Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
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 |
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 |
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: 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[]
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[]
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 nations) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 87 |
Results[]
Men's events[]
Games | 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[]
Games | 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 (WR) | 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.
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[]
- ^ a b "Swimming at the 1972 Munich Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- 1972 Summer Olympics events
- Swimming at the Summer Olympics
- 1972 in swimming