Quick Facts Swimming at the Games of the XX Olympiad, Venue ...

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
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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):

• 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

532 swimmers from 52 nations competed.^[1]

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.