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] [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" .
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. [3] 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.
The following events were contested (all pool events were long course, and distances are in metres unless otherwise stated):
532 swimmers from 52 nations competed. [1]
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 |
Some of the Olympic medalists in Munich:
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles—backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle—into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley (IM) or by four swimmers as a medley relay.
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