One. Two. Three. That’s as long as it took to sear the souls of a dozen young American men, thanks to the craziest, most controversial finish in the history of the Olympics—the 1972 gold-medal basketball contest between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world’s two superpowers at the time. The U.S. team, whose unbeaten Olympic streak dated back to when Adolf Hitler reigned over the Berlin Games, believed it had won the gold medal that September in Munich—not once, but twice. But it was the third time the final seconds were played that counted. What happened? The head of international basketball—flouting rules he himself had created—trotted onto the court and demanded twice that time be put back on the clock. A referee allowed an illegal substitution and an illegal free-throw shooter for the Soviets while calling a slew of late fouls on the U.S. players. The American players became the only Olympic athletes in the history of the games to refuse their medals. Of course, the 1972 Olympics are remembered primarily for a far graver matter, when eleven Israeli team members were killed by Palestinian terrorists, stunning the world and temporarily stopping the games. One American player, Tommy Burleson, had a gun to his head as the hostages were marched past him before their deaths. Through interviews with many of the American players and others, the author relates the horror of terrorism, the pain of losing the most controversial championship game in sports history to a hated rival, and the consequences of the players’ decision to shun their Olympic medals to this day.

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s, this compelling book provides the first comprehensive history of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, notorious for the abduction of Israeli Olympians by Palestinian terrorists and the hostages’ tragic deaths after a botched rescue mission by the German police. Drawing on a wealth of newly available sources from the time, eminent historian David Clay Large explores the 1972 festival in all its ramifications. He interweaves the political drama surrounding the Games with the athletic spectacle in the arena of play, itself hardly free of controversy. Writing with flair and an eye for telling detail, Large brings to life the stories of the indelible characters who epitomized the Games. Key figures range from the city itself, the visionaries who brought the Games to Munich against all odds, and of course to the athletes themselves, obscure and famous alike. With the Olympic movement in constant danger of terrorist disruption, and with the fortieth anniversary of the 1972 tragedy upon us in 2012, the Munich story is more timely than ever.

Provides an account of the terrorist attacks against Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympic games, profiling some of the individuals involved and exploring the political and historical reasons for the acts.

Why have the Olympic Games always been a geopolitical event in their own right? How did the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, Moscow in 1980 and Barcelona in 1992 reflect international tensions, despite the Olympics' political neutrality? In2024, what are the stakes for France in the Paris Olympics, against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian and Russian-Ukrainian conflicts? Why have new powers such as China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia made the organization of the Games an objective of their influence strategy? In his fourth book, Kévin Veyssière invites sports fans, geography buffs and the curious to explore the history of our world through the Olympic Games. From Athens in 1896 to Paris in 2024, he unveils the most striking geopolitical backdrops to a theater of 206 nations, where sporting performances and power games come together.

Swimming is primarily an individual endeavor, yet certain accomplishments, even by some of the most illustrious names in the sport, can only be fully appreciated when considered alongside the contributions of their teammates. After all, Michael Phelps would never have earned a record eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics were it not for his teammates’ world record-setting efforts in the 400 freestyle relay. In Pooling Talent: Swimming’s Greatest Teams, Matthew De George highlights the top relay teams, squads, and programs in the history of competitive swimming. Each chapter describes in detail the history surrounding the team, the crucial races, and the key swimmers. Part I examines relay teams—such as the 1976 U.S. Women’s 400 Freestyle, the 2000 Australian Men’s Freestyle, and the 2004 U.S. Men’s Medley—showcasing how four opponents in the individual events can mesh seamlessly into a team. Part II explores the national squads, spanning from the 1924 U.S. Olympians to the 2001 World’s Australians, revealing the interplay between team and individual success. In Part III, the top developmental programs around the world are featured, including the 1930 Japanese Men’s program and the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Together, the relay teams, squads, and programs provide constant motivation, pushing individuals to achieve much more than they ever could in isolation. Extensively researched and rich in detail, Pooling Talent takes a novel look at swimming accomplishments old and new, casting the accolades of individuals in a fresh light. Fans, coaches, athletes, and researchers alike will find this a unique and refreshing history of swimming’s greatest teams.

Beginning with prehumans running down prey, this book describes how ancient, medieval and modern runners have come to run ever faster. Writers of antiquity left few detailed accounts of running but in the early 1800s detailed accounts of running feats and matches appeared in newspapers, journals and books. Nineteenth century pioneers like George Seward, Harry Hutchens, Walter George and Bernie Wefers are here given long-deserved recognition. The six-day Go-as-You-Please races of the 1870s and 1880s--featuring running's first great female performer, Amy Howard--are discussed. Twentieth century luminaries Helen Stephens, Jesse Owens, Paavo Nurmi, Emil Zatopek, Bob Hayes, Abebe Bikila and Joan Benoit-Samuelson are included, along with the Bunion Derby races of 1928-1929. New material for this revised and expanded second edition includes coverage of the 1970s running boom, women marathon pioneers, the impact of drugs on running, and the feats of 21st century runners such as Usain Bolt, Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie.

Every four years, the Olympics are celebrated with a flood of congratulatory coverage. In all the books, articles and documentaries extolling the beauty and purity of the Olympic Ideal, only cursory notice is given to the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) and its little known President, Juan Antonio Samaranch. "Dishonored Games" explodes the carefully cultivated image and idealistic hype behind the I.O.C. and its self-perpetuating leadership. The book reveals influence peddling, lavish gifts and bribes, and abuse of power in the Olympic movement.

Exam Board: OCR Level: A-level Subject: PE First Teaching: September 2016 First Exam: June 2017 Inspire, motivate and give confidence to your students with OCR PE for A Level Book 1. This reliable and accessible textbook will offer your students comprehensive support for both the academic and practical elements of the course. We are working in collaboration with OCR to produce this Student's Book - Key questions to direct thinking and help students focus on the key points - Diagrams to aid understanding - Summaries to aid revision and help students access the main points - Extension questions, stimulus material and suggestions for further reading to stretch, challenge and encourage independent thinking and a deeper understanding - Definition of key terms - again to aid and consolidate understanding of technical vocabulary and concepts - Activities to build conceptual understanding and sound knowledge and understanding, analysis, evaluation and application skills