Historic offering of three winner’s medals that were awarded to legendary American swimmer Steve Genter at the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics, consisting of his gold medal in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, his silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle, and his bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle.
The gold (gilt silver) medal weighs 160 gm (without chain) or 211 gm (with chain), the silver medal weighs 152 gm (without chain) or 203 gm (with chain), and the bronze medal weighs 130 gm (without chain) or 176 gm (with chain); each medal measures 85 mm. The Munich 1972 winner’s medals were designed by Gerhard Marcks and share the same design to both sides: the front is inscribed, “XX. Olympiade Munchen 1972,” and depicts the 'Seated Victory' with the Colosseum in the background; and the reverse portrays the mythological twins Castor and Pollux, the patrons of competitive sport and friendship, with the artist's monogram below. This was the first winner's medal since 1928 to feature a new design on the reverse, replacing the traditional depiction of a victorious athlete carried by a jubilant crowd. The top edge of each medal is engraved “Genter, Steven,” with the name of the event: “Schwimmen 4 x 200 m Freistil Herren” (gold), “Schwimmen 200 m Freistil Herren” (silver), and “Schwimmen 400 m Freistil Herren” (bronze). The medals, which each retain their original chain, bear slight instances of marks or discoloration, most noticeable to the bronze reverse. The winning bidder will be granted a one-on-one phone call with Steve Genter.
The Munich massacre. Mark Spitz’s gold medal glory. The controversial ending of the men’s basketball final. These and several other storylines dominated the headlines of the historic 1972 Summer Olympics. It’s perhaps no wonder then that the inspiring tale of American swimmer Steve Genter didn’t receive an outpouring of publicity. At least, not immediately.
A 6-foot 4-inch undergraduate from UCLA, Genter entered the Olympics as a podium favorite and as the chief competitor to teammate Mark Spitz. He also entered Munich with a nagging cough, a lingering effect from bronchitis developed during the Olympic trials. A week before his first scheduled event, the 200-meter freestyle, Genter complained of a ‘gushy’ feeling in his chest. Concerned, he visited a Munich hospital. The news was not good: he had a collapsed lung.
Doctors inserted a chest tube to release the trapped air, with Genter himself assisting in the process by squeezing rubber inflation balls for five days and nights. Determined to compete, Genter refused any pain medication, fearful that it might contain a controlled substance. By the fifth day, his lung had inflated back to normal and, with the consent of coaches and doctors, Genter was permitted to swim.
On August 29th, a day after being released from the hospital, Genter hit the water for the finals of his 200 freestyle event. His plan to build from the first 100 meters was working, he was leading the pack, Spitz was in his wake. Then, at the 135-meter mark, everything changed. Pain pierced through Genter’s chest. His stitches had ruptured. Seconds later he blacked out. But Genter didn’t stop swimming. With no feeling in his extremities, he doggedly pushed forward, finishing second with a miraculous last-ditch effort. Two days later, a recovered Genter split a 1.52.48 on the 4 x 200-meter relay, a blistering time that would have won the gold medal in the 200 freestyle event and set a world record.
Genter’s bronze medal is just as impressive, albeit for very different reasons. On September 1st, Genter placed third in the 400-meter freestyle, with 16-year-old teammate Rick DeMont taking gold and Australian Brad Cooper taking silver. However, Genter was later officially declared as the second-place finisher after the IOC stripped DeMont of his gold medal; Team USA doctors errantly allowed DeMont to use his asthma medication (Marax) that contained the banned substance ephedrine. When the IOC gave Genter the ultimatum of returning his bronze and accepting the silver, or facing a lifetime ban from Olympic competition, Genter chose the latter in support of his American friend and teammate. An exemplary complete winner’s medal set that embodies the Olympic odyssey of Steve Genter, whose elite displays of athleticism, courage, and sportsmanship define precisely what it means to be a champion.
Genter’s incredible Olympic story was showcased in ‘Conviction,’ the premiere episode of John MacLeod’s award-winning documentary series Beyond Bronze, Silver and Gold.
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