| | Event type
110 metres Hurdles, Men
| Date | 3 – 7 September 1972 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Olympiastadion, Olympiapark, München |
| Participants | 39 from 27 countries |
The heavy favorite entering the 1972 season was Rod Milburn, who had been undefeated in 1971 and had broken the world record for the 120 yard hurdles, winning the AAU title in 13.0. By the time of the US Olympic Trials, he had won 27 consecutive finals, but in that final, he hit two hurdles early in the race, and barely made the US team. At the Olympics, however, he re-established his superiority, winning the gold medal comfortably with an auto-timed world record of 13.24 over Guy Drut of France, who would later become a member of the IOC. Defending champion Willie Davenport was in the medal race thru eight hurdles but closed poorly and finished fourth.
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1000 | Rod Milburn |  USA | 13.57 (1 h3) | 13.44 (1 h2) | 13.24 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 244 | Guy Drut |  FRA | 13.78 (1 h5) | 13.49 (2 h1) | 13.34 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 990 | Tom Hill | USA | 13.62 (1 h2) | 13.47 (1 h1) | 13.48 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 980 | Willie Davenport | USA | 13.97 (2 h1) | 13.73 (3 h2) | 13.50 (4) | |||
| 5 | 347 | Frank Siebeck |  GDR | 13.83 (1 h1) | 13.58 (2 h2) | 13.71 (5) | |||
| 6 | 748 | Leszek Wodzyński |  POL | 14.03 (3 h1) | 13.81 (3 h1) | 13.72 (6) | |||
| 7 | 881 | Lubomír Nádeníček |  TCH | 13.93 (2 h3) | 13.89 (4 h2) | 13.76 (7) | |||
| 8 | 869 | Petr Čech | TCH | 14.04 (3 h5) | 13.82 (4 h1) | 13.86 (8) | |||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | 526 | Sergio Liani |  ITA | 13.95 (2 h5) | 13.90 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 5 h2 r2/3 | 721 | Marek Jóźwik | POL | 14.06 (2 h4) | 14.06 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | 95 | Rich McDonald |  CAN | 14.36 (3 h3) | 14.22 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | 386 | Günther Nickel |  FRG | 13.95 (3 h2) | 14.23 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r2/3 | 305 | Berwyn Price |  GBR | 13.94 (2 h2) | 14.37 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h2 r2/3 | 302 | Alan Pascoe | GBR | 14.08 (3 h4) | 14.24 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 8 h1 r2/3 | 749 | Mirosław Wodzyński | POL | 14.02 (4 h2) | 14.63 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 8 h2 r2/3 | 499 | Marco Acerbi | ITA | 13.99 (1 h4) | 14.45 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | 357 | Eckart Berkes | FRG | 14.14 (4 h1) | – | – | |||
| 4 h3 r1/3 | 50 | Danny Smith |  BAH | 14.46 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 4 h4 r1/3 | 798 | Abdoulaye Sarr |  SEN | 14.12 (4 h4) | – | – | |||
| 4 h5 r1/3 | 549 | Godfrey Murray |  JAM | 14.16 (4 h5) | – | – | |||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | 659 | Adeola Aboyade-Cole |  NGR | 14.16 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 5 h2 r1/3 | 947 | Viktor Myasnikov |  URS | 14.13 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | 157 | Jesper Tørring |  DEN | 14.50 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 5 h4 r1/3 | 400 | Manfred Schumann | FRG | 14.13 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 5 h5 r1/3 | 462 | Loránd Milassin |  HUN | 14.21 (5 h5) | – | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | 762 | Arnaldo Bristol |  PUR | 14.61 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/3 | 844 | Bo Forssander |  SWE | 14.56 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 6 h3 r1/3 | 25 | Mal Baird |  AUS | 14.55 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 6 h4 r1/3 | 830 | Beat Pfister |  SUI | 14.33 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 6 h5 r1/3 | 319 | Dave Wilson | GBR | 14.31 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/3 | 615 | Ishtiaq Mubarak |  MAS | 14.78 (7 h1) | – | – | |||
| 7 h2 r1/3 | 755 | Alberto Matos |  POR | 14.74 (7 h2) | – | – | |||
| 7 h3 r1/3 | 121 | Simbara Maki |  CIV | 14.59 (7 h3) | – | – | |||
| 7 h4 r1/3 | 811 | Moreldin Mohamed Hamdi |  SUD | 15.80 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 7 h5 r1/3 | 100 | Tony Nelson | CAN | 14.73 (7 h5) | – | – | |||
| 8 h1 r1/3 | 700 | Muhammad Ahmed Bashir |  PAK | 15.38 (8 h1) | – | – | |||
| 8 h2 r1/3 | 772 | Lee Chung-Ping |  TPE | 14.98 (8 h2) | – | – | |||
| AC h3 r1/3 | 507 | Giuseppe Buttari | ITA | – (DQ h3) | – | – | |||
| AC h4 r1/3 | 135 | Alejandro Casañas |  CUB | – (DNF h4) | – | – |
Round One (3 September 1972 — 10:00)
Top three in each heat and next fastest advanced to the semi-finals.
Heat One
| Wind | 0.2 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Frank Siebeck | GDR | 13.83 | |||
| 2 | 7 | Willie Davenport | USA | 13.97 | |||
| 3 | 4 | Leszek Wodzyński | POL | 14.03 | |||
| 4 | 5 | Eckart Berkes | FRG | 14.14 | |||
| 5 | 8 | Adeola Aboyade-Cole | NGR | 14.16 | |||
| 6 | 1 | Arnaldo Bristol | PUR | 14.61 | |||
| 7 | 6 | Ishtiaq Mubarak | MAS | 14.78 | |||
| 8 | 2 | Muhammad Ahmed Bashir | PAK | 15.38 |
Heat Two
| Wind | -1.6 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Tom Hill | USA | 13.62 | |||
| 2 | 5 | Berwyn Price | GBR | 13.94 | |||
| 3 | 1 | Günther Nickel | FRG | 13.95 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Mirosław Wodzyński | POL | 14.02 | |||
| 5 | 7 | Viktor Myasnikov | URS | 14.13 | |||
| 6 | 8 | Bo Forssander | SWE | 14.56 | |||
| 7 | 3 | Alberto Matos | POR | 14.74 | |||
| 8 | 6 | Lee Chung-Ping | TPE | 14.98 |
Heat Three
| Wind | -0.7 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Rod Milburn | USA | 13.57 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Lubomír Nádeníček | TCH | 13.93 | |||
| 3 | 8 | Rich McDonald | CAN | 14.36 | |||
| 4 | 7 | Danny Smith | BAH | 14.46 | |||
| 5 | 1 | Jesper Tørring | DEN | 14.50 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Mal Baird | AUS | 14.55 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Simbara Maki | CIV | 14.59 | |||
| 6 | Giuseppe Buttari | ITA | – |
Heat Four
| Wind | 0.4 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Marco Acerbi | ITA | 13.99 | |||
| 2 | 6 | Marek Jóźwik | POL | 14.06 | |||
| 3 | 3 | Alan Pascoe | GBR | 14.08 | |||
| 4 | 1 | Abdoulaye Sarr | SEN | 14.12 | |||
| 5 | 4 | Manfred Schumann | FRG | 14.13 | |||
| 6 | 8 | Beat Pfister | SUI | 14.33 | |||
| 7 | 7 | Moreldin Mohamed Hamdi | SUD | 15.80 | |||
| 2 | Alejandro Casañas | CUB | – |
Heat Five
| Wind | 0.7 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Guy Drut | FRA | 13.78 | |||
| 2 | 7 | Sergio Liani | ITA | 13.95 | |||
| 3 | 4 | Petr Čech | TCH | 14.04 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Godfrey Murray | JAM | 14.16 | |||
| 5 | 6 | Loránd Milassin | HUN | 14.21 | |||
| 6 | 1 | Dave Wilson | GBR | 14.31 | |||
| 7 | 3 | Tony Nelson | CAN | 14.73 |
Semi-Finals (4 September 1972 — 15:00)
Top four in each heat advanced to the final.
Heat One
| Wind | 1.2 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Tom Hill | USA | 13.47 | |||
| 2 | 5 | Guy Drut | FRA | 13.49 | |||
| 3 | 6 | Leszek Wodzyński | POL | 13.81 | |||
| 4 | 8 | Petr Čech | TCH | 13.82 | |||
| 5 | 4 | Sergio Liani | ITA | 13.90 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Rich McDonald | CAN | 14.22 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Berwyn Price | GBR | 14.37 | |||
| 8 | 1 | Mirosław Wodzyński | POL | 14.63 |
Heat Two
| Wind | 0.0 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Rod Milburn | USA | 13.44 | |||
| 2 | 4 | Frank Siebeck | GDR | 13.58 | |||
| 3 | 1 | Willie Davenport | USA | 13.73 | |||
| 4 | 6 | Lubomír Nádeníček | TCH | 13.89 | |||
| 5 | 8 | Marek Jóźwik | POL | 14.06 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Günther Nickel | FRG | 14.23 | |||
| 7 | 3 | Alan Pascoe | GBR | 14.24 | |||
| 8 | 2 | Marco Acerbi | ITA | 14.45 |
Final (7 September 1972 — 15:00)
| Wind | 0.3 m/s |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Rod Milburn | USA | 13.24 | |||
| 2 | 8 | Guy Drut | FRA | 13.34 | |||
| 3 | 7 | Tom Hill | USA | 13.48 | |||
| 4 | 1 | Willie Davenport | USA | 13.50 | |||
| 5 | 6 | Frank Siebeck | GDR | 13.71 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Leszek Wodzyński | POL | 13.72 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Lubomír Nádeníček | TCH | 13.76 | |||
| 8 | 4 | Petr Čech | TCH | 13.86 |