The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international
multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of interna ...
held in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, from 26 August to 11 September 1972.
The event was overshadowed by the
Munich massacre in the second week, in which eleven
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i
athletes and coaches and a West German police officer at Olympic village were killed by Palestinian
Black September members. The motivation for the attack was the ongoing
Palestinian-Israeli conflict
The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...
.
The 1972 Summer Olympics were the second
Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after the
1936 Games in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, which had taken place under the
Nazi regime
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, and the most recent Olympics to be held in the country. 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"'',
or "the cheerful Games". 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. The hostesses wore sky-blue
dirndls as a promotion of Bavarian cultural heritage.
The Olympic mascot, the
dachshund "
Waldi", was the first officially named Olympic mascot. The Olympic Fanfare was composed by
Herbert Rehbein. The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals.
The Olympic Park (''
Olympiapark'') is based on
Frei Otto's plans and after the Games became a Munich landmark. The competition sites, designed by architect
Günther Behnisch, included the Olympic
swimming hall, the Olympics Hall (''Olympiahalle'', a multipurpose facility) and the
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
(''Olympiastadion''), and an Olympic village very close to the park. The design of the stadium was considered revolutionary, with sweeping canopies of
acrylic glass
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...
stabilized by metal ropes, used on such a large scale for the first time.
Host city selection
Munich won its Olympic bid on 26 April 1966, at the 64th
IOC Session
This is the list of International Olympic Committee (IOC) meetings.
Olympic Congresses
IOC Sessions
There has been a session during all Olympic Games except the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Summer Olympics and the 1924, 1928 and 1932 Winter Olympics ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, over bids presented by Detroit, Madrid, and Montréal. Montréal would eventually host the following
Olympic games in 1976.
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 terrorist 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 5 remaining hostages were then shot and killed with a machine gun.
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]
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 today 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
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
history, but once the incident was concluded,
Avery Brundage
Avery Brundage (; September 28, 1887 – May 8, 1975) was an American sports administrator who served as the fifth president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. The only American and only non-European to attain that p ...
, the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
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 were originally to close on 10 September and had been rescheduled to 11 September. The attack prompted heightened security at subsequent Olympics beginning with the
1976 Winter Olympics. Security at Olympics was heightened further beginning with the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
, as they were the first to take place after the
2001 September 11 attacks.
The massacre led the German federal government to re-examine its anti-terrorism policies, which at the time were dominated by a pacifist approach adopted 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 a campaign known as
Operation Wrath of God, in which those suspected of involvement were systematically tracked down and assassinated.
The events of the Munich massacre were chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary, ''
One Day in September''. An account of the aftermath is also dramatized in three films: the 1976 made-for-TV movie ''
21 Hours at Munich
''21 Hours at Munich'' is a 1976 American historical drama television film directed by William A. Graham and starring William Holden, Shirley Knight and Franco Nero. It is based on the 1975 non-fiction book ''The Blood of Israel'' by Serge Grou ...
'', the 1986 made-for-TV movie ''
Sword of Gideon'' and
Steven Spielberg's 2005 film ''
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
''. In her film ''1972'', Artist
Sarah Morris
Sarah Morris (born 20 June 1967 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England) is an American and British artist. She lives in New York City in the United States.
Personal life and education
Morris was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, in south-east England, on 20 Ju ...
interviews Dr. Georg Sieber, a former police psychiatrist who advised the Olympics' security team, about the events and aftermath of Black September.
Highlights
* These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of
Avery Brundage
Avery Brundage (; September 28, 1887 – May 8, 1975) was an American sports administrator who served as the fifth president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. The only American and only non-European to attain that p ...
.
*
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
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, 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
Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold med ...
who won eight gold medals in the pool.
*
Olga Korbut
Olga Valentinovna Korbut, ; russian: Ольга Валентиновна Корбут, group=nb (born 16 May 1955) is a former gymnast who competed for the Soviet Union. Nicknamed the "Sparrow from Minsk", she won four gold medals and two silver ...
, a
Soviet gymnast
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
, 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
The balance beam is a rectangular artistic gymnastics apparatus and an event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes simply referred to as "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring i ...
and the
floor exercise
In gymnastics, the floor is a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The gymnastics event performed on the floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for t ...
events.
* In the
final of the men's basketball, the United States lost to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
in what is widely considered as the most controversial game in international basketball history. In a close-fought match, the U.S. team appeared to have won by a score of 50–49. However, the final 3 seconds of the game were replayed three times by judges until the Soviet team came out on top and claimed a 51–50 victory. Ultimately the U.S team refused to accept their silver medals, which remain held in a vault in
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
,
Switzerland.
*
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
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 P ...
.
*
Valeriy Borzov of the Soviet Union won both the 100 m and 200 m in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
.
* 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
Wayne Curtis Collett (October 20, 1949 – March 17, 2010) was an African-American Olympic sprinter. Collett won a silver medal in the 400 m at the 1972 Summer Olympics. During the medal ceremony Collett and winner Vincent Matthews talked to eac ...
(silver medalist), staged a protest on the victory podium, talking to each other and failing to stand at attention during the medal ceremony.
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.
