Cycling at the 1972 München Summer Games:

The defending champion, [Daniel Morelon] (FRA), was an overwhelming favorite. He had been World Champion in 1969-71 and had won the most important invitational, the Grand Prix de Paris, in 1970 and 1971. The field was enormous with 51 starters from 29 nations, and it took six separate rounds and repêchages just to sort out the quarter-finalists. From the quarter-finals onwards, all matches were best two of three races. Morelon took part in nine races and won them all, facing minimal challenges en route to the gold medal. In the semi-finals he took out the Netherlands’ [Klaas Balk]. But the other semi saw an upset as the 1975 World Champion, [Omar Pkhakadze] (URS/GEO), lost in two straight races to Australian, [John Nicholson], who had been runner-up at the 1975 Grand Prix de Paris. For Morelon it was his third straight medal in the event and he would return in 1976 to win a fourth, placing second that year. He also added two more World Championships in 1973 and 1975.