| Swimming at the Games of the XX Olympiad | |
|---|---|
) Olympia Schwimmhalle | |
| Venue | Olympia Schwimmhalle |
| Dates | 28 August – 4 September 1972 |
| No. of events | 29 |
| Competitors | 532 from 52 nations |
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing.[1]
Perhaps the most spectacular athletic events were in swimming. Mark Spitz had a remarkable run, lining up for seven events, winning seven Olympic titles and setting seven world records. The seven world records in a single Olympic meet was tied by Michael Phelps in 2008. According to the official Olympic website, "He took part in the 4×200 m one hour after his final in the 100 m butterfly. As for the 200 m freestyle gold, it was his third medal in three days" [1].
On the women's side of the competition, Shane Gould of Australia won 5 medals. She won the 200 m and 400 m freestyle as well as the 200 m individual medley, each with a new world-record time. In addition, she won the silver and the bronze in the 800 m and 100 m freestyle, respectively.
In terms of records, the Olympic record was broken at least once in all 29 events. In 20 of those events, there was a new world record set.
Events
The following events were contested (all pool events were long course, and distances are in metres unless stated):
- Freestyle: 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m (women), 1500 m (men),
- Backstroke: 100 m, 200 m
- Breaststroke: 100 m, 200 m
- Butterfly: 100 m, 200 m
- Individual Medley: 200 m, 400 m
- Relays: 4 × 100 m free, 4 × 200 m free; 4 × 100 m medley
Participating nations
532 swimmers from 52 nations competed.[1]
Argentina (4)
Australia (24)
Austria (2).svg.png)
Belgium (4).svg.png)
Brazil (12).svg.png)
Bulgaria (3)
Cambodia (4)
Canada (38)
Chinese Taipei (3)
Colombia (4)
Czechoslovakia (3)
Denmark (6)
East Germany (37).svg.png)
Ecuador (1).svg.png)
Egypt (2)
El Salvador (7)
Finland (1)
France (18)
Great Britain (36).svg.png)
Greece (5).svg.png)
Hong Kong (2)
Hungary (16)
Iceland (4)
Ireland (7)
Israel (1)
Italy (24)
Jamaica (1).svg.png)
Japan (15)
Kuwait (2)
Lebanon (2)
Malaysia (2)
Mexico (22)
Netherlands (19)
New Zealand (6)
Norway (4)
Peru (3).svg.png)
Philippines (7).svg.png)
Poland (5).svg.png)
Romania (3)
Singapore (3).png)
South Korea (1)
Soviet Union (26).svg.png)
Spain (9)
Sweden (15)
Switzerland (10)
Trinidad and Tobago (1)
Turkey (2)
United States (51)
Uruguay (2).png)
Venezuela (4)
West Germany (44).svg.png)
Yugoslavia (5)
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
Chinese Taipei 
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
Finland 
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) | 17 | 14 | 12 | 43 |
| 2 |  Australia (AUS) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 |  East Germany (GDR) | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 4 | .svg.png){kind=small} Japan (JPN) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 |  Sweden (SWE) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 |  Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 |  Canada (CAN) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 |  West Germany (FRG) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 |  Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 Italy (ITA) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 11 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (11 nations) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 87 | |
Results
Men's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m freestyle | Mark Spitz United States | 51.22 (WR) | Jerry Heidenreich United States | 51.65 | Vladimir Bure Soviet Union | 51.77 |
| 200 m freestyle | Mark Spitz United States | 1:52.78 (WR) | Steve Genter United States | 1:53.73 | Werner Lampe West Germany | 1:53.99 |
| 400 m freestyle | Brad Cooper Australia | 4:00.27 (OR) | Steve Genter United States | 4:01.94 | Tom McBreen United States | 4:02.64 |
| 1500 m freestyle | Mike Burton United States | 15:52.58 (WR) | Graham Windeatt Australia | 15:58.48 | Doug Northway United States | 16:09.25 |
| 100 m backstroke | Roland Matthes East Germany | 56.58 (OR) | Mike Stamm United States | 57.70 | John Murphy United States | 58.35 |
| 200 m backstroke | Roland Matthes East Germany | 2:02.82 (WR) | Mike Stamm United States | 2:04.09 | Mitch Ivey United States | 2:04.33 |
| 100 m breaststroke | Nobutaka Taguchi Japan | 1:04.94 (WR) | Tom Bruce United States | 1:05.43 | John Hencken United States | 1:05.61 |
| 200 m breaststroke | John Hencken United States | 2:21.55 (WR) | David Wilkie Great Britain | 2:23.67 | Nobutaka Taguchi Japan | 2:23.88 |
| 100 m butterfly | Mark Spitz United States | 54.27 (WR) | Bruce Robertson Canada | 55.56 | Jerry Heidenreich United States | 55.74 |
