100 metres Hurdles, Women

Had the Olympics been in 1970, the favorite would likely have been Taiwan’s Cheng Chi, 1968 bronze medalist, who set numerous records in that year in the hurdles and 100 yards/metres. But the Olympics were in 1972 and Chi was injured frequently after her wonder year, and she did not compete in München. Pam Kilborn and Karin Balzer were back again and would make their third consecutive final in this event. Balzer had recently won the 1971 Europeans and Kilborn the 1970 Commonwealth Games, defeating 1968 champion Maureen Caird in the process. Caird competed in München but did not get out of round one. The final was won very easily by the GDR’s Annelie Ehrhardt, who had been runner-up to Balzer at the 1971 Europeans. She won 2½ metres over Romania’s Valeria Bufanu with Balzer getting the bronze. Ehrhardt’s time of 12.59 was a world record which would not be broken until 1978.