2021 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Major sports news In mountain running, the Gansu ultramarathon disaster in the Yellow River Stone Forest, China led 21 runners to die from hypothermia. The poor organization of this government-run race led to a national outcry on the regulations of the sport. In sprinting, during the Olympics, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya criticised her Belarusian coaches for entering her in the 4 × 400 m relay, a distance she had never contested, without her consent, after others missed doping tests and were disqualified. Her coaches forced her to fly back to Belarus. She entered the Polish embassy in Tokyo and was granted a humanitarian visa. The International Olympic Committee revoked the accreditation of her coaches and expelled them from the Olympic Village.
World records In chronological order 17 May: In swimming, Russian Kliment Kolesnikov broke the 50 metre backstroke world record at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships with a time of 23.93. 18 May: In swimming, Russian Kliment Kolesnikov broke the 50 metre backstroke world record at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships with a time of 23.80. 22 May: In swimming, Italian Benedetta Pilato broke the women's 50 metre breaststroke world record at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships with a time of 29.30. 13 June: In swimming, Australian Kaylee McKeown broke the women's 100 metre backstroke world record at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials with a time of 57.45. 18 June: In athletics, American Ryan Crouser broke the shot put world record at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) with a distance of 23.37 metres. 25 July: In swimming, Team Australia, consisting of Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Emma McKeon, and Cate Campbell broke the women's 4x100 metre freestyle relay world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 3:29.69. 29 July: In swimming, Team China, consisting of Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan, Zhang Yufei, and Li Bingjie broke the women's 4x200 metre freestyle relay world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 7:40.33. 30 July: In swimming, South African Tatjana Schoenmaker broke the women's 200 metre breaststroke world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 2:18.95. 31 July: In swimming, American Caeleb Dressel broke the 100 metre butterfly world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 49.45. 31 July: In swimming, Team Great Britain, consisting of Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy, and Anna Hopkin broke the mixed 4x100 metre medley relay world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 3:37.58. 1 August: In swimming, Team USA, consisting of Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel, and Zach Apple broke the 4x100 metre medley relay world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 3:26.78. 1 August: In athletics, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas broke the women's triple jump world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a distance of 15.67 metres. 3 August: In athletics, Norwegian Karsten Warholm broke the 400 metres hurdles world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 45.94. 4 August: In athletics, American Sydney McLaughlin broke the women's 400 metres hurdles world record at the 2020 Summer Olympics with a time of 51.46. 29 August: In swimming, American Coleman Stewart broke the short course 100 metre backstroke world record at the 2021 International Swimming League with a time of 48.33. 29 October: In swimming, Australian Kyle Chalmers broke the short course 100 metre freestyle world record at the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup with a time of 44.84. 3 November: In swimming, Team Italy, consisting of Michele Lamberti, Nicolo Martinenghi, Marco Orsi, and Lorenzo Zazzeri broke the short course 4x50 metre medley relay world record at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships with a time of 1:30.14. 6 November: In swimming, Hungarian Szebasztián Szabó tied the short course 50 metre butterfly world record at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships with a time of 21.75. 7 November: In swimming, Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich tied the short course 50 metre breastroke world record at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships with a time of 25.25. 7 November: In swimming, Team Netherlands, consisting of Kira Toussaint, Arno Kamminga, Maaike de Waard, and Thom de Boer broke the short course 4x50 metre mixed medley relay world record at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships with a time of 1:36.18. 19 November: In swimming, Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich broke the short course 100 metre breaststroke world record at the 2021 International Swimming League with a time of 55.32.
