1972 Summer Paralympics

IV Paralympic Games

German stamp: XXI. Weltspiele der Gelähmten Heidelberg 1972 (The image and color on the stamp is identical to the 1972 emblem)
Host city	Heidelberg, West Germany
Nations participating	41
Athletes participating	1004
Events	187 in 10 sports
Opening ceremony	August 2
Closing ceremony	August 11
Officially opened by	President Gustav Heinemann
Paralympic stadium	Thingspiele
Summer:
<  Tel Aviv 1968 Toronto 1976  >
Winter:
Örnsköldsvik 1976  >

The 1972 Summer Paralympics (German: Paralympische Sommerspiele 1972), the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.

As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only. However, demonstration events such as goalball and a 100 m sprint for the visually impaired allowed visually impaired competitors to participate for the first time.

The top ten listed NOCs by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation, West Germany, is highlighted.

Forty-two delegations took part in the Heidelberg Paralympics.

South Africa was competing at the Paralympics for the third time. Although banned from the Olympic Games due to its policy of apartheid, it was not banned from the Paralympics until 1980, and West Germany, as host country, did not object to its participation.

Rhodesia competed for the last time. Its invitation to take part in the 1972 Summer Olympics was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, in response to African countries' protests against the Rhodesian government. But as the Paralympics that year were held before the Olympics (and independently from them), Rhodesia was able to take part in the 1972 Paralympic Games.