| | Event type

Javelin Throw, Women

Date	31 August – 1 September 1972
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympiastadion, Olympiapark, München
Participants	19 from 10 countries

In 1971 Ruth Fuchs (GDR) finished third at the European Championships. On 11 June 1972, Poland’s Ewa Gryziecka broke the javelin world record with 62.70 (205-8½), only to have Fuchs surpass that on the same day with 65.06 (213-5½). Fuchs would better that record in 1973, 1974, and 1976. But already in 1972 she was a strong favorite and led the qualifying in München. The lead was taken in round one by America’s Kate Schmidt with 59.94 (196-8) which would be her best throw and would bring her a bronze medal. Fuchs took the lead in round two with 60.20 (197-6¼), which was good enough for the gold medal, but she would surpass that twice in rounds four and five. In the final round, Jacqueline Todten moved into second place with 62.54 (205-2¼).

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	127	Ruth Fuchs	GDR	60.88 (1)	63.88 (1)	Gold	OR
2	151	Jacqueline Todten	GDR	59.62 (2)	62.54 (2)	Silver
3	391	Kate Schmidt	USA	58.84 (3)	59.94 (3)	Bronze
4	37	Lyuba Mollova	BUL	56.30 (6)	59.36 (4)
5	405	Nataša Urbančič	YUG	57.02 (4)	59.06 (5)
6	16	Eva Janko	AUT	56.18 (7)	58.56 (6)
7	271	Ewa Gryziecka	POL	53.68 (11)	57.00 (7)
8	348	Svetlana Korolyova	URS	55.90 (8)	56.36 (8)
9	162	Anneliese Gerhards	FRG	55.24 (9)	55.84 (9)
10	197	Mária Kucserka	HUN	56.72 (5)	54.40 (10)
11	202	Magda Paulányi	HUN	53.62 (12)	52.36 (11)
AC r2/2	302	Ileana Zörgö	ROU	54.34 (10)	– (NM)
13 r1/2	203	Angéla Németh-Ránky	HUN	53.48 (13)	–
14 r1/2	273	Daniela Jaworska	POL	52.40 (14)	–
15 r1/2	368	Sherry Calvert	USA	51.38 (15)	–
16 r1/2	351	Nina Marakina	URS	51.06 (16)	–
17 r1/2	291	Marion Becker	ROU	50.74 (17)	–
18 r1/2	163	Amelie Koloska	FRG	48.42 (18)	–
19 r1/2	367	Roberta Brown	USA	47.88 (19)	–
DNS	58	Rosa Molina	CHI	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round (31 August 1972 — 10:30)

Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 54.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	R1	R2	R3
1	1	Ruth Fuchs	GDR	60.88	×	60.88	-	Q
2	19	Jacqueline Todten	GDR	59.62	59.62	-	-	Q
3	13	Kate Schmidt	USA	58.84	52.26	58.84	-	Q
4	16	Nataša Urbančič	YUG	57.02	57.02	-	-	Q
5	18	Mária Kucserka	HUN	56.72	56.72	-	-	Q
6	9	Lyuba Mollova	BUL	56.30	56.30	-	-	Q
7	5	Eva Janko	AUT	56.18	56.18	-	-	Q
8	20	Svetlana Korolyova	URS	55.90	55.90	-	-	Q
9	4	Anneliese Gerhards	FRG	55.24	55.24	-	-	Q
10	17	Ileana Zörgö	ROU	54.34	54.34	-	-	Q
11	6	Ewa Gryziecka	POL	53.68	53.68	×	51.56	q
12	2	Magda Paulányi	HUN	53.62	53.62	52.78	52.78	q
13	8	Angéla Németh-Ránky	HUN	53.48	53.48	×	51.40
14	11	Daniela Jaworska	POL	52.40	44.68	52.40	50.16
15	10	Sherry Calvert	USA	51.38	×	51.38	51.00
16	7	Nina Marakina	URS	51.06	51.06	41.64	×
17	14	Marion Becker	ROU	50.74	×	48.70	50.74
18	15	Amelie Koloska	FRG	48.42	48.42	×	×
19	3	Roberta Brown	USA	47.88	×	47.88	×
DNS	12	Rosa Molina	CHI	–	–	–	–

Final Round (1 September 1972 — 15:30)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6
1	2	Ruth Fuchs	GDR	63.88	57.44	60.20	50.20	61.16	63.88	59.16	OR
2	1	Jacqueline Todten	GDR	62.54	×	55.44	57.18	59.70	56.92	62.54
3	3	Kate Schmidt	USA	59.94	59.94	58.32	59.84	×	48.80	56.10
4	6	Lyuba Mollova	BUL	59.36	56.46	59.36	55.10	×	56.00	58.44
5	4	Nataša Urbančič	YUG	59.06	×	×	56.48	56.38	59.06	×
6	7	Eva Janko	AUT	58.56	×	58.50	×	×	58.56	52.06
7	9	Ewa Gryziecka	POL	57.00	44.40	47.34	57.00	55.88	54.86	×
8	11	Svetlana Korolyova	URS	56.36	56.30	55.08	×	×	56.36	×
9	12	Anneliese Gerhards	FRG	55.84	54.84	55.84	54.72	–	–	–
10	5	Mária Kucserka	HUN	54.40	×	×	54.40	–	–	–
11	10	Magda Paulányi	HUN	52.36	×	×	52.36	–	–	–
NM	8	Ileana Zörgö	ROU	–	×	×	×	–	–	–