Deaths
Competitions by month
Air sports
10 – 24 July: 5th FAI Junior European Gliding Championships in Pociūnai 28 July – 6 August: 23rd FAI World Glider Aerobatic Championships and 11th FAI World Advanced Glider Aerobatic Championships in Leszno 29 July – 7 August: 14th FAI World Advanced Aerobatic Championships in Toruń 7 – 21 August: 36th FAI World Gliding Championships in Montluçon – Guéret 9 – 21 August: 2020 FAI World Parachuting Championships in Tanay-Kemerovo 2 – 8 October: 2021 FAI S World Championships for Space Models in Buzău
Alpine skiing
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2021 9 – 21 February: in Cortina d'Ampezzo Super G winners: Vincent Kriechmayr (m) / Lara Gut-Behrami (f) Vincent Kriechmayr (m) / Lara Gut-Behrami (f) Romed Baumann (m) / Corinne Suter (f) Alexis Pinturault (m) / Mikaela Shiffrin (f) Downhill winners: Vincent Kriechmayr (m) / Corinne Suter (f) Alpine Combined winners: Marco Schwarz (m) / Mikaela Shiffrin Parallel winners: Mathieu Faivre (m) / Marta Bassino & Katharina Liensberger (f) Team Parallel winners: (Sebastian Foss-Solevåg, Kristin Lysdahl, Kristina Riis-Johannessen, Fabian Wilkens Solheim, Thea Louise Stjernesund) Giant Slalom winners: Mathieu Faivre (m) / Lara Gut-Behrami (f) Slalom winners: Sebastian Foss-Solevåg (m) / Katharina Liensberger (f)
World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships 2021 2 – 10 March: in Bansko Super G winners: Giovanni Franzoni (m) / Lena Wechner (f) Giant Slalom winners: Lukas Fuerstein (m) / Hanna Aronsson Elfman (f) Slalom winners: Benjamin Ritchie (m) / Sophie Mathiou (f)
2020–21 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's 5 & 7 December 2020: World Cup #1 in Santa Caterina Men's Giant Slalom winners: Filip Zubčić (No. 1) / Marco Odermatt (No. 2) 9 – 13 December 2020: World Cup #2 in Val-d'Isère Men's Super G winner: Mauro Caviezel Men's Downhill winner: Martin Čater 16 – 19 December 2020: World Cup #3 in Val Gardena Men's Super G winner: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde Men's Downhill winner: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde 20 & 21 December 2020: World Cup #4 in Alta Badia Men's Giant Slalom winner: Alexis Pinturault Men's Slalom winner: Ramon Zenhäusern 22 December 2020: WC #5 in Madonna di Campiglio (Men's only) Me's Slalom winner: Henrik Kristoffersen 26 – 29 December 2020: WC #6 in Bormio Men's Super G winner: Ryan Cochran-Siegle Men's Downhill winner: Matthias Mayer 8 – 10 January: WC #7 in Adelboden Men's Giant Slalom winners: Alexis Pinturault (2 times) Men's Slalom winner: Marco Schwarz 16 & 17 January: WC #8 in Flachau Men's Slalom winners: Manuel Feller (No. 1) / Sebastian Foss-Solevåg (No. 2) 19 – 25 January: WC #9 in Kitzbühel Men's Downhill winners: Beat Feuz (2 times) Men's Super G winner: Vincent Kriechmayr 26 January: WC #10 in Schladming Men's Slalom winner: Marco Schwarz 30 & 31 January: WC #11 in Chamonix Men's Slalom winners: Clément Noël (No. 1) / Henrik Kristoffersen (No. 2) 3 – 6 February: WC #12 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Men's Downhill winner: Dominik Paris Men's Super G winner: Vincent Kriechmayr 27 & 28 February: WC #13 in Bansko Men's Giant Slalom winners: Filip Zubčić (No. 1) / Mathieu Faivre (No. 2) 3 – 7 March: WC #14 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm Men's Downhill winner: Vincent Kriechmayr Men's Super G winner: Marco Odermatt 13 & 14 March: WC #15 in Kranjska Gora Men's Giant Slalom winner: Marco Odermatt Men's Slalom winner: Clément Noël
