May 2021 in Sports History

Events in Sport

PGA Championship

May 23 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Ocean Course Kiawah Island: Phil Mickelson becomes oldest major winner in history (50); wins his 6th major by 2 strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen

May 29 UEFA Champions League Final, Porto: Kai Havertz scores just before halftime to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester City in an all-English final; Blues' second CL title
May 30 Indianapolis 500: Brazilian Hélio Castroneves wins his record 4th title in 2:37:19.3846; new record for fastest running of the race with average speed 190.690 mph

Osaka Leaves the French Open

May 31 Naomi Osaka pulls out of the French Open citing her mental health, after refusing to appear at compulsory post match press conferences

Deaths in Sport

May 1 Al Jamison, American football offensive lineman (AFL All Star 1961, 62; AFL C'ship 1960, 61; Houston Oilers), dies at 83

Bobby Unser (1934-2021)

May 2 American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C'ship 1968, 1974), dies at 87

May 3 Rafael Albrecht, Argentine soccer defender (39 caps; San Lorenzo, Club León), dies from COVID-19 at 79
May 4 Alan McLoughlin, Irish soccer midfielder (42 caps Rep of Ireland; Swindon Town, Portsmouth), dies from cancer at 54
May 4 Bertil Johansson, Swedish soccer striker (5 caps; IFK Göteborg 267 games) and manager (IFK Göteborg), dies at 86
May 4 Margaret Forsyth, New Zealand netball goal attack (NZ 1979-87; World Cup gold 1979, 87) and coach (Waikato BOP Magic), dies from cancer at 59
May 4 Ray Miller, American baseball manager (Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles), dies at 76
May 5 Del Crandall, American baseball catcher (11 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1957; 4 × Gold Glove Award; Boston/Milwaukee Braves) and manager (Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners), dies at 91
May 6 Carlos Timoteo Griguol, Argentine soccer midfielder (Atlanta, Rosario Central) and manager (Ferro Carril Oeste, Real Betis, River Plate), dies from COVID-19 at 84
May 7 Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), dies at 86
May 8 Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian soccer centre-back (77 caps; CSKA Sofia, Saint-Étienne), dies from cancer at 62
May 10 Néstor Montelongo, Uruguayan soccer utility (36 caps; Montevideo Wanderers, Peñarol, Nacional, Racing), dies at 66
May 12 Higinio Vélez, Cuban baseball manager (Olympic gold 2004; Santiago de Cuba, Cuban National Series 1999–2001), dies from COVID-19 at 73
May 12 Jerry Burns, American football coach (University of Iowa 1961-65; Minnesota Vikings 1986-91), dies at 94
May 13 Nelson Marcenaro, Uruguayan soccer defender (8 caps; Mundialito 1980; Progreso, Portuguesa, Peñarol, Emelec), dies from a heart attack at 68
May 14 Olga Domuladzhanova, Russian boxer (World amateur heavyweight gold 2001), dies from COVID-19 at 52
May 14 Torkild Brakstad, Norwegian soccer defender (3 caps; Molde) and coach (Molde, Tromsø, Rosenborg), dies at 75
May 15 Fred Martinelli, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Ashland University 1959-93), dies at 92
May 16 Rildo da Costa Menezes, Brazilian soccer defender (38 caps; Santos, CEUB, New York Cosmos), dies at 79
May 17 Héctor Silva, Argentine rugby union number 8 (24 caps; Los Tilos) and coach (Argentina 1985-87), dies from COVID-19 at 76
May 17 Joe Mercer, English thoroughbred race horse jockey (British flat racing Champion Jockey 1979), dies at 86
May 18 Arthur Hills, American golf course designer (designed and renovated more than 200 new courses), dies at 91
May 18 Rennie Stennett, Panamanian baseball infielder (World Series 1979; SF Giants; one of 3 players to collect 7 hits in a MLB game), dies from cancer at 70
May 19 Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men's 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), dies from stroke complications at 74
May 20 Sándor Puhl, Hungarian soccer referee (1994 FIFA World Cup Final; 1997 UEFA Champions League Final; IFFHS World's Best Referee 1994-97), dies at 65
May 23 Bob Fulton, Australian rugby league five eighth (35 Tests; Manly, Warrington, Easts; RL "Immortal") and coach (39 Tests Australia; Manly, Easts), dies from cancer at 73
May 23 Max Mosley, British auto racer and lawyer (President Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile [FIA] 1993-2009), dies from cancer at 81
May 23 Ron Hill, British athlete (Boston Marathon, 1970; Commonwealth Games marathon gold, 1970), dies at 82
May 24 Dmitry Mindiashvili, Soviet and Russian wrestling coach (coach Olympic champions Ivan Yariguin 1972, 76 and Buvaisar Satiev (1992, 96, 2004), dies from pneumonia at 87
May 25 J. D. Roberts, American College Football Hall of Fame guard (University of Oklahoma; Outland Trophy 1953) and coach (New Orleans Saints), dies at 88
May 26 Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian soccer defender (66 caps; Internazionale 358 games) and manager (Como, Genoa), dies at 82
May 28 Mark Eaton, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1989; NBA Defensive Player of the Year 1985, 89; Utah Jazz), dies after a bicycle accident at 64
May 29 Keith Mullings, American boxer (WBC and lineal light middleweight titles 1998), dies at 53
May 30 Frank Navarro, American college football coach (Williams College, Columbia University, Princeton University), dies at 91
May 30 Jason Dupasquier, Swiss motorcycle racer, dies of injuries incurred in Italian motorcycle Grand Prix at 19
May 31 Colin Appleton, English soccer midfielder (Leicester City 277 games) and manager (Hull City, Swansea City, Exeter City), dies at 85
May 31 Leon Burtnett, American college football coach (Purdue University 1982-86; Big Ten Coach of the Year 1984), dies at 78
May 31 Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), dies at 78