| 200 m butterfly | Mark Spitz United States | 2:00.70 (WR) | Gary Hall, Sr. United States | 2:02.86 | Robin Backhaus United States | 2:03.23 |
| 200 m individual medley | Gunnar Larsson Sweden | 2:07.17 (WR) | Tim McKee United States | 2:08.37 | Steve Furniss United States | 2:08.45 |
| 400 m individual medley | Gunnar Larsson Sweden | 4:31.98 (OR) | Tim McKee United States | 4:31.98 (OR) | András Hargitay Hungary | 4:32.70 |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | United States (USA) David Edgar John Murphy Jerry Heidenreich Mark Spitz | 3:26.42 (WR) | Soviet Union (URS) Vladimir Bure Viktor Mazanov Viktor Aboimov Igor Grivennikov | 3:29.72 | East Germany (GDR) Roland Matthes Wilfried Hartung Peter Bruch Lutz Unger | 3:32.42 |
| 4×200 m freestyle relay | United States (USA) John Kinsella Fred Tyler Steve Genter Mark Spitz | 7:35.78 (WR) | West Germany (FRG) Klaus Steinbach Werner Lampe Hans Vosseler Hans Fassnacht | 7:41.69 | Soviet Union (URS) Igor Grivennikov Viktor Mazanov Georgi Kulikov Vladimir Bure | 7:45.76 |
| 4×100 m medley relay | United States (USA) Mike Stamm Tom Bruce Mark Spitz Jerry Heidenreich | 3:48.16 (WR) | East Germany (GDR) Roland Matthes Klaus Katzur Hartmut Flöckner Lutz Unger | 3:52.26 | Canada (CAN) Erik Fish William Mahony Bruce Robertson Robert Kasting | 3:53.26 |
Women's events
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m freestyle | Sandy Neilson United States | 58.59 (OR) | Shirley Babashoff United States | 59.02 | Shane Gould Australia | 59.06 |
| 200 m freestyle | Shane Gould Australia | 2:03.56 (WR) | Shirley Babashoff United States | 2:04.33 | Keena Rothhammer United States | 2:04.92 |
| 400 m freestyle | Shane Gould Australia | 4:19.04 (WR) | Novella Calligaris Italy | 4:22.44 | Gudrun Wegner East Germany | 4:23.11 |
| 800 m freestyle | Keena Rothhammer United States | 8:53.68 (WR) | Shane Gould Australia | 8:56.39 | Novella Calligaris Italy | 8:57.46 |
| 100 m backstroke | Melissa Belote United States | 1:05.78 (OR) | Andrea Gyarmati Hungary | 1:06.26 | Susie Atwood United States | 1:06.34 |
| 200 m backstroke | Melissa Belote United States | 2:19.19 (WR) | Susie Atwood United States | 2:20.38 | Donna Gurr Canada | 2:23.22 |
| 100 m breaststroke | Cathy Carr United States | 1:13.58 (WR) | Galina Prozumenshchikova Soviet Union | 1:14.99 | Beverley Whitfield Australia | 1:15.73 |
| 200 m breaststroke | Beverley Whitfield Australia | 2:41.05 (OR) | Dana Schoenfield United States | 2:42.05 | Galina Prozumenshchikova Soviet Union | 2:42.36 |
| 100 m butterfly | Mayumi Aoki Japan | 1:03.34 (OR) | Roswitha Beier East Germany | 1:03.61 | Andrea Gyarmati Hungary | 1:03.73 |
| 200 m butterfly | Karen Moe United States | 2:15.57 (WR) | Lynn Colella United States | 2:16.34 | Ellie Daniel United States | 2:16.74 |
| 200 m individual medley | Shane Gould Australia | 2:23.07 (WR) | Kornelia Ender East Germany | 2:23.59 | Lynn Vidali United States | 2:24.06 |
| 400 m individual medley | Gail Neall Australia | 5:02.97 (WR) | Leslie Cliff Canada | 5:03.57 | Novella Calligaris Italy | 5:03.99 |
| 4×100 m freestyle relay | United States (USA) Shirley Babashoff Jane Barkman Jenny Kemp Sandy Neilson | 3:55.19 (WR) | East Germany (GDR) Andrea Eife Kornelia Ender Elke Sehmisch Gabriele Wetzko | 3:55.55 | West Germany (FRG) Gudrun Beckmann Heidemarie Reineck Angela Steinbach Jutta Weber | 3:57.93 |
| 4×100 m medley relay | United States (USA) Melissa Belote Cathy Carr Deena Deardurff Sandy Neilson | 4:20.75 (WR) | East Germany (GDR) Christine Herbst Renate Vogel Roswitha Beier Kornelia Ender | 4:24.91 | West Germany (FRG) Gudrun Beckmann Vreni Eberle Silke Pielen Heidemarie Reineck | 4:26.46 |
Gallery of the medalists
Some of the Olympic medalists in Munich:
Mark Spitz, winner of the 100-metre freestyle, 200-metre freestyle, 100-metre butterfly, 200-metre butterfly, 4×100-metre freestyle relay, 4×200-metre freestyle relay, and 4×100-metre medley relay.
.jpg)
Mike Burton, winner of the 1500-metre freestyle.
Gunnar Larsson, winner of the 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley.
Shane Gould, winner of the 200-metre freestyle, 400-metre freestyle, and 200-metre individual medley.
John Hencken, winner of the 200-metre breaststroke.
Brad Cooper, winner of the 400-metre freestyle.
Roland Matthes, winner of the 100-metre backstroke and 200-metre backstroke.
Cathy Carr, winner of the 100-metre breaststroke and 4×100-metre medley relay.
Melissa Belote, winner of the 100-metre backstroke, 200-metre backstroke, and 4×100-metre medley relay.
)
.jpg'))
)
)
)
){kind=spacer}
)
)
)
References
- ^ a b "Swimming at the 1972 Munich Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.