Women's 21 & 22 November 2020: World Cup #1 in Levi Women's Slalom winners: Petra Vlhová (2 times) 12 – 14 December 2020: World Cup #2 in Courchevel Women's Giant Slalom winners: Marta Bassino (No. 1) / Mikaela Shiffrin (No. 2) 16 – 20 December 2020: World Cup #3 in Val-d'Isère Women's Downhill winners: Corinne Suter (No. 1) / Sofia Goggia (No. 2) Women's Super G winner: Ester Ledecká 28 & 29 December 2020: WC #4 in Semmering Here, the Giant Slalom competition is cancelled. 7 – 10 January: WC #5 in St Anton am Arlberg Women's Downhill winner: Sofia Goggia Women's Super G winner: Lara Gut-Behrami 12 January: WC #6 in Flachau Women's Slalom winner: Mikaela Shiffrin 16 & 17 January: WC #7 in Kranjska Gora Women's Giant Slalom winners: Marta Bassino (2 times) 20 – 24 January: WC #8 in Crans-Montana Women's Downhill winners: Sofia Goggia (2 times) Women's Super G winner: Lara Gut-Behrami 26 January: WC #9 in Kronplatz Women's Giant Slalom winner: Tessa Worley 28 – 31 January: WC #10 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Women's Super G winners: Lara Gut-Behrami (2 times) 24 – 27 February: WC #11 in Val di Fassa Women's Downhill winners: Lara Gut-Behrami (2 times) Women's Super G winner: Federica Brignone 6 & 7 March: WC #12 in Jasná Women's Slalom winner: Mikaela Shiffrin Women's Giant Slalom winner: Petra Vlhová 12 & 13 March: WC #13 in Åre Women's Slalom winners: Petra Vlhová (No. 1) / Katharina Liensberger (No. 2)
Mixed 17 & 18 October 2020: World Cup #1 in Sölden Giant Slalom winners: Lucas Braathen (m) / Marta Bassino (f) 26 & 27 November 2020: World Cup #2 in Lech/Zürs Giant Parallel Slalom winners: Alexis Pinturault (m) / Petra Vlhová (f) Women's Slalom winner: Michelle Gisin 3 – 6 January: WC #3 in Zagreb Slalom winners: Linus Straßer (m) / Petra Vlhová (f) 12 – 17 January: WC #4 in Wengen Event cancelled. 15 – 21 March: WC #5 in Lenzerheide Downhill and Super G events here are cancelled. Slalom winners: Manuel Feller (m) / Katharina Liensberger (f) Giant Slalom winners: Alexis Pinturault (m) / Alice Robinson (f) Team Parallel winners: (Kristina Riis-Johannessen, Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen, Kristin Lysdahl, Sebastian Foss-Solevåg)
2020–21 Citizen World Cup 2 & 3 January: WC #1 in Pontresina Event cancelled 7 – 9 January: WC #2 in Falcade/Moena Men's Super G winners: Francesco Gatto (No. 1) / Matteo Pradal (No. 2) Women's Super G winners: Katrina van Soest (2 times) 9 & 10 January: WC #3 in Lenggries/Brauneck Event cancelled 9 & 10 January: WC #4 in Turnau Men's Slalom winners: Michał Staszowski (No. 1) / Filip Botka (No. 2) Women's Slalom winners: Petra Hromcová (2 times) 16 & 17 January: WC #5 in Reiteralm Men's Giant Slalom winners: Jakob Greber (No. 1) / Max Greber (No. 2) 28 – 31 January: WC #6 in Passo San Pellegrino Men's Giant Slalom winner: Jan Koula (2 times) Women's Giant Slalom winners: Caroline Beauchamp (No. 1) / Carlotta De Leonardis (No. 2) 9 – 12 February: WC #7 in Abetone Slalom winners: Toby Case (m) / Lisa Rodari (f) Giant Slalom winners: Thomas Meraner (m) / Camilla Furletti (f) 18 February 20: WC #8 in Sils/Furtschellas Men's Slalom winners: Luc Herrmann (2 times) Women's Slalom winners: Carlotta Maria Clara Marcora (2 times) 20 & 21 February: WC #9 in La Molina Giant Slalom winners: Andrés García (m) / Inês Araújo (f) Slalom winners: Samuel Beso (m) / Inés Sanmartín Arbones (f) 1 – 3 March: WC #10 in Hinterreit Men's Super G winners: Luis Tritscher (2 times) Women's Super G winners: Florentina Schnittler (No. 1) / Chantal-Isell Laszlo (No. 2) 6 & 7 March: WC #11 in Espot Men's Slalom winners: Aniol Torres Casas (No. 1) / Alejandro Miquel (No. 2) Women's Slalom winners: Inés Sanmartín Arbones (No. 1) / Noelia Gasienica-Kotelnicka (No. 2) 6 & 7 March: WC #11 in Tschappina