The Japanese, masters of ski jumping
Yukio Kasaya, Akitsugu Konno and Seiji Aochi gave the Japanese public a triple in ski jumping, on the 70m jump. It was the first Japanese Olympic title in the Winter Games.
Important work
An enormous amount of work had to be done to carve out ski and bobsleigh runs in the mountainside.
Amateurism
Karl Schranz (AUT) was declared ineligible to compete because he had allowed his name and photo to be used in commercial advertising.
The hockey competitions with Canada missing
The hockey tournament took place without the Canadian team, who had not been taking part in international competitions since 1969. They did not send a team to Sapporo to protest against the covert professionalism rife in the USSR and Eastern Europe.
The First Olympic Games in Asia
These were the first Olympic Winter Games organised in Asia.
Ceremonies
Sapporo 1972. Opening Ceremony. Arrival of the Olympic Flame.
Official opening of the Games by: His Majesty Emperor Hirohito
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Hideki Takada (schoolboy)
Olympic Oath by: Keiichi Suzuki (speed skating)
Officials' Oath by: Fumio Asaki