*
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
Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are colle ...
flag at the opening ceremony. 24 years later he became the
President of Ecuador
The president of Ecuador ( es, Presidente del Ecuador), officially called the Constitutional President of the Republic of Ecuador ( es, Presidente Constitucional de la República del Ecuador), serves as both the head of state and head of govern ...
. 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
Canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of th ...
was held for the first time at the Olympics.
*
Dan Gable
Danny Mack Gable (born October 25, 1948) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler and coach. Considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Gable is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a world gold medalist, ...
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
The Olympic Oath (distinct from the Olympic creed) is a solemn promise made by one athlete, judge or official, and one coach at the Opening Ceremony of each Olympic Games. Each oath taker is from the host nation and takes the oath on behalf of all ...
was taken by a representative of the referees.
* American
Frank Shorter
Frank Charles Shorter (born October 31, 1947) is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. His Olympic success, along with the ac ...
, 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.
*
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
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
(IOC) stripped DeMont of his gold medal after his post-race urinalysis tested positive for traces of the banned substance
ephedrine
Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is often used to prevent low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment. It is of unclear benefit in ...
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
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It was founded in 1895 as the United States Olympic Committee, and is headquartered in Col ...
(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.
* The men's pole vault field event at the games took place on 1 & 2 September. 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
Adriaan "Adje" Paulen (12 October 1902, Haarlem – 9 May 1985, Eindhoven) was a Dutch athlete who competed from 1917 to 1931. During World War II, he was part of the Dutch resistance in the Netherlands. Following World War II, Paulen b ...
. 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 only won the men's pole vault twice, equalling the record of Poland and components of the Soviet Union. France has won three times since 1984.
* Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
and water skiing were demonstration sports.
Venues
* Munich Olympic Park (''Olympiapark, Munich, Olympiapark'')
** Olympiastadion (Munich), 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)
** Olympiahalle, Olympic Sports Hall (''Sporthalle'') – gymnastics, handball (final)
** Hockey Facility (''Hockeyanlage'') – field hockey
** Olympia Schwimmhalle, Swimming Hall (''Schwimmhalle'') – swimming, diving, water polo (final), modern pentathlon (swimming)
** Volleyball Hall (''Volleyballhalle'') – volleyball
** Olympic Village, Munich, Olympic Village (''Olympisches Dorf'')
* Venues in Greater Munich
** Regatta Course (''Regattastrecke''), Oberschleißheim – canoe sprint, rowing
** Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Basketball Hall (''Basketballhalle''), Siegenburger Straße – basketball, judo
** Fairgrounds, Fencing Hall 1 (''Messe München#1972 Summer Olympics, 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)
** Nymphenburg Palace, Dressage Facility Nymphenburg – equestrian (dressage)
** Grünwald, Bavaria, Grünwald – cycling (individual road race)
* Other venues
** Olympic Yachting Center, Kiel-Schilksee – water skiing, sailing
** Max-Morlock-Stadion, Urban Stadium (Nuremberg) – football/soccer preliminaries
** Jahnstadion (Regensburg) – football/soccer preliminaries
** Dreiflüssestadion (Passau) – football/soccer preliminaries
** Tuja-Stadion, ESV-Stadion (Ingolstadt) – football/soccer preliminaries
** Augsburg – canoe slalom (Eiskanal), football/soccer preliminaries (Rosenaustadion), handball preliminaries (Sporthalle Augsburg)
** Donauhalle Ulm – handball preliminaries
** EWS Arena, Hohenstaufenhalle Göppingen (Göppingen) – handball preliminaries
** Sporthalle (Böblingen), Böblingen Sportshalle – handball preliminaries
** Bundesautobahn 96 – 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. 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$21 billion for Sochi 2014 — the most expensive Olympic Games in history. 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:
* Aquatics
**
**
**
*
*
*
*
*
** Flatwater (7)
** Slalom (4)
*
** Road (2)
** Track (5)
*
** Dressage (2)
** Eventing (2)
** Show jumping (2)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
** Freestyle (10)
** Greco-Roman (10)
Demonstration sports
* Badminton at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Badminton
* Water skiing at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Water skiing
Participating National Olympic Committees
Eleven nations made their first Olympic appearance in Munich: Albania, Republic of Dahomey, Dahomey (now Benin), Gabon, North Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Swaziland, Togo, Republic of Upper Volta, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso).
Rhodesia at the Olympics, Rhodesia's invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Games was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' (such as Ethiopia and Kenya) protests against the Rhodesian government. (Rhodesia did, however, Rhodesia at the 1972 Summer Paralympics, compete in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, held a little earlier in Heidelberg.)
Calendar
:''All times are in Central European Time (UTC+1)''
Medal count
These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1972 Games.
;Key
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 in sport, doping program. Doping of West German athletes was prevalent at the Munich Games of 1972.
See also
* 1972 Summer Olympics – Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, Bavaria, West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
— Munich massacre
* 1972 Summer Olympics medal table
* The Right Honourable, The Rt. Hon. Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, The 3rd Baron Killanin
Notes
External links
*
* The main theme of the 1972 Summer Olympics by Gunther Noris and the Big Band of Bundeswehr "Munich Fanfare March-Swinging Olympia
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.
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Summer Olympics by year
August 1972 sports events in Europe, Olympics Games
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