# Netherlands at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Netherlands competed at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. The team included 39 athletes, 26 men and 13 women. Competitors from Netherlands won 38 medals, including 14 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze to finish 5th in the medal table.

## Disability classifications

Athletes at the Paralympics in 1972 were all afflicted by spinal cord injuries and required the use of a wheelchair. This is in contrast to later Paralympics that include events for participants that fit into any of five different disability categories; amputation, either congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing.

## Medalists

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
| Gold | Aria de Vries-Noordam | Athletics | Women's Shot Put 1A |
| Gold | Harry Lamberts | Swimming | Men's 100 m Freestyle 6 |
| Gold | Marijke Ruiter | Swimming | Women's 100 m Backstroke 5 |
| Gold | Marijke Ruiter | Swimming | Women's 100 m Breaststroke 5 |
| Gold | Ingrid van der Benden | Swimming | Women's 100 m Breaststroke 6 |
| Gold | Ingrid van der Benden | Swimming | Women's 100 m Freestyle 6 |
| Gold | Henny Hilberink | Swimming | Women's 25 m Backstroke 2 |
| Gold | Delphine van Opdorp-Ariens Kappers | Swimming | Women's 25 m Breaststroke 1B |
| Gold | Delphine van Opdorp-Ariens Kappers | Swimming | Women's 25 m Freestyle 1B |
| Gold | Mary Kuivenhoven Ingrid van der Benden Marijke Ruiter | Swimming | Women's 3x100 m Medley Relay 5-6 |
| Gold | Marijke Ruiter | Swimming | Women's 3x50 m Medley 5 |
| Gold | Ingrid van der Benden | Swimming | Women's 3x50 m Medley 6 |
| Gold | Aria de Vries-Noordam | Table tennis | Women's Singles 1A |
| Gold | Loes Lekx Irene Schmidt | Table tennis | Women's Teams 4 |
| Silver | Peter Blanker Popke Popkema Gérard van Opdorp | Archery | Men's FITA Round Team open |
| Silver | Aria de Vries-Noordam | Athletics | Women's 60 m Wheelchair 1A |
| Silver | Peter Blanker Popke Popkema | Dartchery | Men's Pairs open |
| Silver | Harry Lamberts | Swimming | Men's 100 m Breaststroke 6 |
| Silver | Gerrit Pomp | Swimming | Men's 25 m Backstroke 2 |
| Silver | Harry Lamberts | Swimming | Men's 3x50 m Medley 6 |
| Silver | Mary Kuivenhoven | Swimming | Women's 100 m Breaststroke 5 |
| Silver | Mary Kuivenhoven | Swimming | Women's 100 m Freestyle 5 |
| Silver | Quirien Jonker | Swimming | Women's 25 m Backstroke 2 |
| Silver | Netty van der Krieke | Swimming | Women's 3x25 m Medley 3 |
| Silver | Quirien Jonker Sonja Graveland Netty van der Krieke | Swimming | Women's 3x50 m Medley Relay 2-4 |
| Silver | Netty van der Krieke | Swimming | Women's 50 m Backstroke 3 |
| Silver | Netty van der Krieke | Swimming | Women's 50 m Freestyle 3 |
| Bronze | Popke Popkema | Archery | Men's FITA Round open |
| Bronze | Ebo Roek"Ebo Roek kon alles vanuit zijn rolstoel". BN DeStem (in Dutch). 2010-03-27. Retrieved 2023-11-20. | Athletics | Men's 100 m Wheelchair 5 |
| Bronze | Gerrit Pomp | Swimming | Men's 25 m Breaststroke 2 |
| Bronze | Gerrit Pomp | Swimming | Men's 25 m Freestyle 2 |
| Bronze | Jeanne de Backer | Swimming | Women's 100 m Backstroke 5 |
| Bronze | Delphine van Opdorp-Ariens Kappers | Swimming | Women's 25 m Backstroke 1B |
| Bronze | Mary Kuivenhoven | Swimming | Women's 3x50 m Medley 5 |
| Bronze | Sonja Graveland | Swimming | Women's 50 m Breaststroke 4 |
| Bronze | Hans Pimmelaar Paul Suijkerbuijk | Table tennis | Men's Doubles 1B |
| Bronze | Paul Suijkerbuijk | Table tennis | Men's Singles 1B |
| Bronze | Irene Schmidt | Table tennis | Women's Singles 4 |
Source: www.paralympic.org & www.olympischstadion.nl