Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
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]
| Swimming at the Games of the XX Olympiad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 |
Perhaps the most spectacular athletic events were in swimming. Mark Spitz had a spectacular 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" .
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]
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Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 17 | 14 | 12 | 43 |
| 2 |  | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 |  | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 4 | .svg.png){kind=small} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 |  | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | .svg.png){kind=small} | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 |  | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 |  | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 |  | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 11 |  | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (11 nations) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 87 | |
Results
Men's events
Women's events
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.
References
- "Swimming at the 1972 Munich Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
