# Gymnastics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's parallel bars

The men's parallel bars competition was one of eight events for male competitors in artistic gymnastics at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The qualification and final rounds took place on August 27, 29 and September 1 at the Olympiahalle. There were 112 competitors from 26 nations (with 1 of the 113 gymnasts not starting in this apparatus); nations entering the team event had 6 gymnasts while other nations could have up to 3 gymnasts. Japan reached the height of its success in the event this year: putting four men into the six-man final and sweeping the medals. Sawao Kato earned Japan's third consecutive gold medal in the parallel bars, tying Switzerland for most golds all-time; Kato would break that tie in 1976 with his second (and Japan's fourth) gold medal. Shigeru Kasamatsu took silver while Eizo Kenmotsu earned bronze.

## Background

This was the 13th appearance of the event, which is one of the five apparatus events held every time there were apparatus events at the Summer Olympics (no apparatus events were held in 1900, 1908, 1912, or 1920). Four of the six finalists from 1968 returned: gold medalist Akinori Nakayama of Japan, silver medalist Mikhail Voronin of the Soviet Union, bronze medalist Viktor Klimenko of the Soviet Union, and fifth-place finisher Eizo Kenmotsu of Japan. Nakayama had also won the 1970 world championship, with Voronin and Kenmotsu tied for second.
Liechtenstein, New Zealand, and North Korea each made their debut in the men's parallel bars. The United States made its 12th appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the inaugural 1896 Games.

## Competition format

Each nation entered a team of six gymnasts or up to three individual gymnasts. All entrants in the gymnastics competitions performed both a compulsory exercise and a voluntary exercise for each apparatus. The scores for all 12 exercises were summed to give an individual all-around score. (One gymnast who entered the all-around competition did not perform on the vault.) These exercise scores were also used for qualification for the apparatus finals. The two exercises (compulsory and voluntary) for each apparatus were summed to give an apparatus score; the top 6 in each apparatus participated in the finals; others were ranked 7th through 111th. Half of the scores from the preliminary carried over to the final.

## Schedule

All times are Central European Time (UTC+1)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Monday, 27 August 1972 | 11:15 19:00 | Preliminary: Compulsory |
| Wednesday, 29 August 1972 | 10:00 18:00 | Preliminary: Voluntary |
| Saturday, 1 September 1972 | 19:30 | Final |

