1972 Summer Olympics medals | |
---|---|
Location | Munich, West Germany |
Highlights | |
Most gold medals | Soviet Union (50) |
Most total medals | Soviet Union (99) |
Medalling NOCs | 48 |
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August through 11 September 1972.[1] 7,134 athletes representing 121 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated.[2] The games featured 195 events in 21 sports across 28 disciplines.[2]
Men's indoor handball, slalom canoeing and kayaking all made their Olympic debuts, while archery returned to the Olympic program after a 52-year hiatus.[2] Rhodesia, like South Africa, was still segregated in 1972 and yet the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to invite Rhodesia to the 1972 Games. Eventually, African nations protested this invitation and threatened to boycott the Games. Four days before the opening ceremonies the IOC voted to rescind their invitation and exclude the Rhodesian athletes.[3]
Athletes representing 48 NOCs received at least one medal, with 25 NOCs winning at least one gold medal. The Soviet Union won the most gold medals, with 50, and the most overall medals, with 99.[4] North Korea and Uganda won their nations' first Summer Olympic gold medals, which was the first medal of any kind for North Korea[5] While Colombia and Niger also won their nations' first Olympic medals of any kind.[6][7]
American swimmer Mark Spitz won the most medals at the game with seven, all of which were gold.[8] Spitz also became became the record holder for most gold medals at a single Olympic Games, a record that stood for 36 years until swimmer Michael Phelps surpassed that mark with 8 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[9]