Biathlon at the 1972 Winter Olympics the competing nations; in parentheses are the number of national competitors. Italy made its Olympic biathlon debut. Biathlon at the 1972 Winter Olympics Biathlon at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of two biathlon events, held at Makomanai Biathlon Site. The events began on 9 February and ended on 11 February 1972. Five nations won medals in biathlon, the Soviet Union and Norway leading the medal table with one gold medal each, while East Germany were the only country to win more than one medal. Hansjörg Knauthe, who was part of both East German medals, was the only athlete to win
Mark Spitz the 2008 Summer Games, at the same age as Spitz. After Spitz retired from competitive swimming at age 22, he was managed by the William Morris Agency, which tried to get him into show business while his name was still familiar due to his athletic success. A poster featuring Spitz wearing his swimsuit and seven gold medals made him the hottest pin-up since Betty Grable. In Spitz's TV debut, he appeared as himself in a skit as a dentist on a Bob Hope special that aired October 5, 1972. In 1973–74, Spitz appeared on TV's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny