Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle
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Men's 100 metre freestyle at the Games of the XX Olympiad | ||||||||||
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Venue | Olympia Schwimmhalle | |||||||||
Dates | 2–3 September | |||||||||
Competitors | 48 from 29 nations | |||||||||
Winning time | 51.22 WR | |||||||||
Medalists | ||||||||||
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The men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place between September 2 and 3.[1] There were 48 competitors from 29 nations.[2] Nations had been limited to three swimmers each since the 1924 Games (except in 1960, when the limit was two). The event was won by Mark Spitz of the United States, his then-record sixth gold medal in a single Games (he would add a seventh in the medley relay, for a record that stood until Michael Phelps won eight in 2008). It was the ninth victory in the event for an American, most of any nation. Jerry Heidenreich, also of the United States, took silver. Soviet swimmer Vladimir Bure (father of future hockey hall of famer Pavel Bure) earned bronze, the nation's first medal in the men's 100 metre freestyle.