1972 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations

During the Parade of Nations section of the 1972 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag. The flag was borne by a sportsperson from that country chosen either by the National Olympic Committee or by the athletes themselves to represent their country.

Parade order

[edit]

As the nation of the first modern Olympic Games, Greece entered the stadium first; whereas, the host nation West Germany marched last, according with tradition and IOC guidelines. Announcers in the stadium read off the names of the marching nations in the host country's language, German, by actor and television personality Joachim Fuchsberger[1] and music during the parade of nations is composed by Kurt Edelhagen.[2]

Whilst most countries entered under their short names, a few entered under acronym or alternative names, mostly due to political and naming disputes. The People's Republic of the Congo entered as Congo (Kongo instead of Volksrepublik Kongo), South Korea (Republic of Korea) entered as Korea instead of Republik Korea, Taiwan (Republic of China) entered as Republik China, and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) entered as Vietnam. Acronyms used during the ceremony like East Germany (German Democratic Republic), North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) entered respectively as DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik), DVR Korea (Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea) and UdSSR (Union der Sozialistischen Sowjeterepubliken), United States in other hand entered the same as English, USA instead of its full German name Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, and host nation West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) entered as Germany (Deutschland instead of Bundesrepublik Deutschland or its acronym BRD) to avoid with the two Germanies.

121 nations entered the stadium with a combined total of 7,134 athletes. Eleven nations made their Olympic debut, namely Albania, Dahomey (now Benin), Gabon, North Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Swaziland, Togo, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). Rhodesia's invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Games was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' (such as Ethiopia and Kenya) protests against the Rhodesian government. (Rhodesia did, however, compete in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, held a little earlier in Heidelberg.) Rhodesian athletes would have been marched between Republic of China and Romania.[3][4]

List

[edit]

The following is a list of each country's announced flag bearer. The list is sorted by the order in which each nation appears in the parade of nations. The names are given in their official designations by the IOC.

This table is sortable by country name (in German), the flag bearer's name, and the flag bearer's sport.

