| | Event type
Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Open
| Date | 30 August 1972 — 9:00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Schießanlage, Hochbrück, München | |
| Participants | 69 from 40 countries | |
| Format | 50 metres. 120 shots, 40 shots prone, 40 kneeling, and 40 standing. 400 possible at each distance, 1,200 posible overall. | |
The gold medal went to American John Writer, silver medalist in the event in 1968, who broke the world record with 1,166 to win easily. Writer’s victory was based on a record score of 381 in the standing phase. The silver medalist was also from the United States, Lanny Bassham, who got off to a very poor start in the prone position, but recovered well and had the highest score kneeling. Bassham would return in 1976 to win the gold medal. Bassham was disappointed by his silver medal in 1972 and began work on various methods of mind control. He would later use this as his career, teaching mental management to many clients – among them PGA Tour players, Miss America finalists, Fortune 500 companies, Secret Serviceagents, US Navy Seals, U.S. Army and Marines Marksmanship Units and the FBI.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Points | Prone Points | Kneeling Points | Standing Points | Prone | Kneeling | Standing | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | John Writer |  USA | 1,166 | 395 | 390 | 381 | 395 (NP) | 381 (NP) | 390 (NP) | Gold | ||
| 2 | – | Lanny Bassham | USA | 1,157 | 390 | 392 | 375 | 390 (NP) | 375 (NP) | 392 (NP) | Silver | ||
| 3 | – | Werner Lippoldt |  GDR | 1,153 | 393 | 388 | 372 | 393 (NP) | 372 (NP) | 388 (NP) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | – | Petr Kovářík |  TCH | 1,153 | 397 | 388 | 368 | 397 (NP) | 368 (NP) | 388 (NP) | |||
| 5 | – | Vladimir Agishev |  URS | 1,152 | 392 | 391 | 369 | 392 (NP) | 369 (NP) | 391 (NP) | |||
| 6 | – | Andrzej Sieledcow |  POL | 1,151 | 395 | 387 | 369 | 395 (NP) | 369 (NP) | 387 (NP) | |||
| 7 | – | Gottfried Kustermann |  FRG | 1,149 | 397 | 388 | 364 | 397 (NP) | 364 (NP) | 388 (NP) | |||
| 8 | – | Nicolae Rotaru |  ROU | 1,148 | 397 | 390 | 361 | 397 (NP) | 361 (NP) | 390 (NP) | |||
| 9 | – | Li Ho-Jun |  PRK | 1,147 | 396 | 384 | 367 | 396 (NP) | 367 (NP) | 384 (NP) | |||
| 10 | – | Zdravko Milutinović |  YUG | 1,144 | 396 | 382 | 366 | 396 (NP) | 366 (NP) | 382 (NP) | |||
| 11 | – | Vitaly Parkhimovich | URS | 1,144 | 396 | 384 | 364 | 396 (NP) | 364 (NP) | 384 (NP) | |||
| 12 | – | Karel Bulan | TCH | 1,144 | 395 | 382 | 367 | 395 (NP) | 367 (NP) | 382 (NP) | |||
| 13 | – | Emiliyan Vergov |  BUL | 1,143 | 393 | 388 | 362 | 393 (NP) | 362 (NP) | 388 (NP) | |||
| 14 | – | Uto Wunderlich | GDR | 1,142 | 391 | 377 | 374 | 391 (NP) | 374 (NP) | 377 (NP) | |||
| 15 | – | Erwin Vogt |  SUI | 1,141 | 398 | 383 | 360 | 398 (NP) | 360 (NP) | 383 (NP) | |||
| 16 | – | Bernd Klingner | FRG | 1,141 | 395 | 387 | 359 | 395 (NP) | 359 (NP) | 387 (NP) | |||
| 17 | – | László Hammerl |  HUN | 1,141 | 395 | 379 | 367 | 395 (NP) | 367 (NP) | 379 (NP) | |||
| 18 | – | Malcolm Cooper |  GBR | 1,141 | 394 | 383 | 364 | 394 (NP) | 364 (NP) | 383 (NP) | |||
| 19 | – | Miguel Valdés |  CUB | 1,139 | 393 | 387 | 359 | 393 (NP) | 359 (NP) | 387 (NP) | |||
| 20 | – | Petre Șandor | ROU | 1,139 | 387 | 383 | 369 | 387 (NP) | 369 (NP) | 383 (NP) | |||
| 21 | – | Giuseppe De Chirico |  ITA | 1,138 | 395 | 381 | 362 | 395 (NP) | 362 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 22 | – | Christer Jansson |  SWE | 1,138 | 395 | 378 | 365 | 395 (NP) | 365 (NP) | 378 (NP) | |||
| 23 | – | Sándor Nagy | HUN | 1,138 | 396 | 382 | 360 | 396 (NP) | 360 (NP) | 382 (NP) | |||
| 24 | – | Gilbert Emptaz |  FRA | 1,138 | 395 | 381 | 362 | 395 (NP) | 362 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 25 | – | Wolfram Waibel, Sr. |  AUT | 1,137 | 392 | 381 | 364 | 392 (NP) | 364 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 26 | – | Sven Johansson | SWE | 1,136 | 395 | 384 | 357 | 395 (NP) | 357 (NP) | 384 (NP) | |||
| 27 | – | Li Yun-Hae | PRK | 1,134 | 397 | 385 | 352 | 397 (NP) | 352 (NP) | 385 (NP) | |||
| 28 | – | Raúl Llanos | CUB | 1,134 | 393 | 382 | 359 | 393 (NP) | 359 (NP) | 382 (NP) | |||
| 29 | – | Esa Kervinen |  FIN | 1,134 | 395 | 381 | 358 | 395 (NP) | 358 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 30 | – | Henning Clausen |  DEN | 1,133 | 394 | 379 | 360 | 394 (NP) | 360 (NP) | 379 (NP) | |||
| 31 | – | Bob Churchill | GBR | 1,132 | 396 | 378 | 358 | 396 (NP) | 358 (NP) | 378 (NP) | |||
| 32 | – | Jaakko Minkkinen | FIN | 1,132 | 392 | 379 | 361 | 392 (NP) | 361 (NP) | 379 (NP) | |||
| 33 | – | Per Weichel | DEN | 1,130 | 391 | 381 | 358 | 391 (NP) | 358 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 34 | – | Stefan Vasilev | BUL | 1,130 | 397 | 379 | 354 | 397 (NP) | 354 (NP) | 379 (NP) | |||
| 35 | – | Bjørn Bakken |  NOR | 1,129 | 390 | 375 | 364 | 390 (NP) | 364 (NP) | 375 (NP) | |||
| 36 | – | Eugeniusz Pędzisz | POL | 1,128 | 393 | 381 | 354 | 393 (NP) | 354 (NP) | 381 (NP) | |||
| 37 | – | Piero Errani | ITA | 1,128 | 392 | 375 | 361 | 392 (NP) | 361 (NP) | 375 (NP) | |||
| 38 | – | Patrice de Mullenheim | FRA | 1,126 | 393 | 384 | 349 | 393 (NP) | 349 (NP) | 384 (NP) | |||
| 39 | – | Guido Loacker | AUT | 1,126 | 396 | 375 | 355 | 396 (NP) | 355 (NP) | 375 (NP) | |||
| 40 | – | Mendbayaryn Jantsankhorloo |  MGL | 1,125 | 397 | 378 | 350 | 397 (NP) | 350 (NP) | 378 (NP) | |||
| 41 | – | Minoru Ito |  JPN | 1,124 | 390 | 380 | 354 | 390 (NP) | 354 (NP) | 380 (NP) | |||
| 42 | – | Alf Mayer |  CAN | 1,123 | 394 | 382 | 347 | 394 (NP) | 347 (NP) | 382 (NP) | |||
| 43 | – | Olegario Vázquez |  MEX | 1,122 | 392 | 376 | 354 | 392 (NP) | 354 (NP) | 376 (NP) | |||
| 44 | – | Helge Anshushaug | NOR | 1,121 | 398 | 375 | 348 | 398 (NP) | 348 (NP) | 375 (NP) | |||
| 45 | – | Martin Truttmann | SUI | 1,117 | 391 | 367 | 359 | 391 (NP) | 359 (NP) | 367 (NP) | |||
| 46 | – | Henry Herscovici |  ISR | 1,114 | 394 | 375 | 345 | 394 (NP) | 345 (NP) | 375 (NP) | |||
| 47 | – | Frans Lafortune |  BEL | 1,107 | 394 | 368 | 345 | 394 (NP) | 345 (NP) | 368 (NP) | |||
| 48 | – | Jaime Callejas |  COL | 1,106 | 387 | 373 | 346 | 387 (NP) | 346 (NP) | 373 (NP) | |||
| 49 | – | Arne Sorensen | CAN | 1,105 | 391 | 372 | 342 | 391 (NP) | 342 (NP) | 372 (NP) | |||
| 50 | – | Jesús Elizondo | MEX | 1,105 | 390 | 374 | 341 | 390 (NP) | 341 (NP) | 374 (NP) | |||
| 51 | – | Wu Tao-Yan |  TPE | 1,101 | 390 | 368 | 343 | 390 (NP) | 343 (NP) | 368 (NP) | |||
| 52 | – | Jorge di Giandoménico |  ARG | 1,098 | 386 | 362 | 350 | 386 (NP) | 350 (NP) | 362 (NP) | |||
| 53 | – | Chawalit Kamutchati |  THA | 1,090 | 388 | 364 | 338 | 388 (NP) | 338 (NP) | 364 (NP) | |||
| 54 | – | Yondonjamtsyn Batsükh | MGL | 1,088 | 390 | 367 | 331 | 390 (NP) | 331 (NP) | 367 (NP) | |||
| 55 | – | Alfonso Rodríguez | COL | 1,087 | 388 | 357 | 342 | 388 (NP) | 342 (NP) | 357 (NP) | |||
| 56 | – | Hugo Chamberlain |  CRC | 1,086 | 388 | 361 | 337 | 388 (NP) | 337 (NP) | 361 (NP) | |||
| 57 | – | Preeda Phengdisth | THA | 1,079 | 387 | 363 | 329 | 387 (NP) | 329 (NP) | 363 (NP) | |||
| 58 | – | Mehmet Dursun |  TUR | 1,078 | 388 | 357 | 333 | 388 (NP) | 333 (NP) | 357 (NP) | |||
| 59 | – | Lodovico Espinosa |  PHI | 1,072 | 390 | 362 | 320 | 390 (NP) | 320 (NP) | 362 (NP) | |||
| 60 | – | Dismus Onyiego |  KEN | 1,063 | 386 | 357 | 320 | 386 (NP) | 320 (NP) | 357 (NP) | |||
| 61 | – | César Baptista |  POR | 1,057 | 393 | 359 | 305 | 393 (NP) | 305 (NP) | 359 (NP) | |||
| 62 | – | Juan Antonio Valencia |  ESA | 1,053 | 388 | 348 | 317 | 388 (NP) | 317 (NP) | 348 (NP) | |||
| 63 | – | Mário Ribeiro | POR | 1,051 | 379 | 349 | 323 | 379 (NP) | 323 (NP) | 349 (NP) | |||
| 64 | – | John Muhato | KEN | 1,040 | 386 | 344 | 310 | 386 (NP) | 310 (NP) | 344 (NP) | |||
| 65 | – | Italo Casali |  SMR | 1,026 | 374 | 347 | 305 | 374 (NP) | 305 (NP) | 347 (NP) | |||
| 66 | – | Adelbert Nico |  ISV | 1,017 | 382 | 349 | 286 | 382 (NP) | 286 (NP) | 349 (NP) | |||
| 67 | – | Francis Boisson |  MON | 1,004 | 375 | 326 | 303 | 375 (NP) | 303 (NP) | 326 (NP) | |||
| 68 | – | Libero Casali | SMR | 997 | 363 | 354 | 280 | 363 (NP) | 280 (NP) | 354 (NP) | |||
| 69 | – | Salvador Sanpere | ISV | 979 | 368 | 314 | 297 | 368 (NP) | 297 (NP) | 314 (NP) |