1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo

On February 3, nineteen seventy-two, a significant event took place - the opening of the sixth Winter Olympics in Japan, in the city of Sapporo.

As you know, these competitions were held at Makomanai, the Japanese Olympic Center. A very large amount was spent on preparing sports facilities for these games. According to various estimates, it amounted to about five hundred and fifty million dollars.

Competitions were held in the following sports

• skating;
• cross-country skiing;
• biathlon;
• hockey;
• figure skating;
• bobsleigh;
• skiing and tobogganing;
• downhill.

Thirty-five teams took part in these competitions, seventeen of which became winners of the 1972 Winter Olympics.

I would especially like to note the team of the USSR national team. After all, for her, this Olympics has become truly triumphant. As you know, at the 1972 Winter Olympics, the USSR team won a worthy victory, having won sixteen medals. She overtook the GDR national team by two medals.

1972 Winter Olympics: hockey

Let us recall that distant 1972, when the ice squad of the USSR defeated four strongest teams:

• Finland (with a score of 9: 3);
• USA (with a score of 7: 2);
• Poland (9: 3);
• Czechoslovakia (5: 2);

The only team with which hockey players of the USSR tied at this championship was the team of Sweden. The match ended with a score of 3: 3.

In this sport, the Soviet team took first place, and, of course, received a gold medal.

Figure skating

In a single race, a silver medal was taken by Sergey Chetverukhin. But he became a famous champion only because he won the first Olympic medal in the history of Soviet figure skating.

In addition to him, two Olympic medals were won by the skaters in doubles.

Ski race

Fedor Simashev won a silver medal at a distance of fifteen kilometers. Vyacheslav Vedenin won the gold medal at a distance of thirty kilometers. Vyacheslav Vedenin also took third place in the marathon, the distance of which was fifty kilometers, and was awarded a bronze award.

In the relay, the Soviet team managed to complete the stage and be in first place, earning a gold medal. It is worth noting Vyacheslav Vedenin, who was especially distinguished by his diligence and zeal for victory. That is why in his piggy bank there were immediately three medals, two of which were gold, and one was bronze.

Comparison table of countries that entered the top nine in the number and degree of awards received

Total medals won during the 1972 Winter Olympics

Biathlon

Looking at the results of previous games, you can see that Soviet athletes have always been famous for their ability to act cohesively in a team. And these 1972 Olympics were no exception, so the team of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics left the games as the unconditional leader.