The bicycle at the Olympic Games (3)

The Summer Olympic Games of the XX Olympiad were held in Munich in 1972. Munich managed to secure the nomination for the Games ahead of Detroit, Madrid, and Montreal. No expense was spared in the organization of these Games. A completely new sports complex was built from the ground up, with all the competition venues close together on the former Oberwiesenfeld airfield. The showpiece was undoubtedly the avant-garde Olympic stadium with its translucent roof in the shape of a web. The Munich Games were intended to be, above all, joyful Games. In this way, the German organizers hoped to erase the memories of the dubious 1936 edition in Berlin. The first week was indeed an exemplary sporting celebration. However, this was brutally disrupted on September 5, when a number of Palestinian terrorists from the "Black September" organization stormed the Israeli accommodation in the Olympic village. The consequences are well known and are still regretted. At these Games, a mascot was introduced for the first time: Waldi the dachshund. Cycling is one of the Olympic sports practiced at the Games. The sport has been on the program continuously since the first edition of the modern Summer Olympic Games.   Hennie Kuiper won Gold in the road race over a distance of 182,4 kilometers

The French Daniel Morelon & Pierre Trentin, depicted here on the left stamp of Chad with an “overprint: Munich 1972”, achieved 4th place in the tandem event. The Dutch Klaas Balk & Peter van Doorn achieved a 5th place in the same event.

The United States also participated in the 1972 Olympic Games. After finishing first in the medal standings two times in a row, the Americans had to settle for second place behind their arch-rival, the Soviet Union. The Americans did not achieve a single ranking on the track or in the road race. America did, however, release some beautiful commemorative envelopes. Ivan Kucirek and Vladimir Popelka finished in fifth place in the Tandem 2000-meter cycling discipline. The Norwegian Knut Knudsen won Gold in the individual 4000 meter pursuit.

It would be going too far to show all existing bicycle stamps relating to the 1972 Games in this medium. Therefore, here is a further selection to conclude this episode and to show you a selection of the Bicycle at the 1976 Olympic Games next time. See you at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal ……….