Athletics at the 1972 München Summer Games:

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.