Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics

Swimming

at the Games of the XX Olympiad

Swimming pictogram

Venue| Olympia Schwimmhalle
Dates| 28 August – 4 September 1972
No. of events| 29
Competitors| 532 from 52 nations

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1976 ->

Swimming at the
1972 Summer Olympics

Freestyle
100 m| men| women
200 m| men| women
400 m| men| women
800 m| | women
1500 m| men|
Backstroke
100 m| men| women
200 m| men| women
Breaststroke
100 m| men| women
200 m| men| women
Butterfly
100 m| men| women
200 m| men| women
Individual medley
200 m| men| women
400 m| men| women
Freestyle relay
4 × 100 m| men| women
4 × 200 m| men|
Medley relay
4 × 100 m| men| women

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The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany. 29 events in swimming were contested. There were a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing.[1][2]

Perhaps the most spectacular athletic events were in swimming. Mark Spitz had a remarkable run, competing in seven events, winning seven Olympic titles and setting seven world records. In 2008, Michael Phelps matched Spitz's feat of setting seven world records in a single Olympics. 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".[3]

On the women's side of the competition, Shane Gould of Australia won five 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 2022, Gould remains the only woman in history to have claimed five medals in solo events in swimming at a single Olympic Games.[4] Another 15-years-old, American Sandy Neilson, won three gold medals.

The Olympic record was broken at least once in all 29 events. In 20 of those events, a new world record was set.

## Events

[edit]

The following events were contested (all pool events were long course, and distances are in metres unless otherwise stated):

* Freestyle: 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 (men); 4 × 100 m medley

## Participating nations

[edit]

532 swimmers from 52 nations competed.[1]

* Argentina (4)
* Australia (24)
* Austria (2)
* Belgium (4)
* Brazil (12)
* Bulgaria (3)
* Cambodia (4)
* Canada (38)
* Chinese Taipei (3)
* Colombia (4)
* Czechoslovakia (3)
* Denmark (6)
* East Germany (37)
* Ecuador (1)
* Egypt (2)
* El Salvador (7)
* Finland (1)
* France (18)
* Great Britain (36)
* Greece (5)
* Hong Kong (2)
* Hungary (16)
* Iceland (4)
* Ireland (7)
* Israel (1)
* Italy (24)
* Jamaica (1)
* Japan (15)
* Kuwait (2)
* Lebanon (2)
* Malaysia (2)
* Mexico (22)
* Netherlands (19)
* New Zealand (6)
* Norway (4)
* Peru (3)
* Philippines (7)
* Poland (5)
* Romania (3)
* Singapore (3)
* South Korea (1)
* Soviet Union (26)
* Spain (9)
* Sweden (15)
* Switzerland (10)
* Trinidad and Tobago (1)
* Turkey (2)
* United States (51)
* Uruguay (2)
* Venezuela (4)
* West Germany (44)
* Yugoslavia (5)

## Medal table

[edit]

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|  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 entries)| 29| 29| 29| 87

## Results

[edit]

### Men's events

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|
|

100 m freestyle
details | Mark Spitz
United States | 51.22 (WR) | Jerry Heidenreich
United States | 51.65  | Vladimir Bure
Soviet Union | 51.77
200 m freestyle
details | 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
details | Brad Cooper
Australia | 4:00.27 (OR) | Steve Genter
United States | 4:01.94  | Tom McBreen
United States | 4:02.64
1500 m freestyle
details | Mike Burton
United States | 15:52.58 (WR) | Graham Windeatt
Australia | 15:58.48  | Doug Northway
United States | 16:09.25
100 m backstroke
details | Roland Matthes
East Germany | 56.58 (OR) | Mike Stamm
United States | 57.70  | John Murphy
United States | 58.35
200 m backstroke
details | 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
details | Nobutaka Taguchi
Japan | 1:04.94 (WR) | Tom Bruce
United States | 1:05.43  | John Hencken
United States | 1:05.61
200 m breaststroke
details | John Hencken
United States | 2:21.55 (WR) | David Wilkie
Great Britain | 2:23.67  | Nobutaka Taguchi
Japan | 2:23.88
100 m butterfly
details | Mark Spitz
United States | 54.27 (WR) | Bruce Robertson
Canada | 55.56  | Jerry Heidenreich
United States | 55.74
200 m butterfly
details | 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
details | 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
details | 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
details |  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
details |  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
details |  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

