The 1972 Summer Paralympics medal table ranks National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) by the number of gold medals won by their athletes during the 1972 Summer Paralympics, held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to August 11, 1972.
Ranking Method
The ranking follows the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) convention: nations are ordered first by the number of gold medals, then by silver, then by bronze. If nations are tied, they are listed alphabetically by IPC country code.
Top of the Table (Top 10 Nations)
Based on official historical data from the IPC:
| Rank | Nation (NPC) | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Germany (FRG) | 28 | 17 | 22 | 67 |
| 2 | South Africa (RSA) | 16 | 12 | 13 | 41 |
| 3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 16 | 15 | 21 | 52 |
| 4 | United States (USA) | 17 | 27 | 22 | 66 |
| 5 | France (FRA) | 10 | 5 | 8 | 23 |
| 6 | Netherlands (NED) | 9 | 13 | 7 | 29 |
| 7 | Poland (POL) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 |
| 8 | Israel (ISR) | 9 | 10 | 8 | 27 |
| 9 | Australia (AUS) | 6 | 9 | 10 | 25 |
| 10 | Austria (AUT) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
Note: The host nation, West Germany, topped the medal table. A total of 42 nations won at least one medal.
Context
- Games: These were the 4th Summer Paralympic Games (officially the XXI World Games for the Paralysed).
- Participants: Approximately 984 athletes from 43 countries competed.
- Sports: Events were held in 10 sports: Archery, Athletics, Dartchery, Goalball, Lawn Bowls, Snooker, Swimming, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, and Wheelchair Basketball.
- Data Source: Official results are archived by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