## Results

One-hundred twelve gymnasts competed in the compulsory and optional rounds on August 27 and 29. The six highest scoring gymnasts advanced to the final on September 1.
| Rank | Gymnast | Nation | Preliminary | Preliminary | Preliminary | Final | Final | Final |
| Rank | Gymnast | Nation | Compulsory | Voluntary | Total | 1⁄2 Prelim. | Final | Total |
| | Sawao Kato | Japan | 9.60 | 9.75 | 19.35 | 9.675 | 9.800 | 19.475 |
| | Shigeru Kasamatsu | Japan | 9.55 | 9.70 | 19.25 | 9.625 | 9.750 | 19.375 |
| | Eizo Kenmotsu | Japan | 9.65 | 9.65 | 19.30 | 9.650 | 9.600 | 19.250 |
| 4 | Viktor Klimenko | Soviet Union | 9.65 | 9.60 | 19.25 | 9.625 | 9.500 | 19.125 |
| 5 | Akinori Nakayama | Japan | 9.60 | 9.65 | 19.25 | 9.625 | 9.250 | 18.875 |
| 6 | Nikolai Andrianov | Soviet Union | 9.50 | 9.55 | 19.05 | 9.525 | 8.450 | 17.975 |
| 7 | Eberhard Gienger | West Germany | 9.50 | 9.55 | 19.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 7 | Mikhail Voronin | Soviet Union | 9.60 | 9.45 | 19.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 9 | Klaus Köste | East Germany | 9.50 | 9.50 | 19.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 10 | Günter Spies | West Germany | 9.55 | 9.40 | 18.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 11 | Mikolaj Kubica | Poland | 9.40 | 9.45 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 11 | Edvard Mikaelian | Soviet Union | 9.50 | 9.35 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 11 | Mitsuo Tsukahara | Japan | 9.35 | 9.50 | 18.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 14 | Teruichi Okamura | Japan | 9.35 | 9.40 | 18.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 15 | Matthias Brehme | East Germany | 9.30 | 9.35 | 18.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 15 | Wolfgang Thüne | East Germany | 9.30 | 9.35 | 18.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Wolfgang Klotz | East Germany | 9.25 | 9.35 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Alexander Maleev | Soviet Union | 9.35 | 9.25 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Peter Rohner | Switzerland | 9.30 | 9.30 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Makoto Sakamoto | United States | 9.30 | 9.30 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 17 | Andrzej Szajna | Poland | 9.25 | 9.35 | 18.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 22 | Li Song-sob | North Korea | 9.25 | 9.30 | 18.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 22 | Walter Mossinger | West Germany | 9.35 | 9.20 | 18.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 24 | Janez Brodnik | Yugoslavia | 9.20 | 9.30 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 24 | Sylwester Kubica | Poland | 9.15 | 9.35 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 24 | Imre Molnár | Hungary | 9.40 | 9.10 | 18.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Max Brühwiler | Switzerland | 9.15 | 9.30 | 18.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Kim Song-yu | North Korea | 9.15 | 9.30 | 18.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Steven Hug | United States | 9.10 | 9.30 | 18.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Wilhelm Kubica | Poland | 9.10 | 9.30 | 18.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Reinhard Rychly | East Germany | 9.20 | 9.20 | 18.40 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Béla Herczeg | Hungary | 9.15 | 9.20 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Milenko Kersnic | Yugoslavia | 9.10 | 9.25 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Kim Song-il | North Korea | 9.15 | 9.20 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Mauno Nissinen | Finland | 8.95 | 9.40 | 18.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 36 | Jürgen Paeke | East Germany | 9.00 | 9.30 | 18.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 36 | Geno Radev | Bulgaria | 9.00 | 9.30 | 18.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 38 | Bernd Effing | West Germany | 9.00 | 9.25 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 38 | Petre Mihaiuc | Romania | 9.10 | 9.15 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 38 | Ladislav Morava | Czechoslovakia | 9.05 | 9.20 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 38 | Roberto Léon Richards | Cuba | 8.95 | 9.30 | 18.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 42 | Jifi Fejtek | Czechoslovakia | 9.05 | 9.15 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 42 | Edwin Greutmann | Switzerland | 8.95 | 9.25 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 42 | Reinhard Ritter | West Germany | 9.10 | 9.10 | 18.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 45 | Vladislav Nehasil | Czechoslovakia | 8.95 | 9.20 | 18.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 45 | Vladimir Schukin | Soviet Union | 9.00 | 9.15 | 18.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 47 | Robert Bretscher | Switzerland | 8.90 | 9.20 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 47 | Jorge Cuervo | Cuba | 8.90 | 9.20 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 47 | Ho Yun-hang | North Korea | 9.00 | 9.10 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 47 | István Kiss | Hungary | 9.10 | 9.00 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 47 | Bohumil Mudrik | Czechoslovakia | 9.05 | 9.05 | 18.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 52 | Dan Grecu | Romania | 9.00 | 9.05 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 52 | Christian Guiffroy | France | 9.05 | 9.00 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 52 | Zoltán Magyar | Hungary | 9.00 | 9.05 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 52 | Miloš Vratič | Yugoslavia | 8.90 | 9.15 | 18.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | István Bérczi | Hungary | 8.85 | 9.10 | 17.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 56 | Shin Heung-do | North Korea | 9.00 | 8.95 | 17.95 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 58 | John Crosby Jr. | United States | 8.65 | 9.25 | 17.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 58 | Drago Sostaric | Yugoslavia | 8.85 | 9.05 | 17.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 60 | Franco Donega | Italy | 8.85 | 9.00 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 60 | Carmine Luppino | Italy | 8.70 | 9.15 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 60 | Jean-Pierre Miens | France | 8.85 | 9.00 | 17.85 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Ole Benediktson | Denmark | 8.65 | 9.15 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Jo Jong-ryol | North Korea | 8.55 | 9.25 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Heinz Häussler | West Germany | 8.70 | 9.10 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Zoran Ivanovic | Yugoslavia | 8.85 | 8.95 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 63 | Gheorghe Paunescu | Romania | 8.70 | 9.10 | 17.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 68 | Christian Deuza | France | 8.85 | 8.90 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 68 | Ivica Hmjelovac | Yugoslavia | 8.80 | 8.95 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 68 | Antal Kisteleki | Hungary | 8.90 | 8.85 | 17.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 71 | Mircea Gheorghiu | Romania | 9.05 | 8.65 | 17.70 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 72 | Jim Culhane Jr. | United States | 8.65 | 9.00 | 17.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 72 | Jerzy Kruza | Poland | 8.60 | 9.05 | 17.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 72 | Adolfo Lampronti | Italy | 8.60 | 9.05 | 17.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | René Badell | Cuba | 8.60 | 9.00 | 17.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | José Ginés | Spain | 8.70 | 8.90 | 17.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 75 | Stefan Zoev | Bulgaria | 8.65 | 8.95 | 17.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 78 | Georges Guelzec | France | 8.45 | 9.05 | 17.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 78 | Ivan Kondev | Bulgaria | 8.55 | 8.95 | 17.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 78 | Constantin Petrescu | Romania | 8.55 | 8.95 | 17.50 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 81 | Henri Boërio | France | 8.15 | 9.30 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 81 | Bernard Farjat | France | 8.65 | 8.80 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 81 | Cecilio Ugarte | Spain | 8.50 | 8.95 | 17.45 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 84 | Tore Lie | Norway | 8.70 | 8.65 | 17.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 85 | Marshall Avener | United States | 8.10 | 9.15 | 17.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 85 | Luigi Coppa | Italy | 8.35 | 8.90 | 17.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 85 | Rogelio Mendoza | Mexico | 8.45 | 8.80 | 17.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 88 | Bozhidar Iliev | Bulgaria | 8.40 | 8.80 | 17.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 88 | Agustin Sandoval | Spain | 8.55 | 8.65 | 17.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 88 | Bruno Banzer | Liechtenstein | 8.70 | 8.50 | 17.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 91 | Maurizio Milanetto | Italy | 8.10 | 9.05 | 17.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 91 | Pavel Stanovsky | Czechoslovakia | 8.25 | 8.90 | 17.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 93 | Dimitar Dimitrov | Bulgaria | 8.50 | 8.60 | 17.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 93 | Luis Ramirez | Cuba | 8.20 | 8.90 | 17.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 93 | Fedele Spatazza | Italy | 8.80 | 8.30 | 17.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 96 | Dimitar Koychev | Bulgaria | 8.30 | 8.75 | 17.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 96 | Ian Clarke | Australia | 8.45 | 8.60 | 17.05 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 98 | Eddie Arnold | Great Britain | 8.40 | 8.60 | 17.00 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 99 | George Greenfield | United States | 7.75 | 9.05 | 16.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 99 | Stan Wild | Great Britain | 8.00 | 8.80 | 16.80 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 101 | Philippe Gaille | Switzerland | 7.70 | 9.05 | 16.75 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 102 | Jorge Rodriguez | Cuba | 7.85 | 8.80 | 16.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 102 | André Simard | Canada | 7.90 | 8.75 | 16.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 102 | Mieczyslaw Strzalka | Poland | 8.30 | 8.35 | 16.65 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 105 | Peter Lloyd | Australia | 8.60 | 8.00 | 16.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 106 | Bill Norgrave | Great Britain | 7.90 | 8.45 | 16.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 107 | Emilio Sagre | Cuba | 8.30 | 7.95 | 16.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 108 | Steve Mitruk | Canada | 7.80 | 8.40 | 16.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 109 | Nicolae Oprescu | Romania | 7.25 | 8.85 | 16.10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 110 | Terry Sale | New Zealand | 6.65 | 8.50 | 15.15 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 111 | Miloslav Netusil | Czechoslovakia | 9.25 | 0.00 | 9.25 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 112 | Bruce Medd | Canada | 6.30 | 0.00 | 6.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| — | Hans Ettlin | Switzerland | DNS | DNS | DNS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |