Poland year 1972 stamp – Olympic Games Munich MSS / Mint never hinged

Poland year 1972 stamp – Olympic Games Munich MSS / Mint never hinged(**)

The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972. Munich, the capital of Bavaria, was chosen as the host city for the 1972 Olympics, marking the first time the Games were held in Germany since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

The Munich Olympics are sadly remembered for the tragic events that occurred on September 5, 1972. Members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists from the group Black September. The hostage crisis resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, as well as one German police officer, during a failed rescue attempt at the Fürstenfeldbruck airbase. The incident shocked the world and led to significant changes in Olympic security measures.

The Munich 1972 Olympics featured competitions in 195 events across 23 sports. New sports added to the Olympic program included archery, handball, and water polo for women. Basketball was also included in the Olympics for the first time as a full medal sport.

Despite the tragedy, the Munich Olympics witnessed numerous memorable performances from athletes around the world. Notable highlights include:

• American swimmer Mark Spitz’s remarkable achievement of winning seven gold medals in swimming events, setting a new record for the most gold medals won by an athlete in a single Olympic Games.
• Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut capturing the hearts of spectators with her captivating performances and winning three gold medals in gymnastics.
• Lasse Virén of Finland winning gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m races in athletics, a feat he would repeat in the 1976 Olympics.