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 Rhodesia's invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Games was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' (such as Ethiopia and Kenya) protests against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.