1972 Summer Olympics Olympic games in 1976. The Games were largely overshadowed by what has come to be known as the "Munich massacre". Just before dawn on September 5, a group of eight members of the Black September Palestinian terrorist organization broke into the Olympic Village and took eleven Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage in their apartments. Two of the hostages who resisted were killed in the first moments of the break-in; the subsequent standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours. Late in the evening of September 5 that same day, the terrorists and their nine remaining hostages were
Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's decathlon Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's decathlon The men's decathlon combined event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on 7 & 8 September. The favorite was Joachim Kirst, who had won the European Championship in 1969 and 1971. The decathletes were unfortunate, as they had to re-open the Olympics, the morning after the postponement due to the tragic events of the Munich massacre. As the events continued the favorite, Kirst, hit the third hurdle in the 110 metres and fell, dropping out of the race. All heights in metres. All distance are in metres. All distance are