1972 Summer Olympics

Multi-sport event in Munich, West Germany sport Olympische Sommerspiele 1972 September 2024 September 2022 1972 Summer Olympics 1972 Summer Olympics logo.svg 290 Emblem of the 1972 Summer Olympics Munich, West Germany The Cheerful Games(German: Heitere Spiele) 121 7,134 (6,075 men, 1,059 women) 195 in 21 sports (28 disciplines) 26 August 1972 11 September 1972Originally scheduled for 10 September, the date was reset to the following day by the organizers due to a suspension caused by the Munich massacre. President Gustav HeinemannFactsheet – Opening Ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf dead International Olympic Committee 9 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20160814215458/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf 14 August 2016 22 December 2018 IOC president Avery Brundage Günther Zahn Olympiastadion Mexico City 1968 Montreal 1976 Sapporo 1972 Innsbruck 1976 The 1972 Summer Olympics (de Olympische Sommerspiele 1972), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad (de Spiele der XX. Olympiade) and officially branded as Munich 1972 (de München 1972; bar Minga 1972), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after the 1936 Games in Berlin, which had taken place under the Nazi rule. Germany became only the second country at that point after the United States to have two different cities host the Summer Olympics.List of Olympic Host Cities – Architecture of the Games https://architectureofthegames.net/olympic-host-cities/ 2024-08-14 en The West German government had been eager to have the Munich Olympics present a democratic and optimistic Germany to the world, as shown by the Games' official motto, "Die Heiteren Spiele",Ein Geschenk der Deutschen an sich selbst http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-42872049.html Der Spiegel 35/1972 28–29 de 21 August 1972 … für die versprochene Heiterkeit der Spiele, die den Berliner Monumentalismus von 1936 vergessen machen und dem Image der Bundesrepublik in aller Welt aufhelfen sollen or "the cheerful Games".Digitized version of the Official Report of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXth Olympiad Munich 1972 (Volume 2) 1972 de proSport GmbH & Co. KG. München Ed. Herbert Kunze 22 http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1972/1972s2pt2.pdf … the theme of the "cheerful Games"… 13 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20181225173415/https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/25278/rec/38 25 December 2018 dead The logo of the Games was a blue solar logo (the "Bright Sun") by Otl Aicher, the designer and director of the visual conception commission.Official Emblem – Munich 1972 Olympics http://www.olympic.org/content/olympic-games/all-past-olympic-games/summer/munich-1972/munich-1972-collection/?tab=Emblem 8 April 2013 The hostesses wore sky-blue dirndls as a promotion of Bavarian cultural heritage.https://www.focus.de/reisen/deutschland/oktoberfest/oktoberfest-tracht-ein-dirndl-gehoert-nicht-auf-die-wiesn_aid_436037.html Typisch Oktoberfest? Darum gehört ein Dirndl eigentlich nicht auf die Wiesn Strassmair Michaela www.focus.de September 2019 9 May 2020 de 23 July 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210723164531/https://www.focus.de/reisen/deutschland/oktoberfest/oktoberfest-tracht-ein-dirndl-gehoert-nicht-auf-die-wiesn_aid_436037.html dead The Olympic mascot, the dachshund "Waldi", was the first officially named Olympic mascot. The Olympic Fanfare was composed by Herbert Rehbein.https://vimeo.com/253064764/b9571a52d1 Herbert Rehbein: Olympic Fanfare Munich 1972 (TV Intro) 7 May 2023 The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals. The Olympic Park (Olympiapark) was based on Frei Otto's plans and became a Munich landmark after the Games. The competition sites, designed by architect Günther Behnisch, included the Olympic swimming hall, the Olympics Hall (Olympiahalle, a multipurpose facility) and the Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion), and an Olympic village very close to the park. The design of these stadia was considered revolutionary, with sweeping canopies of acrylic glass stabilized by metal ropes, used on such a large scale for the first time.Uhrig Klaus Die gebaute Utopie: Das Münchner Olympiastadion http://www.br.de/fernsehen/ard-alpha/sendungen/schulfernsehen/kunst-olympiastadion-muenchen100.html 13 February 2015 20 March 2014 de dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150213081418/http://www.br.de/fernsehen/ard-alpha/sendungen/schulfernsehen/kunst-olympiastadion-muenchen100.html 13 February 2015 The event was overshadowed by the Munich massacre in the second week, in which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and a West German police officer at the Olympic Village were killed by the Palestinian militant organisation Black September. Host city selection + 1972 Summer Olympics bidding resultshttp://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml Past Olympic host city election results GamesBids 17 March 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110124022022/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html 24 January 2011 live City Country Round 1 2 Munich West Germany 29 31 Madrid Francoist Spain Spain 16 16 Montréal Canada 6 13 Detroit United States 1960 6 Munich won its Olympic bid on 26 April 1966, at the 64th IOC Session in Rome, Italy, over bids presented by Detroit, Madrid bid for the 1972 Summer Olympics es Candidatura de Madrid a los Juegos Olímpicos de 1972 Madrid, and Montréal. Montréal would eventually host the following Olympic Games in 1976.http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html IOC VOTE HISTORY aldaver.com 11 June 2008 25 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080525070757/http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html usurped Within Spain, Barcelona had prepared a project more developed than Madrid, but the decisive meeting was held on Christmas Eve, 1965 in Madrid and the Barcelona members of the Spanish Olympic Committee were told that no matter of importance would be dealt with so they did not meet. Thus, the SOC presented the Madrid bid.M. Carreño Fernando Madrid y los Juegos Olímpicos: 1972, una chapuza que acabó en fracaso https://www.marca.com/olimpismo/2019/06/17/5d07aff3ca4741525f8b45ff.html 21 May 2026 Marca.com 17 June 2019 es-ES Madrid and the Olympic Games: 1972, a botched job that ended in failure Other bids, including one from the two cities that expressed interest alongside Paris, submitted a letter to the IOC to make an official bid, but it ultimately did not materialize.Archives CIO - Ville candidate Jeux de l'Olympiade - 1972 Paris - C-J04-1972_001_SD 9.pdf https://library.olympics.com/default/basicfilesdownload.ashx?itemGuid=4BCF3AFC-AF6A-4124-8629-978909906313 Munich massacre Munich massacre The Games were largely overshadowed by what has come to be known as the "Munich massacre". Just before dawn on 5 September, a group of eight members of the Palestinian Black September militant organization broke into the Olympic Village and took eleven Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage in their apartments. Two of the hostages who resisted were killed in the first moments of the break-in; the subsequent standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours. Late in the evening of 5 September that same day, the terrorists and their nine remaining hostages were transferred by helicopter to the military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, ostensibly to board a plane bound for an undetermined Arab country. The German authorities planned to ambush them there, but underestimated the numbers of their opposition and were thus undermanned. During a botched rescue attempt, all of the Israeli hostages were killed. Four of them were shot, then incinerated when one of the terrorists detonated a grenade inside the helicopter in which the hostages were sitting. The five remaining hostages were then shot and killed with a machine gun. 28% left "Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said that there were 11 hostages. Two were killed in their rooms, yesterday morning. Nine were killed at the airport, tonight. They're all gone." —After a series of conflicting reports and rumours, Jim McKay of ABC brought the news at 3:24 a.m. local time.Transcend – Munich Massacre Bleacher Report Media Lab http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/transcend/#munich-massacre https://web.archive.org/web/20150325214417/http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/transcend/#munich-massacre dead 25 March 2015 27 March 2017 All but three of the terrorists were killed as well. Although arrested and imprisoned pending trial, they were released by the West German government on 29 October 1972, in exchange for the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615. Two of those three were supposedly hunted down and assassinated later by the Mossad.Countering Terrorism: The Israeli Response To The 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre And The Development Of Independence Covert Action Teams https://web.archive.org/web/20210317090810/https://fas.org/irp/eprint/calahan.htm 17 March 2021 , M.A. thesis by Alexander B. Calahan at Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 1995. Jamal Al-Gashey, who is believed to be the sole survivor, is still living todayMarch 2026 in hiding in an unspecified African country with his wife and two children. The Olympic events were suspended several hours after the initial attack for the first time in the modern Olympic Games history, but once the incident was concluded, Avery Brundage, the International Olympic Committee president, declared that "the Games must go on". A memorial ceremony was then held in the Olympic stadium, and the competitions resumed after a stoppage of 34 hours. Due to the suspension, the Games that were originally to close on 10 September were rescheduled to 11 September.https://www.olympic.org/munich-1972 1972 Olympics – Munich Summer Games results & highlights 7 February 2019 International Olympic Committee 22 May 2019 The attack prompted heightened security at subsequent Olympics beginning with the 1976 Winter Olympics.August 2024 The massacre led the German federal government to re-examine its anti-terrorism policies, which at the time were dominated by a pacifist approach imposed after World War II. This led to the creation of the elite counter-terrorist unit GSG 9, similar to the British SAS. It also led Israel to launch the Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre, in which those suspected of involvement were systematically tracked down and assassinated.August 2024 The events of the Munich massacre were chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary, One Day in September.Movies One Day in September (1999) Deming Mark https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/186705/One-Day-in-September/overview https://web.archive.org/web/20141215045841/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/186705/One-Day-in-September/overview dead 15 December 2014 Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times 2014 6 May 2015 An account of the aftermath is also dramatized in three films: the 1976 made-for-TV movie 21 Hours at Munich, the 1986 made-for-TV movie Sword of Gideon,Television Sword of Gideon https://www.nytimes.com/tv/show/62766/Sword-of-Gideon/overview The New York Times 6 May 2015 Steven Spielberg's 2005 film Munich.Dargis Manohla An Action Film About the Need to Talk https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/23/movies/23muni.html?_r=0 The New York Times 23 December 2005 6 May 2015 In her film 1972, Artist Sarah Morris interviews Georg Sieber, a former police psychiatrist who advised the Olympics' security team, about the events and aftermath of Black September.Herbert Martin Sarah Morris http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/sarah_morris2/ https://web.archive.org/web/20081218194532/http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/sarah_morris2/ dead 18 December 2008 frieze.com Frieze Magazine 6 May 2015 A historical drama thriller centered around the television coverage of the massacre, September 5, was released in 2024. Highlights thumb|Sweeping canopies of acrylic glass stabilized by metal ropes thumb|Olympic village thumb|Sweeping canopies right|thumb|Procession of athletes in the Olympic Stadium in Munich thumb|Otl Aicher's signage pictograms designed for the Munich Olympic Games These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Avery Brundage. American Mark Spitz set a world record when he won seven gold medals (while on the way to setting a new world record for each of his seven gold medals) in a single Olympics, bringing his lifetime total to nine (he had won two golds in Mexico City's Games four years earlier). Being Jewish, Spitz was asked to leave Munich before the closing ceremonies for his own protection, after fears arose that he would be an additional target of those responsible for the Munich massacre. Spitz's record stood until 2008, when it was beaten by Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals in the pool. Olga Korbut, a Soviet gymnast, became a media star after winning a gold medal in the team competition event, failing to win in the individual all-around after a fall (she was beaten by teammate Lyudmilla Turischeva), and finally winning two gold medals in the balance beam and the floor exercise events. In the final of the men's basketball, the United States lost to the Soviet Union in what is widely considered as the most controversial game in international basketball history.http://www.usabasketball.com/history/moly_1972.html USA Basketball https://web.archive.org/web/20070822182059/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/moly_1972.html 22 August 2007 In a close-fought match, the U.S. team appeared to have won by a score of 50–49. However, the final three seconds of the game were replayed three times by judges until the Soviet team came out on top and claimed a 51–50 victory.120 years, 120 stories (Part 15) : Soviets beat the Americans amidst controversies involving communist judges 3 March 2016 http://sports-nova.com/2016/03/04/120-years-120-stories-part-15-soviets-beat-americans-amidst-controversies-involving-communist-judges/ 4 March 2016 25 