1972 Summer Olympics
The Games of the XX Olympiad were held in 1972 in Munich, West Germany. In the bid to organise the Olympics, Detroit, Madrid and Montreal were beaten.
Highlights
- On September 5, Palestinian terrorists killed 2 Israeli athletes and took 9 hostage. After a failed rescue attempt, all hostages and all but three of terrorists were killed. For more, see Munich massacre.
- All Olympic events were suspended for one day after the terrorist action became known. They were continued a day later, although some athletes decided to leave Munich.
- Mark Spitz set seven World Records to win a record seven gold medals in one Olympics, bringing his total to nine.
- Lasse Virén of Finland won the 5000 and 10000 m (the latter after a fall), a feat he would repeat in the 1976 Summer Olympics.
- Olga Korbut, a tiny Soviet gymnast, became a star after failing to win the individual all-around after a fall, but winning two gold medals in the apparatus events.
- Valeri Borzov won both the 100 m and 200 m in track and field.
- Also in track and field, two African-American atheletes, Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett, acted disrespectfully on the medal stand, twirling their medals (gold and silver, respectively) and joking with one another as the Star-Spangled Banner was being played during the award ceremony. They were banned from the Olympics for life, as were Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the 1968 Summer Olympics, but unlike Smith and Carlos, Matthews and Collett were not disqualified and were allowed to keep their medals.
- Australian swimmer Shane Gould wins three gold medals and two silver.
- Handball (last held in 1936) and Archery (last held in 1920) return as Olympic sports after a long absence.
- Whitewater canoeing is held for the first time at the Olympics.
- For the first time, the Olympic Oath is also taken by a representative of the referees.
- In basketball, the United States' Olympic winning streak, which started in 1936, was ended. The final game against the Soviet Union ended in a victory for the Russians, but was surrounded by controversy. The US complained that the clock had been improperly restarted at the end of the game and refused to accept the silver medal.
- On September 11, a small plane was stolen in Stuttgart and authorities received information that Arab terrorists were planning to drop a bomb on the final ceremonies. IOC officials and Chancellor Willy Brandt, who were attending the ceremonies, were informed. Defense minister Georg Leber had two fighter planes follow the stolen plane, with the intent of shooting it down should it approach Munich. Radar contact to the plane was lost. A short while later, radar contact to an unknown plane was established, but it turned out to be a civilian passenger aircraft. The stolen plane was never found.
- Badminton and Water Ski are the demo sports.
Medals awarded
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
- Archery
- Athletics
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Canoeing
- Cycling
- Diving
- Equestrianism
- Fencing
- Football
- Gymnastics
- Handball
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See also
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