Order Nation German Flag bearer Sport
1  Greece (GRE) Griechenland Khristos Papanikolaou Athletics
2  Egypt (EGY) Ägypten Kamal Kamel El-Guamel Basketball
3  Ethiopia (ETH) Äthiopien Mamo Wolde Athletics
4  Afghanistan (AFG) Afghanistan Ghulam Dastagir Wrestling
5  Albania (ALB) Albanien Afërdita Tusha Shooting
6  Algeria (ALG) Algerien Azzedine Azzouzi Athletics
7  Argentina (ARG) Argentinien Carlos Cesar Delia Equestrian
8  Australia (AUS) Australien Dennis Green Canoeing
9  Bahamas (BAH) Bahamas Mike Sands Athletics
10  Barbados (BAR) Barbados Anthony Phillips Weightlifting
11  Belgium (BEL) Belgien Gaston Roelants Athletics
12  Bermuda (BER) Bermuda Kirk Cooper Sailing
13  Bolivia (BOL) Bolivien Roberto Nielsen-Reyes Equestrian
14  Brazil (BRA) Brasilien Luiz Cláudio Menon Basketball
15  British Honduras (HBR) Britisch Honduras Gilmore Hinksen Official
16  Bulgaria (BUL) Bulgarien Dimitar Zlatanov Volleyball
17  Burma (BIR) Burma Win Maung Football
18  Chile (CHI) Chile René Varas Equestrian
19  Costa Rica (CRC) Costa Rica Hugo Chamberlain Shooting
20  Denmark (DEN) Dänemark Peder Pedersen Cycling
21  Dahomey (DAH) Dahomey Ibrahima Idrissou Athletics
22  German Democratic Republic (GDR) DDR[n 1] Manfred Wolke Boxing
23  Dominican Republic (DOM) Dominikanische Republik Emilio Berroa Weightlifting
24  Democratic People's Republic of Korea (PRK) DVR Korea[n 2] Kim Man-dok Official
25  Ecuador (ECU) Ecuador Abdalá Bucaram Athletics
26  Ivory Coast (CIV) Elfenbeinküste Simbara Maki Athletics
27  El Salvador (ESA) El Salvador Salvador Vilanova Swimming
28  Fiji (FIJ) Fidschi Usaia Sotutu Athletics
29  Finland (FIN) Finnland Ilkka Nummisto Canoeing
30  France (FRA) Frankreich Jean-Claude Magnan Fencing
31  Gabon (GAB) Gabun Matias Moussobou Official
32  Ghana (GHA) Ghana Sam Bugri Athletics
33  Great Britain (GBR) Großbritannien David Broome Equestrian
34  Guatemala (GUA) Guatemala Víctor Castellanos Shooting
35  Guyana (GUY) Guyana Gordon Sankis Official
36  Haiti (HAI) Haiti Jules Meliner Official
37  Hong Kong (HKG) Hong Kong Peter Rull Sr. Shooting
38  India (IND) Indien D. N. Devine Jones Football (official)
39  Indonesia (INA) Indonesien Wiem Gommies Boxing
40  Iran (IRI) Iran Abdollah Movahed Wrestling
41  Ireland (IRL) Irland Ronnie McMahon Equestrian
42  Iceland (ISL) Island Geir Hallsteinsson Handball
43  Israel (ISR) Israel Henry Hershkowitz Shooting
44  Italy (ITA) Italien Abdon Pamich Athletics
45  Jamaica (JAM) Jamaika Lennox Miller Athletics
46  Japan (JPN) Japan Masatoshi Shinomaki Judo
47  Yugoslavia (YUG) Jugoslawien Mirko Sandić Water polo
48  Virgin Islands (ISV) Jungferninseln William Peets Boxing
49  Khmer Republic (KHM) Kambodscha Chaing Cheng Boxing (official)
50  Cameroon (CMR) Kamerun Gaston Malam Athletics
51  Canada (CAN) Kanada Douglas Rogers Judo
52  Kenya (KEN) Kenia Kipchoge Keino Athletics
53  Colombia (COL) Kolumbien Alfonso Pérez Boxing
54  Republic of the Congo (CGO) Kongo Alphonse Mandonda Athletics
55  Republic of Korea (KOR) Korea Kim Ji-hak Official
56  Cuba (CUB) Kuba Teófilo Stevenson Boxing
57  Kuwait (KUW) Kuwait Younis Abdallah Athletics
58  Lesotho (LES) Lesotho Motsapi Moorosi Athletics
59  Lebanon (LIB) Libanon Mohamed Tarabulsi Weightlifting
60  Liberia (LBR) Liberia Thomas Howe Athletics
61  Liechtenstein (LIE) Liechtenstein Eduard von Falz-Fein Non-competitor
62  Luxembourg (LUX) Luxemburg Charles Sowa Athletics
63  Madagascar (MAD) Madagaskar Jean-Aimé Randrianalijaona Athletics
64  Malawi (MAW) Malawi Martin Matupi Athletics
65  Malaysia (MAS) Malaysia Ali Bakar Football
66  Mali (MLI) Mali Namakoro Niaré Athletics
67  Malta (MLT) Malta Joseph Grech Shooting
68  Morocco (MAR) Marokko Moustafa Belhmira Judo
69  Mexico (MEX) Mexiko Felipe Muñoz Swimming
70  Monaco (MON) Monaco Jean-Charles Seneca Fencing
71  Mongolia (MGL) Mongolei Bazarragchaagiin Jamsran Wrestling
72  Nepal (NEP) Nepal Jit Bahadur Khatri Chhetri Athletics
73  New Zealand (NZL) Neuseeland Les Mills Athletics
74  Nicaragua (NCA) Nicaragua Don Vélez Athletics
75  Netherlands (NED) Niederlande Nico Spits Field hockey
76  Netherlands Antilles (AHO) Niederländische Antillen Bèto Adriana Shooting
77  Niger (NIG) Niger Issaka Dabore Boxing
78  Nigeria (NGR) Nigeria Benedict Majekodunmi Athletics
79  Norway (NOR) Norwegen Harald Barlie Wrestling
80  Upper Volta (VOL) Obervolta André Bicaba Athletics
81  Austria (AUT) Österreich Hubert Raudaschl Sailing
82  Pakistan (PAK) Pakistan Mohammad Malik Arshad Weightlifting
83  Panama (PAN) Panama Donaldo Arza Boxing
84  Paraguay (PAR) Paraguay Arnulfo Becker Shooting
85  Peru (PER) Peru Enrique Barúa Fencing
86  Philippines (PHI) Philippinen Jimmy Mariano Basketball
87  Poland (POL) Polen Waldemar Baszanowski Weightlifting
88  Portugal (POR) Portugal Armando Aldegalega Athletics
89  Puerto Rico (PUR) Puerto Rico Arnaldo Bristol Athletics
90  Republic of China (ROC) Republik China Chi Cheng Athletics
91  Romania (ROM) Rumänien Aurel Vernescu Canoeing
92  Zambia (ZAM) Sambia Julius Luipa Boxing
93  San Marino (SMR) San Marino Italo Casali Shooting
94  Saudi Arabia (KSA) Saudi-Arabien Bilal Said Al-Azma Athletics
95  Sweden (SWE) Schweden Jan Jönsson Equestrian
96  Switzerland (SUI) Schweiz Urs von Wartburg Athletics
97  Senegal (SEN) Senegal Robert N'Diaye Wrestling
98  Singapore (SIN) Singapur Pat Chan Swimming
99  Somalia (SOM) Somalia Mohamed Aboker Athletics
100  Spain (ESP) Spanien Francisco Fernández Ochoa Non-competitor
101  Ceylon (CEY) Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Lucien Rosa Athletics
102  Sudan (SUD) Sudan Abdel Wahab Abdullah Salih Boxing
103  Suriname (SUR) Surinam Sammy Monsels Athletics
104  Swaziland (SWZ) Swasiland Richard Mabuza Athletics
105  Syria (SYR) Syrien Mounzer Khatib Shooting
106  Tanzania (TAN) Tansania Claver Kamanya Athletics
107  Thailand (THA) Thailand Rangsit Yanothai Shooting
108  Togo (TOG) Togo Roger Kangni Athletics
109  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) Trinidad und Tobago Hasely Crawford Athletics
110  Chad (CHA) Tschad Ahmed Senoussi Athletics
111  Czechoslovakia (TCH) Tschechoslowakei Ludvík Daněk Athletics
112  Turkey (TUR) Türkei Gıyasettin Yılmaz Wrestling
113  Tunisia (TUN) Tunesien Salem Boughattas Athletics
114  Soviet Union (URS) UdSSR[n 3] Aleksandr Medved Wrestling
115  Uganda (UGA) Uganda John Akii-Bua Athletics
116  Hungary (HUN) Ungarn Gergely Kulcsár Athletics
117  Uruguay (URU) Uruguay Darwin Piñeyrúa Athletics
118  United States of America (USA) USA[n 4] Olga Fikotová Athletics
119  Venezuela (VEN) Venezuela Francisco Rodríguez Boxing
120  Vietnam (VIE) Vietnam Hồ Minh Thu Archery
121  Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) Deutschland Detlef Lewe Canoeing
Notes
  1. ^ DDR – Deutsche Demokratische Republik
  2. ^ DVRK – Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea
  3. ^ UdSSR - Union der Sozialistischen Sowjetrepubliken
  4. ^ USA (frequent acronym in German) - in full as Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika

References

[edit]
  1. ^ XX. Olympics 1972 Munich – Parade of Nations // Olympische Spiele 1972 München – Einzug der Nationen (YouTube). MainesOwn. 6 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Technical Manual on Ceremonies" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. November 2005. p. 40. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  3. ^ "1972: Rhodesia out of Olympics". BBC News. 22 August 1972. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  4. ^ Radwanski, George (23 August 1972). "Olympics: Rhodesia expelled". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2 November 2022.