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210225062628/https://www.sports-nova.com/2016/03/04/120-years-120-stories-part-15-soviets-beat-americans-amidst-controversies-involving-communist-judges/ dead Ultimately the U.S. team refused to accept their silver medals, which are believed to be held in a vault in Lausanne, Switzerland.August 2021 It has come to light since that five of the medals are missing and believed to be in the hands of a German Olympic official with Nazi ties.https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3566452/2022/09/09/usa-russia-1972-olympic-medals/ Stolen gold and forgotten silver: 50 years after Americans refused medals, some are missing Joe Vardon The Athletic 9 September 2022 7 May 2023 Lasse Virén of Finland won the 5,000 and 10,000 m (the latter after a fall), a feat he repeated in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Valeriy Borzov of the Soviet Union won both the 100 m and 200 m in track and field. The 100 metres event was notable for the absence of favorites and world record holders Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson for their quarterfinal heats. American sprint coach Stan Wright, had been given the wrong starting time. All three qualified American athletes were at the ABC television headquarters watching what they thought were replays of their morning preliminary races. In fact, they were watching live coverage of the races they should have been in. Hart and Robinson, scheduled in the first two races, missed their heats. The athletes rushed to the stadium, with Robert Taylor hurrying to take off his warm up uniform before running the later heat. Two American 400 m runners, Vincent Matthews (gold medalist) and Wayne Collett (silver medalist), staged a protest on the victory podium, talking to each other and failing to stand at attention during the medal ceremony.Schiller K. Young C. The 1972 Munich Olympics and the Making of Modern Germany University of California Press Weimar and now 2010 978-0-520-26213-3 https://books.google.com/books?id=yxEQEqnXdRAC&pg=PT134 17 April 2015 They were banned by the IOC, as Tommie Smith and John Carlos had been in the 1968 Summer Olympics. Since John Smith had pulled a hamstring in the final and had been ruled unfit to run, the United States were forced to scratch from the 4×400 m relay where they would have been heavily favored to win.https://www.olympedia.org/results/61050 Olympedia 400 metres, Men 4 August 2020 Dave Wottle won the men's 800 m, after being last for the first 600 m, at which point he started to pass runner after runner up the final straightaway, finally grabbing the lead in the final 18 metres to win by 0.03 seconds ahead of the favorite, the Soviet Yevgeny Arzhanov. At the victory ceremony, Wottle forgot to remove his golf cap. This was interpreted by some as a form of protest against the Vietnam War, but Wottle later apologized. Australian swimmer Shane Gould won three gold medals, a silver, and a bronze medal at the age of 15. Hurdler Abdalá Bucaram carried the Ecuadorian flag at the opening ceremony. 24 years later he became the President of Ecuador. In Munich, he had to pull out of his event due to injury. Handball (last held in 1936) and Archery (last held in 1920) returned as Olympic sports after a long absence. Slalom canoeing was held for the first time at the Olympics. Dan Gable won the gold medal in wrestling without having a single point scored against him. No other athlete has ever accomplished such a feat in Olympic wrestling. Wim Ruska became the first judoka to win two gold medals. For the first time, the Olympic Oath was taken by a representative of the referees. American Frank Shorter, who was born in Munich, became the first from his country in 64 years to win the Olympic marathon. As Shorter was nearing the stadium, German student Norbert Sudhaus entered the stadium wearing a track uniform, joined the race and ran the last kilometre; thinking he was the winner, the crowd began cheering him before officials realized the hoax and security escorted Sudhaus off the track. Arriving seconds later, Shorter was understandably perplexed to see someone ahead of him and to hear the boos and catcalls meant for Sudhaus. This was the third time in Olympic history that an American had won the marathon (after Thomas Hicks 1904 and Johnny Hayes 1908) — and in none of those three instances did the winner enter the stadium first. upright=0.9|thumb|right|Munich Olympics commemorative 10-mark coin, 1972 Rick DeMont of the United States originally won the gold medal in the men's 400 metre freestyle swimming. Following the race, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped DeMont of his gold medalNeil Amdur, " Of Gold and Drugs," The New York Times (4 September 1972). Retrieved 16 March 2015. after his post-race urinalysis tested positive for traces of the banned substance ephedrine contained in his prescription asthma medication, Marax. The positive test following the 400-meter freestyle final also deprived him of a chance at multiple medals, as he was not permitted to swim in any other events at the 1972 Olympics, including the 1,500-meter freestyle for which he was the then-current world record-holder. Before the Olympics, DeMont had properly declared his asthma medications on his medical disclosure forms, but the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) had not cleared them with the IOC's medical committee. