See also:
1972 Summer Paralympics[?]
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.
- Palestinian terrorists took 11 Israeli athletes hostage on September 5. After a failed rescue attempt, all athletes and most of the hostage 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 wins both the 100 m and 200 m on the track.
- 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.
- White water 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.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
| Pos | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
Summer Olympics
1896 | 1900 | 1904 | 1906 | 1908 | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012
Winter Olympics
1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010