
* January 22 — Jack Shea (91), American ice speed skater (b. 1910)
*January 28 – Gustaaf Deloor (88), Belgian road racing cyclist (b. 1913)
* March 22 — Marcel Hansenne (85), French middle distance runner (b. 1917)
* March 23 — Ben Hollioake, English cricket player
* March 27 — Tadeusz Rut (70), Polish hammer thrower (b. 1931)
* April 16 — Franz Krienbühl, Swiss speed skater
* April 21 — Verné Lesche (84), Finnish ice speed skater (b. 1917)
* May 13 — Valeri Lobanovsky, Ukrainian football (soccer) player and manager
* May 23 — Sam Snead, U.S. golf player
* May 26 — Mamo Wolde (69), Ethiopian runner (b. 1932)
* June 1 — Hansie Cronje, South African cricket player
* June 17 — Willie Davenport, U.S. hurdler
* June 20 — Tinus Osendarp, Dutch sprinter
* June 22 — Pedro Alcazar, Panamanian boxer
* June 22 — Darryl Kile, Major League Baseball pitcher
* July 5 — Ted Williams, U.S. baseball player (1939-1960)
* August 5 — Darrell Porter, U.S. baseball player (1971-1987)
* August 12 — Knud Lundberg (82), Danish multi-talented sportsman (b. 1920)
* August 12 — Enos Slaughter, Major League Baseball player (1938-1959)
* August 23 — Hoyt Wilhelm, Major League Baseball knuckleballer (1952-1972)
* August 31 — Joe McCluskey (91), American athlete (b. 1911)
* September 11 — Johnny Unitas, U.S. American football player
* September 18 — Bob Hayes, U.S. sprinter and American football player
* September 28 — Max Ward, British wrestling referee
* October 12 — Audrey Mestre, Free-diving world record holder
* October 17 — Aileen Riggin (96), American swimmer and diver
* October 20 — Mel Harder, Major League Baseball player
* October 24 — Hermán Gaviria (32), Colombian football (soccer) player (b. 1969)
* November 17 — Ben Plucknett (48), American discus thrower (b. 1954)
* November 18 — Kim Gallagher (38), American athlete (b. 1964)
* December 1 — Dave McNally, Major League Baseball pitcher