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|
|

100 m freestyle
details | Sandy Neilson
United States | 58.59 (OR) | Shirley Babashoff
United States | 59.02  | Shane Gould
Australia | 59.06
200 m freestyle
details | Shane Gould
Australia | 2:03.56 (WR) | Shirley Babashoff
United States | 2:04.33  | Keena Rothhammer
United States | 2:04.92
400 m freestyle
details | Shane Gould
Australia | 4:19.04 (WR) | Novella Calligaris
Italy | 4:22.44  | Gudrun Wegner
East Germany | 4:23.11
800 m freestyle
details | Keena Rothhammer
United States | 8:53.68 (WR) | Shane Gould
Australia | 8:56.39  | Novella Calligaris
Italy | 8:57.46
100 m backstroke
details | Melissa Belote
United States | 1:05.78 (OR) | Andrea Gyarmati
Hungary | 1:06.26  | Susie Atwood
United States | 1:06.34
200 m backstroke
details | Melissa Belote
United States | 2:19.19 (WR) | Susie Atwood
United States | 2:20.38  | Donna Gurr
Canada | 2:23.22
100 m breaststroke
details | Cathy Carr
United States | 1:13.58 (WR) | Galina Prozumenshchikova
Soviet Union | 1:14.99  | Beverley Whitfield
Australia | 1:15.73
200 m breaststroke
details | Beverley Whitfield
Australia | 2:41.05 (OR) | Dana Schoenfield
United States | 2:42.05  | Galina Prozumenshchikova
Soviet Union | 2:42.36
100 m butterfly
details | Mayumi Aoki
Japan | 1:03.34 (WR) | Roswitha Beier
East Germany | 1:03.61  | Andrea Gyarmati
Hungary | 1:03.73
200 m butterfly
details | 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
details | 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
details | Gail Neall
Australia | 5:02.97 (WR) | Leslie Cliff
Canada | 5:03.57  | Novella Calligaris
Italy | 5:03.99
4 × 100 m freestyle relay
details |  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
details |  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

[edit]

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.

* 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.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Swimming at the 1972 Munich Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
2. ^ "Olympedia – Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ "Happy 65th To Shane Gould, Still The Only Swim Sorority Champ To Claim Five Solo Medals In The Olympic Pool At One Games". State of Swimming. Retrieved 21 August 2016.

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Events at the 1972 Summer Olympics (Munich)

* Archery
* Athletics
* Basketball
* Badminton (demonstration)
* Boxing
* Canoeing
* Cycling
* Diving
* Equestrian
* Fencing
* Field hockey
* Football
* Gymnastics
* Handball
* Judo
* Modern pentathlon
* Rowing
* Sailing
* Shooting
* Swimming
* Volleyball
* Water polo
* Water skiing (demonstration)
* Weightlifting
* Wrestling

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Swimming at the Summer Olympics

Editions|

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* 1906 (Intercalated)
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* 1972
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Current events|

* 50 m free
* 100 m free
* 200 m free
* 400 m free
* 800 m free
* 1500 m free
* 100 m back
* 200 m back
* 100 m breast
* 200 m breast
* 100 m fly
* 200 m fly
* 200 m IM
* 400 m IM
* 4 × 100 m free relay
* 4 × 200 m free relay
* 4 × 100 m medlay relay
* 10 km

Past events|

* 500 m free (1896)
* 1000 m free (1900)
* 1200 m free (1896)
* 4000 m free (1900)
* 400 m breast
* 1904
* 1912
* 1920
* 4 × 100 yd free relay (1904)
* 200 m team (1900)
* 200 m obstacle (1900)
* underwater (1900)
* 100 m free sailors (1896)

* List of medalists
* men
* women
* List of Olympic records
* List of Olympic venues

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