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has recognized his gold medal performance in the 1972 Summer Olympics in 2001, but only the IOC has the power to restore his medal, and it has refused to do so as of 2020.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/news/2001/01/30/usoc_demont_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010507004733/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/news/2001/01/30/usoc_demont_ap/ dead 7 May 2001 Better late than never 30 January 2001 sportsillustrated.cnn.com Associated Press The men's pole vault field event at the games took place on 1 & 2 September.https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/mens-pole-vault.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173850/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/mens-pole-vault.html dead 17 April 2020 Athletics at the 1972 Munich Summer Games: Men's Pole Vault 4 January 2018 sports-reference.com Controversy arose when the new Cata-Pole, used by defending champion American Bob Seagren and Sweden's Kjell Isaksson, was declared to be illegal, by the IAAF, on 25 July. The pole was banned based on the fact that the pole contained carbon fibers; after an East German-led protest revealed that it contained no carbon fibers, the ban was lifted on 27 August. Three days later the IAAF reversed itself again, reinstating the ban. The poles were then confiscated from the athletes. Seagren and Isaksson believed this gave other athletes, like the eventual gold medalist, Wolfgang Nordwig, an unfair advantage. Seagren and Isaksson were given substitute poles which they had never used before to jump with. Isaksson, who had lost the world record to Seagren only two months earlier, didn't clear a height in the qualifying round and was eliminated. After Seagren's last vault he was so incensed by the way IAAF officials handled the event, he took the pole he had been forced to vault with and handed it back to IAAF President Adriaan Paulen. This was the first Olympics where the pole vault had not been won by an American. Prior to 1972, the United States had won 16 straight. Since 1972, the United States has won the men's pole vault only twice, equalling the record of Poland and former republics of the Soviet Union. France has won three times since 1984. Badminton and water skiing were demonstration sports. Two images of the Olympic Games were included on the Voyager Golden Record.Olympedia – Olympians Included on the Voyager 1 and 2 Golden Record https://www.olympedia.org/lists/229/manual 2026-04-19 www.olympedia.org Venues Venues of the 1972 Summer Olympics thumb|Aerial view of the Olympiapark in 2014. Munich Olympic Park (Olympiapark) Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion) – opening/closing ceremonies, athletics, equestrian (jumping team), football (final), modern pentathlon (running), memorial service for Israeli athletes Boxing Hall (Boxhalle) – boxing, judo (final) Cycling Stadium (Radstadion) – cycling (track) Olympic Sports Hall (Sporthalle) – gymnastics, handball (final) Hockey Facility (Hockeyanlage) – field hockey Swimming Hall (Schwimmhalle) – swimming, diving, water polo (final), modern pentathlon (swimming) Volleyball Hall (Volleyballhalle) – volleyball Olympic Village (Olympisches Dorf) Venues in Greater Munich Regatta Course (Regattastrecke), Oberschleißheim – canoe sprint, rowing Basketball Hall (Basketballhalle), Siegenburger Straße – basketball, judo Fairgrounds, Fencing Hall 1 (Messegelände, Fechthalle 1) – fencing (final) Fairgrounds, Fencing Hall 2 (Messe München#1972 Summer Olympics, Fechthalle 2) – fencing, modern pentathlon (fencing) Fairgrounds, Weightlifting Hall (Messe München#1972 Summer Olympics, Gewichtheberhalle) – weightlifting Fairgrounds, Judo and Wrestling Hall (Messe München#1972 Summer Olympics, Judo- und Ringerhalle) – judo, wrestling Dante Swimming Pool (Dantebad) – water polo Shooting Facility (Schießanlage), Hochbrück – shooting, modern pentathlon (shooting) Archery Facility (Bogenschießanlage), Englischer Garten – archery Riding Facility, Riem – equestrian (jumping individual, eventing cross-country), modern pentathlon (riding) Dressage Facility Nymphenburg – equestrian (dressage) Grünwald – cycling (individual road race) Other venues Olympic Yachting Center, Kiel-Schilksee – water skiing, sailing Urban Stadium (Nuremberg) – football/soccer preliminaries Jahnstadion (Regensburg) – football/soccer preliminaries Dreiflüssestadion (Passau) – football/soccer preliminaries ESV-Stadion (Ingolstadt) – football/soccer preliminaries Augsburg – canoe slalom (Eiskanal), football/soccer preliminaries (Rosenaustadion), handball preliminaries (Sporthalle Augsburg) Donauhalle Ulm – handball preliminaries Hohenstaufenhalle Göppingen (Göppingen) – handball preliminaries Böblingen Sportshalle – handball preliminaries Bundesautobahn 95 – cycling (road team time trial) Cost The Oxford Olympics Study established the outturn cost of the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics at US$1.0 billion in 2015-dollars.2804554 The Oxford Olympics Study 2016: Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games Flyvbjerg Bent Stewart Allison Budzier Alexander Saïd Business School Working Papers (Oxford: University of Oxford) 2016 Oxford 9–13 10.2139/ssrn.2804554 1607.04484 156794182 This includes sports-related costs only, that is, (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee for the purpose of staging the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services, and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by the host city and country or private investors to build, e.g., the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to staging the Games. The cost for Munich 1972 compares with costs of US$4.6 billion for Rio 2016, US$15 billion for London 2012 (the most costly Summer Olympics to date) and US$51 billion for Sochi 2014 — the most expensive Olympic Games in history.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/oct/09/sochi-2014-olympics-money-corruption Sochi 2014: the costliest Olympics yet but where has all the money gone? The Guardian 12 February 2014 Average cost for Summer Games since 1960 is US$5.2 billion. Sports The 1972 Summer Olympic programme featured 195 events in the following 21 sports: 17em Aquatics Diving 4 d Swimming 29 d Water polo 1 d Archery 2 d Athletics 38 d Basketball 1 d Boxing 11 d Canoeing d Flatwater (7) Slalom (4) Cycling d Road (2) Track (5) Equestrian d Dressage (2) Eventing (2) Show jumping (2) Fencing 8 d Field hockey 1 d Football 1 d Gymnastics 14 d Handball 1 d Judo 6 d Modern pentathlon 2 d Rowing 7 d Sailing 6 d Shooting 8 d Volleyball 2 d Weightlifting 9 d Wrestling d Freestyle (10) Greco-Roman (10) Demonstration sports Badminton d Water skiing d Participating National Olympic Committees thumb|upright=1.1|Participants thumb|upright=1.1|Number of competitors per nation. Eleven nations made their first Olympic appearance in Munich: Albania, Dahomey (now Benin), Gabon, North Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Swaziland, Togo, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). Rhodesia's invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Games was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' (such as Ethiopia and Kenya) protests against the Rhodesian government. (Rhodesia did, however, compete in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, held a little earlier in Heidelberg.)https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/22/newsid_3549000/3549444.stm 1972: Rhodesia out of Olympics 22 August 1972 7 May 2023 news.bbc.co.ukhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19720823&id=FgsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1790,5361674 The Montreal Gazette – Google News Archive Search news.google.com 7 May 2023 The People's Republic of China last competed at the 1952 Summer Games but had since withdrawn from the IOC due to a dispute with the Republic of China over the right to represent China.China and the Olympic Movement Xiao Li China Internet Information Center http://www.china.org.cn/english/null/116819.htm August 4, 2011 Participating National Olympic Committees18em AFG 1972 Summer 8 ALB 1972 Summer 5 ALG 1972 Summer 5 ARG 1972 Summer 92 AUS 1972 Summer 168 AUT 1972 Summer 111 BAH 1972 Summer 20 BAR 1972 Summer 13 BEL 1972 Summer 88 BER 1972 Summer 9 BOL 1972 Summer 11 BRA 1972 Summer 81 HBR 1972 Summer 1 BUL 1972 Summer 130 BIR 1972 Summer 18 CMR 1972 Summer 11 CAN 1972 Summer 208 CEY 1972 Summer 4 CHA 1972 Summer 4 CHI 1972 Summer 11 ROC 1972 Summer 21 Taiwan COL 1972 Summer 59 CGO 1972 Summer 6 CRC 1972 Summer 3 CUB 1972 Summer 137 TCH 1972 Summer 181 DAH 1972 Summer 3 DEN 1972 Summer 126 DOM 1972 Summer 5 ECU 1972 Summer 2 EGY 1972 Summer 23 ESA 1972 Summer 11 ETH 1972 Summer 31 FIJ 1972 Summer 2 FIN 1972 Summer 96 FRA 1972 Summer 227 GAB 1972 Summer 1 GDR 1972 Summer 297 FRG 1972 Summer 423 (host) GHA 1972 Summer 35 GBR 1972 Summer 284 GRE 1972 Summer 60 GUA 