Germany Munich
XX Summer International Olympic Games

Athletes of Albania, Upper Volta, Gabon, Dahomey, DPRK, Lesotho, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Somali and Togo made their debut at the these Summer Games.
The total number of competing athletes was 7234 (including 1059 female ones) of 121 nations. It was a record of all preceding Olympics. The USSR team included 371 athletes competing in all sports but for grass hockey. Totally 195 sets of medals had been played for in 26 sports.
The Olympic Flame was lit at the Munich Stadium by Günther Zahn. The Athlete’s Oath was voiced by female jumper Heidi Schüller.
The Games of XX Olympiad were officially opened by West German President Gustav Walter Heinemann.
A real triumphant athlete of the 1972 Olympics was Mark Spitz, a swimmer from the United States, who beat world records when he won seven (!) gold medals at the same Olympics.

WINNER MEDALS
The traditional 1928 medal design was altered in Munich. In fact, the obverse remained unchanged except the host city and date. As for the reverse, its design was radically changed. Two nude male figures are depicted in the center of the medal. According to the German designer Gerhart Marcks these two figures personify the Dioscuri, twins Castor and Polydeuces. In Greek mythology, Castor was the best horse tamer, and Polydeuces - the best fist fighter. In ancient Sparta, the twins were regarded as patrons of the gymnastics. So, the modern designer made Castor and Polydeuces the patrons of sports.
The traditional silk ribbon was replaced with a brass chain passing through a ring soldered to the medal. Depending on the medal status the chain was plated with a required metal.
OBVERSE: a figure of the Greek Goddess of Victory, holding a laurel wreath in her right hand, hand raised, and a palm leaf in her left hand. On the left of the goddess, there is a Panathenaean amphora standing on a shelf rock, with depicted competing athletes. A view of an amphitheatre looking like the Roman Coliseum appears on the right of the goddess. A four-line inscription in German reading “XX – Olympiade – Munchen – 1972”. (English: XX – Olympics – Munich – 1972) is engraved in the right upper segment.
REVERSE: nude figures of the Dioscuri, twins Castor and Polydeuces. Free left and right sectors were to be used to engrave the name of the winner and his nation. The designer’s initials “G.M.” (Gerhart Marcks) are engraved below the figures.

COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL
OBVERSE: the Munich Olympic emblem in the top sector, with the legend in German “XX OLYMPIADE MUNCHEN (English: XX Olympiad – Munich – 1972) underneath.
REVERSE: a composition of the Olympic rings over two hands, one holding a stylized olive branch.

GOLD WINNER MEDAL (FIRST PRIZE) 

Metal	silver-gilt
Diameter	66 mm
Thickness	4,2 mm
Weight	175 g
Designer	Ciuseppe Cassioli and Gerhart Marcks
Mint	Bavarian Mint (Munich, Germany)

SILVER WINNER MEDAL (SECOND PRIZE)

Metal	silver
Diameter	66 mm
Thickness	5 mm
Weight	169 g
Designer	Ciuseppe Cassioli and Gerhart Marcks
Mint	Bavarian Mint (Munich, Germany)

BRONZE WINNER MEDAL (THIRD PRIZE)

Metal	bronze
Diameter	66 mm
Thickness	4,2 mm
Weight	140 g
Designer	Ciuseppe Cassioli and Gerhart Marcks
Mint	Bavarian Mint (Munich, Germany)

COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL