# 1972 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations

During the Parade of Nations section of the 1972 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag. The flag was borne by a sportsperson from that country chosen either by the National Olympic Committee or by the athletes themselves to represent their country.

## Parade order

As the nation of the first modern Olympic Games, Greece entered the stadium first; whereas, the host nation West Germany marched last, according with tradition and IOC guidelines. Announcers in the stadium read off the names of the marching nations in the host country's language, German, by actor and television personality Joachim Fuchsberger and music during the parade of nations is composed by Kurt Edelhagen.
Whilst most countries entered under their short names, a few entered under acronym or alternative names, mostly due to political and naming disputes. The People's Republic of the Congo entered as Congo (Kongo instead of Volksrepublik Kongo), South Korea (Republic of Korea) entered as Korea instead of Republik Korea, Taiwan (Republic of China) entered as Republik China, and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) entered as Vietnam. Acronyms used during the ceremony like East Germany (German Democratic Republic), North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) entered respectively as DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik), DVR Korea (Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea) and UdSSR (Union der Sozialistischen Sowjeterepubliken), United States in other hand entered the same as English, USA instead of its full German name Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, and host nation West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) entered as Germany (Deutschland instead of Bundesrepublik Deutschland or its acronym BRD) to avoid with the two Germanies.
121 nations entered the stadium with a combined total of 7,134 athletes. Eleven nations made their Olympic debut, namely Albania, Dahomey (now Benin), Gabon, North Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Swaziland, Togo, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). Rhodesia's invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Games was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' (such as Ethiopia and Kenya) protests against the Rhodesian government. (Rhodesia did, however, compete in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, held a little earlier in Heidelberg.) Rhodesian athletes would have been marched between Republic of China and Romania.

## List

The following is a list of each country's announced flag bearer. The list is sorted by the order in which each nation appears in the parade of nations. The names are given in their official designations by the IOC.
This table is sortable by country name (in German), the flag bearer's name, and the flag bearer's sport.
| Order | Nation | German | Flag bearer | Sport |
| 1 | Greece (GRE) | Griechenland | Khristos Papanikolaou | Athletics |
| 2 | Egypt (EGY) | Ägypten | Kamal Kamel El-Guamel | Basketball |
| 3 | Ethiopia (ETH) | Äthiopien | Mamo Wolde | Athletics |
| 4 | Afghanistan (AFG) | Afghanistan | Ghulam Dastagir | Wrestling |
| 5 | Albania (ALB) | Albanien | Afërdita Tusha | Shooting |
| 6 | Algeria (ALG) | Algerien | Azzedine Azzouzi | Athletics |
| 7 | Argentina (ARG) | Argentinien | Carlos Cesar Delia | Equestrian |
| 8 | Australia (AUS) | Australien | Dennis Green | Canoeing |
| 9 | Bahamas (BAH) | Bahamas | Mike Sands | Athletics |
| 10 | Barbados (BAR) | Barbados | Anthony Phillips | Weightlifting |
| 11 | Belgium (BEL) | Belgien | Gaston Roelants | Athletics |
| 12 | Bermuda (BER) | Bermuda | Kirk Cooper | Sailing |
| 13 | Bolivia (BOL) | Bolivien | Roberto Nielsen-Reyes | Equestrian |
| 14 | Brazil (BRA) | Brasilien | Luiz Cláudio Menon | Basketball |
| 15 | British Honduras (HBR) | Britisch Honduras | Gilmore Hinksen | Official |
| 16 | Bulgaria (BUL) | Bulgarien | Dimitar Zlatanov | Volleyball |
| 17 | Burma (BIR) | Burma | Win Maung | Football |
| 18 | Chile (CHI) | Chile | René Varas | Equestrian |
| 19 | Costa Rica (CRC) | Costa Rica | Hugo Chamberlain | Shooting |
| 20 | Denmark (DEN) | Dänemark | Peder Pedersen | Cycling |
| 21 | Dahomey (DAH) | Dahomey | Ibrahima Idrissou | Athletics |
| 22 | German Democratic Republic (GDR) | DDR | Manfred Wolke | Boxing |
| 23 | Dominican Republic (DOM) | Dominikanische Republik | Emilio Berroa | Weightlifting |
| 24 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (PRK) | DVR Korea | Kim Man-dok | Official |
| 25 | Ecuador (ECU) | Ecuador | Abdalá Bucaram | Athletics |
| 26 | Ivory Coast (CIV) | Elfenbeinküste | Simbara Maki | Athletics |
| 27 | El Salvador (ESA) | El Salvador | Salvador Vilanova | Swimming |
| 28 | Fiji (FIJ) | Fidschi | Usaia Sotutu | Athletics |
| 29 | Finland (FIN) | Finnland | Ilkka Nummisto | Canoeing |
| 30 | France (FRA) | Frankreich | Jean-Claude Magnan | Fencing |
| 31 | Gabon (GAB) | Gabun | Matias Moussobou | Official |
| 32 | Ghana (GHA) | Ghana | Sam Bugri | Athletics |
| 33 | Great Britain (GBR) | Großbritannien | David Broome | Equestrian |
| 34 | Guatemala (GUA) | Guatemala | Víctor Castellanos | Shooting |
| 35 | Guyana (GUY) | Guyana | Gordon Sankis | Official |
| 36 | Haiti (HAI) | Haiti | Jules Meliner | Official |
| 37 | Hong Kong (HKG) | Hong Kong | Peter Rull Sr. | Shooting |
| 38 | India (IND) | Indien | D. N. Devine Jones | Football (official) |
| 39 | Indonesia (INA) | Indonesien | Wiem Gommies | Boxing |
| 40 | Iran (IRI) | Iran | Abdollah Movahed | Wrestling |
| 41 | Ireland (IRL) | Irland | Ronnie McMahon | Equestrian |
| 42 | Iceland (ISL) | Island | Geir Hallsteinsson | Handball |
| 43 | Israel (ISR) | Israel | Henry Hershkowitz | Shooting |
| 44 | Italy (ITA) | Italien | Abdon Pamich | Athletics |
| 45 | Jamaica (JAM) | Jamaika | Lennox Miller | Athletics |
| 46 | Japan (JPN) | Japan | Masatoshi Shinomaki | Judo |
| 47 | Yugoslavia (YUG) | Jugoslawien | Mirko Sandić | Water polo |
| 48 | Virgin Islands (ISV) | Jungferninseln | William Peets | Boxing |
| 49 | Khmer Republic (KHM) | Kambodscha | Chaing Cheng | Boxing (official) |
| 50 | Cameroon (CMR) | Kamerun | Gaston Malam | Athletics |
| 51 | Canada (CAN) | Kanada | Douglas Rogers | Judo |
| 52 | Kenya (KEN) | Kenia | Kipchoge Keino | Athletics |
| 53 | Colombia (COL) | Kolumbien | Alfonso Pérez | Boxing |
| 54 | Republic of the Congo (CGO) | Kongo | Alphonse Mandonda | Athletics |
| 55 | Republic of Korea (KOR) | Korea | Kim Ji-hak | Official |
| 56 | Cuba (CUB) | Kuba | Teófilo Stevenson | Boxing |
| 57 | Kuwait (KUW) | Kuwait | Younis Abdallah | Athletics |
| 58 | Lesotho (LES) | Lesotho | Motsapi Moorosi | Athletics |
| 59 | Lebanon (LIB) | Libanon | Mohamed Tarabulsi | Weightlifting |
| 60 | Liberia (LBR) | Liberia | Thomas Howe | Athletics |
| 61 | Liechtenstein (LIE) | Liechtenstein | Eduard von Falz-Fein | Non-competitor |
| 62 | Luxembourg (LUX) | Luxemburg | Charles Sowa | Athletics |
| 63 | Madagascar (MAD) | Madagaskar | Jean-Aimé Randrianalijaona | Athletics |
| 64 | Malawi (MAW) | Malawi | Martin Matupi | Athletics |
| 65 | Malaysia (MAS) | Malaysia | Ali Bakar | Football |
| 66 | Mali (MLI) | Mali | Namakoro Niaré | Athletics |
| 67 | Malta (MLT) | Malta | Joseph Grech | Shooting |
| 68 | Morocco (MAR) | Marokko | Moustafa Belhmira | Judo |
| 69 | Mexico (MEX) | Mexiko | Felipe Muñoz | Swimming |
| 70 | Monaco (MON) | Monaco | Jean-Charles Seneca | Fencing |
| 71 | Mongolia (MGL) | Mongolei | Bazarragchaagiin Jamsran | Wrestling |
| 72 | Nepal (NEP) | Nepal | Jit Bahadur Khatri Chhetri | Athletics |
| 73 | New Zealand (NZL) | Neuseeland | Les Mills | Athletics |
| 74 | Nicaragua (NCA) | Nicaragua | Don Vélez | Athletics |
| 75 | Netherlands (NED) | Niederlande | Nico Spits | Field hockey |
| 76 | Netherlands Antilles (AHO) | Niederländische Antillen | Bèto Adriana | Shooting |
| 77 | Niger (NIG) | Niger | Issaka Dabore | Boxing |
| 78 | Nigeria (NGR) | Nigeria | Benedict Majekodunmi | Athletics |
| 79 | Norway (NOR) | Norwegen | Harald Barlie | Wrestling |
| 80 | Upper Volta (VOL) | Obervolta | André Bicaba | Athletics |
| 81 | Austria (AUT) | Österreich | Hubert Raudaschl | Sailing |
| 82 | Pakistan (PAK) | Pakistan | Mohammad Malik Arshad | Weightlifting |
| 83 | Panama (PAN) | Panama | Donaldo Arza | Boxing |
| 84 | Paraguay (PAR) | Paraguay | Arnulfo Becker | Shooting |
| 85 | Peru (PER) | Peru | Enrique Barúa | Fencing |
| 86 | Philippines (PHI) | Philippinen | Jimmy Mariano | Basketball |
| 87 | Poland (POL) | Polen | Waldemar Baszanowski | Weightlifting |
| 88 | Portugal (POR) | Portugal | Armando Aldegalega | Athletics |
| 89 | Puerto Rico (PUR) | Puerto Rico | Arnaldo Bristol | Athletics |
| 90 | Republic of China (ROC) | Republik China | Chi Cheng | Athletics |
| 91 | Romania (ROM) | Rumänien | Aurel Vernescu | Canoeing |
| 92 | Zambia (ZAM) | Sambia | Julius Luipa | Boxing |
| 93 | San Marino (SMR) | San Marino | Italo Casali | Shooting |
| 94 | Saudi Arabia (KSA) | Saudi-Arabien | Bilal Said Al-Azma | Athletics |
| 95 | Sweden (SWE) | Schweden | Jan Jönsson | Equestrian |
| 96 | Switzerland (SUI) | Schweiz | Urs von Wartburg | Athletics |
| 97 | Senegal (SEN) | Senegal | Robert N'Diaye | Wrestling |
| 98 | Singapore (SIN) | Singapur | Pat Chan | Swimming |
| 99 | Somalia (SOM) | Somalia | Mohamed Aboker | Athletics |
| 100 | Spain (ESP) | Spanien | Francisco Fernández Ochoa | Non-competitor |
| 101 | Ceylon (CEY) | Sri Lanka (Ceylon) | Lucien Rosa | Athletics |
| 102 | Sudan (SUD) | Sudan | Abdel Wahab Abdullah Salih | Boxing |
| 103 | Suriname (SUR) | Surinam | Sammy Monsels | Athletics |
| 104 | Swaziland (SWZ) | Swasiland | Richard Mabuza | Athletics |
| 105 | Syria (SYR) | Syrien | Mounzer Khatib | Shooting |
| 106 | Tanzania (TAN) | Tansania | Claver Kamanya | Athletics |
| 107 | Thailand (THA) | Thailand | Rangsit Yanothai | Shooting |
| 108 | Togo (TOG) | Togo | Roger Kangni | Athletics |
| 109 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | Trinidad und Tobago | Hasely Crawford | Athletics |
| 110 | Chad (CHA) | Tschad | Ahmed Senoussi | Athletics |
| 111 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | Tschechoslowakei | Ludvík Daněk | Athletics |
| 112 | Turkey (TUR) | Türkei | Gıyasettin Yılmaz | Wrestling |
| 113 | Tunisia (TUN) | Tunesien | Salem Boughattas | Athletics |
| 114 | Soviet Union (URS) | UdSSR | Aleksandr Medved | Wrestling |
| 115 | Uganda (UGA) | Uganda | John Akii-Bua | Athletics |
| 116 | Hungary (HUN) | Ungarn | Gergely Kulcsár | Athletics |
| 117 | Uruguay (URU) | Uruguay | Darwin Piñeyrúa | Athletics |
| 118 | United States of America (USA) | USA | Olga Fikotová | Athletics |
| 119 | Venezuela (VEN) | Venezuela | Francisco Rodríguez | Boxing |
| 120 | Vietnam (VIE) | Vietnam | Hồ Minh Thu | Archery |
| 121 | Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) | Deutschland | Detlef Lewe | Canoeing |

### Notes

* ↑ DDR – Deutsche Demokratische Republik
* ↑ DVRK – Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea
* ↑ UdSSR - Union der Sozialistischen Sowjetrepubliken
* ↑ USA (frequent acronym in German) - in full as Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika