1972 winter games

the 1972 winter games were held in Sapporo Japan and were held from February 3 - 13.  35 nations went to these games.  highlights include:  1. Japan wins its first ever gold in the winter Olympics AND swept the ski jumping 70m (current K-90 normal hill).  Yukio Kasaya (gold), Akitsugu Konno (silver) and Seiji Aochi (bronze) were on the podium.  2.  Anne Henning (a gold in the 500m and bronze in the 1000m) and Dianne Holum (gold in the 1500m and silver in the 3000m) of the U.S. won half of the U.S. medals and had the best showing in speed skating to date.  3.  a gold medal winner wore wooden skis for the last time in cross country skiing.  since then they have used mostly fibreglass synthetics. 4.  luge has its only tie in the winter Olympics in the mens doubles.  5. Wojciech Fortuna won Poland's first winter games gold in ski jumping.  6.  all 9 of the Netherlands medals came in speed skating (4g 3s, 2b).  it would be another 26 years before they repeat that performance.  Canada won one medal - a silver - at these games.  tomorrow - the 1976 games.  here is the logo for these games.