This is: Olympics 1972 - Sapporo
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Olympics 1972 - Sapporo, Japan
No. of countries: 35
No. of athletes: 1006 (800 m + 206 w)
No. of events: 35 in 8 sports
First winter games in Asia and finally in Sapporo, 32 years after the
cancelled 1940 games. The Soviet Union won 8 gold, with East Germany up and
coming on second place in the medal league. In these days, the amateurism vs.
professionalism debate was the hot topic, and only days before the games the
IOC president American Avery Brundage disqualified Austrian alpine skier
Karl Schranz. The reason was a picture of the Austrian gold favorite playing a
recreational soccer game in a jersey with an coffee advertisement on it.
Dutch Ard Schenk won three individual gold medals in speed skating.
More to come.