WThe 1980 America's Cup was held in September 1980 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, Freedom, skippered by Dennis Conner, defeated the Australian challenger, Australia, skippered by James Hardy, four races to one. This was the last successful defence of the cup by the New York Yacht Club and the last defender designed by the naval architectural firm Sparkman & Stephens. It was the sixth unsuccessful challenge by Australia and the third by Alan Bond.
WThe 1980 Eisenhower Trophy took place October 8 to 11 on the No. 2 course at the Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was the 12th World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy and the second time the event had been held in the United States, after the 1960 event. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play team event with 39 four-man teams. The best three scores for each round counted towards the team total.
WThe 1980 Espirito Santo Trophy took place 1–4 October at Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States. It was the ninth women's golf World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play team event with 28 teams, each with up to three players. The best two scores for each round counted towards the team total.
WThe 1980 Masters Tournament was the 44th Masters Tournament, held April 10–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
WThe 1980 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament was the 11th annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college volleyball. The tournament was played at Irving Gymnasium in Muncie, Indiana during May 1980.
WThe 1980 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 12th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1980.
WThe 1980 NCAA Skiing Championships were contested at both the Whiteface Ski Resort at Lake Placid, New York and the Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont as part of the 27th annual NCAA-sanctioned ski tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate slalom skiing, cross country skiing, and ski jumping in the United States.
WThe 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 13 to February 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932. The only other candidate city to bid for the Games was Vancouver-Garibaldi, British Columbia, Canada, which withdrew before the final vote
WThe 1980 PGA Championship was the 62nd PGA Championship, held August 7–10 at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Jack Nicklaus won his fifth PGA Championship, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Andy Bean. The victory tied Nicklaus with Walter Hagen, who won five PGA titles in match play competition in the 1920s.
WThe United States sent a delegation to compete at the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, Netherlands. Its athletes finished first in the gold and overall medal count.
WThe 1980 Tournament Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held March 20–23 at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. The seventh Tournament Players Championship, it was the fourth at Sawgrass and Lee Trevino won at 278 (−10), one stroke ahead of runner-up Ben Crenshaw.
WThe 1980 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place between June 14–15 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. The 20K racewalk was held April 20 in Redmond, Washington. The decathlon was held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon on June 22–23. This was the first time the meet was organized by the newly formed organization The Athletics Congress (TAC).
WThe 1980 United States Olympic Trials for track and field were held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. These were the first such trials organized by the new national governing body for the sport of track and field, The Athletics Congress formed one year earlier as required by the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Previous trials had been organized by the AAU. The eight-day competition lasted from June 21 until June 29.
WThe 1980 U.S. Open was the 80th U.S. Open, held June 12–15 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Jack Nicklaus set a new tournament scoring record to win his fourth U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Isao Aoki; in fact, as the tournament transpired these two golfers ended up playing all four rounds together.
WThe United States competed at the 1980 Winter Paralympics in Geilo, Norway. 26 competitors from the United States won 4 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal and finished 6th in the medal table. All medals were won in alpine skiing.
WThe United States was the host nation for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
WThe United States competed at the 1980 World Championships in Athletics in Sittard, Netherlands, from August 14 to 16, 1980. The championships consisted of two events the women's 400 meters and 3000 meters. The USA entered six and none won a medal.