1972 Summer 8 GUY 1972 Summer 3 HAI 1972 Summer 7 HKG 1972 Summer 10 HUN 1972 Summer 232 ISL 1972 Summer 25 IND 1972 Summer 41 INA 1972 Summer 6 IRI 1972 Summer 50 IRL 1972 Summer 59 ISR 1972 Summer 14 ITA 1972 Summer 224 CIV 1972 Summer 11 JAM 1972 Summer 33 JPN 1972 Summer 184 KEN 1972 Summer 57 KHM 1972 Summer 9 PRK 1972 Summer 37 KOR 1972 Summer 42 KUW 1972 Summer 4 LIB 1972 Summer 19 LES 1972 Summer 1 LBR 1972 Summer 5 LIE 1972 Summer 6 LUX 1972 Summer 11 MAD 1972 Summer 11 MAW 1972 Summer 16 MAS 1972 Summer 45 MLI 1972 Summer 3 MLT 1972 Summer 5 MEX 1972 Summer 174 MON 1972 Summer 5 MGL 1972 Summer 39 MAR 1972 Summer 35 NEP 1972 Summer 2 NED 1972 Summer 119 AHO 1972 Summer 2 NZL 1972 Summer 89 NCA 1972 Summer 8 NIG 1972 Summer 4 NGR 1972 Summer 25 NOR 1972 Summer 112 PAK 1972 Summer 25 PAN 1972 Summer 7 PAR 1972 Summer 3 PER 1972 Summer 20 PHI 1972 Summer 53 POL 1972 Summer 290 POR 1972 Summer 29 PUR 1972 Summer 53 ROU 1972 Summer 159 SMR 1972 Summer 7 KSA 1972 Summer 10 SEN 1972 Summer 38 SIN 1972 Summer 7 SOM 1972 Summer 3 URS 1972 Summer 371 ESP 1972 Summer 123 SUD 1972 Summer 26 SUR 1972 Summer 2 SWZ 1972 Summer 2 SWE 1972 Summer 131 SUI 1972 Summer 151 SYR 1972 Summer 5 TAN 1972 Summer 15 THA 1972 Summer 33 TOG 1972 Summer 7 TRI 1972 Summer 19 TUN 1972 Summer 35 TUR 1972 Summer 43 UGA 1972 Summer 33 USA 1972 Summer 400 VOL 1972 Summer 1 URU 1972 Summer 13 VEN 1972 Summer 23 VIE 1972 Summer 2 ISV 1972 Summer 16 YUG 1972 Summer 126 ZAM 1972 Summer 11 Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees IOC Letter Code Country Athletes AFG AFG 1972 Summer 8 ALB ALB 1972 Summer 5 ALG ALG 1972 Summer 5 ARG ARG 1972 Summer 92 AUS AUS 1972 Summer 168 AUT AUT 1972 Summer 111 BAH BAH 1972 Summer 20 BAR BAR 1972 Summer 13 BEL BEL 1972 Summer 88 BER BER 1972 Summer 9 BOL BOL 1972 Summer 11 BRA BRA 1972 Summer 81 HBR HBR 1972 Summer 1 BUL BUL 1972 Summer 130 BIR BIR 1972 Summer 18 CMR CMR 1972 Summer 11 CAN CAN 1972 Summer 208 CEY CEY 1972 Summer 4 CHA CHA 1972 Summer 4 CHI CHI 1972 Summer 11 ROC ROC 1972 Summer Republic of China 21 COL COL 1972 Summer 59 CGO CGO 1972 Summer 6 CRC CRC 1972 Summer 3 CUB CUB 1972 Summer 137 TCH TCH 1972 Summer 181 DAH DAH 1972 Summer 3 DEN DEN 1972 Summer 126 DOM DOM 1972 Summer 5 ECU ECU 1972 Summer 2 EGY EGY 1972 Summer 23 SAL ESA 1972 Summer 11 ETH ETH 1972 Summer 31 FIJ FIJ 1972 Summer 2 FIN FIN 1972 Summer 96 FRA FRA 1972 Summer 227 GAB GAB 1972 Summer 1 GDR GDR 1972 Summer 297 GER FRG 1972 Summer 423 GHA GHA 1972 Summer 35 GBR GBR 1972 Summer 284 GRE GRE 1972 Summer 60 GUA GUA 1972 Summer 8 GUY GUY 1972 Summer 3 HAI HAI 1972 Summer 7 HKG HKG 1972 Summer 10 HUN HUN 1972 Summer 232 ISL ISL 1972 Summer 25 IND IND 1972 Summer 41 INA INA 1972 Summer 6 IRN IRI 1972 Summer 50 IRL IRL 1972 Summer 59 ISR ISR 1972 Summer 14 ITA ITA 1972 Summer 224 CIV CIV 1972 Summer 11 JAM JAM 1972 Summer 33 JPN JPN 1972 Summer 184 KEN KEN 1972 Summer 57 KHM KHM 1972 Summer 9 PRK PRK 1972 Summer 37 COR KOR 1972 Summer 42 KUW KUW 1972 Summer 4 LIB LIB 1972 Summer 19 LES LES 1972 Summer 1 LBR LBR 1972 Summer 5 LIE LIE 1972 Summer 6 LUX LUX 1972 Summer 11 MAD MAD 1972 Summer 11 MAW MAW 1972 Summer 16 MAS MAS 1972 Summer 45 MLI MLI 1972 Summer 3 MLT MLT 1972 Summer 5 MEX MEX 1972 Summer 174 MON MON 1972 Summer 5 MGL MGL 1972 Summer 39 MAR MAR 1972 Summer 35 NEP NEP 1972 Summer 2 HOL NED 1972 Summer 119 AHO AHO 1972 Summer 2 NZL NZL 1972 Summer 89 NCA NCA 1972 Summer 8 NIG NIG 1972 Summer 4 NGR NGR 1972 Summer 25 NOR NOR 1972 Summer 112 PAK PAK 1972 Summer 25 PAN PAN 1972 Summer 7 PAR PAR 1972 Summer 3 PER PER 1972 Summer 20 PHI PHI 1972 Summer 53 POL POL 1972 Summer 290 POR POR 1972 Summer 29 PUR PUR 1972 Summer 53 ROU ROU 1972 Summer 159 SMR SMR 1972 Summer 7 ARS KSA 1972 Summer 10 SEN SEN 1972 Summer 38 SIN SIN 1972 Summer 7 SOM SOM 1972 Summer 3 URS URS 1972 Summer 371 ESP ESP 1972 Summer 123 SUD SUD 1972 Summer 26 SUR SUR 1972 Summer 2 SWZ SWZ 1972 Summer 2 SWE SWE 1972 Summer 131 SUI SUI 1972 Summer 151 SYR SYR 1972 Summer 5 TAN TAN 1972 Summer 15 THA THA 1972 Summer 33 TOG TOG 1972 Summer 7 TRI TRI 1972 Summer 19 TUN TUN 1972 Summer 35 TUR TUR 1972 Summer 43 UGA UGA 1972 Summer 33 USA USA 1972 Summer 400 VOL VOL 1972 Summer 1 URU URU 1972 Summer 13 VEN VEN 1972 Summer 23 VNM VIE 1972 Summer 2 ISV ISV 1972 Summer 16 YUG YUG 1972 Summer 126 ZAM ZAM 1972 Summer 11 Total 7,134 Calendar All times are in Central European Time (UTC+1) −8OCOpening ceremony●Event competitions1Gold medal eventsCCClosing ceremony●Suspended event competitionsMSMemorial service August/September 1972AugustSeptemberEvents26thSat27thSun28thMon29thTue30thWed31stThu1stFri2ndSat3rdSun4thMon5thTue6thWed7thThu8thFri9thSat10thSun11thMon20px Ceremonies OC MS CC Aquatics 20px|alt=|link= Diving | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | 34 20px|alt=|link= Swimming | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | | | | | | | 20px|alt=|link= Water polo | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | 20px|alt=|link= Archery | | | | | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | 2 20px|alt=|link= Athletics | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |8 | | 38 20px|alt=|link= Basketball | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Boxing | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |11 | | 11 Canoeing 20px Slalom | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 20px Sprint | | | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | | Cycling20px Road cycling | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | 720px Track cycling | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | 20px|alt=|link= Equestrian | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | 6 20px|alt=|link= Fencing | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | 8 20px|alt=|link= Field hockey | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Football | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Gymnastics | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | | | | | | | | | | | 14 20px|alt=|link= Handball | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Judo | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | | 5 20px|alt=|link= Modern pentathlon | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 20px|alt=|link= Rowing | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | | | | | | | | | | 7 20px|alt=|link= Sailing | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | | | | | 6 20px|alt=|link= Shooting | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | | | | | | 8 20px|alt=|link= Volleyball | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | 2 20px|alt=|link= Weightlifting | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | 9 20px|alt=|link= Wrestling | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |10 | | | | | style="background-color:#89CFF0;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |10 | | 20Daily medal events 2 8 8 13 27 16 23 14 13 ‡ 2 16 3 15 34 1 195Cumulative total 2 10 18 31 587497111124 126 142 145 160194 195August/September 197226thSat27thSun28thMon29thTue30thWed31stThu1stFri2ndSat3rdSun4thMon5thTue6thWed7thThu8thFri9thSat10thSun11thMonTotal eventsAugustSeptember ‡ No medals were awarded on 5 September as all Olympic competitions were suspended during that day although events that were being held at the time of the suspension were allowed to finish to their conclusion. Note: The Memorial service was held in the Olympic Stadium on 6 September which was attended by 80,000 spectators and 3,000 athletes. Following this all Olympic competitions were then allowed to resume after a 34-hour suspension. Medal count 1972 Summer Olympics medal table thumb|Gold medal awarded to Mary Peters for the 1972 Olympic women's pentathlon. These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1972 Games. flagIOC 1972 Summer 50 27 22 33 31 30 20 23 23 13 11 16 yes 13 8 8 8 7 2 7 5 9 6 13 16 6 10 5 5 3 10 Key #ccccff  *  darkgray Host nation (West Germany) Doping The report, titled "Doping in Germany from 1950 to today", details how the West German government helped fund a wide-scale doping program.Report: West Germany systematically doped athletes https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/08/03/report-west-germany-systematically-doped-athletes-olympics/2615323/ USA Today 3 August 2013 Doping of East German athletes also, by the GDR government, was systematic and prevalent at the Munich Games of 1972.Report exposes decades of West German doping https://www.france24.com/en/20130805-doping-rife-among-west-german-athletes-decades-says-report France 24 5 August 2013 See also Germany 1972 Summer Olympics 1972 Summer Olympics – Munich, Bavaria, West Germany — Munich massacre 1972 Summer Olympics medal table The Rt. Hon. The 3rd Baron Killanin Notes and references Notes References External links 1972 Summer Olympics The main theme of the 1972 Summer Olympics by Gunther Noris and the Big Band of Bundeswehr "Munich Fanfare March-Swinging Olympia x_BNFhMhuXs Further reading Schiller, Kay, and Christopher Young. The 1972 Munich Olympics and the Making of Modern Germany (University of California Press; 2010) 348 pages Preuss, Holger. The Economics of Staging the Olympics: A Comparison of the Games, 1972–2008 (2006) Oxlade, Chris, et al. Olympics. Rev. ed. London: DK, 2005. Print. soly Mexico City XX OlympiadMunich 1972 Montreal Olympics Germany Sports 1970s Olympics Games Category:1972 in West German sport Category:1970s in Munich O Category:Multi-sport events in West Germany Category:Olympic Games in Germany Category:Summer Olympics by year Olympics Games Olympics Games Category:Sports competitions in Munich