Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics

Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner; October 28, 1949; known as Bruce Jenner until 2015) is an American media personality and former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.
Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a knee injury that required surgery. Convinced by Olympic decathlete Jack Parker's coach, L. D. Weldon, to try the decathlon, Jenner had a six-year decathlon career, culminating in winning the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, setting a third successive world record and gaining fame as "an all-American hero". Jenner established a career in television, film, writing, auto racing, business, and as a Playgirl cover model.Jenner has six children with three successive wives – Chrystie Crownover, Linda Thompson, and Kris Jenner – and from 2007 to 2021 appeared on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians with Kris, their daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as well as Kris's other children from her previous marriage, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian.
Jenner publicly came out as a trans woman in April 2015, announcing her new name in July of that year. From 2015 to 2016, she starred in the reality television series I Am Cait, which focused on her gender transition. At the time of her coming out, she had been called the most famous trans woman in the world. Jenner is a transgender rights activist, although her views on transgender issues have been criticized by many other LGBTQ+ activists.A member of the Republican Party, Jenner ran in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, finishing 13th with one percent of the vote. Six months after the election, Jenner was hired by Fox News as an on-air contributor.

James Ronald Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run. Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district.

Ian John McCafferty (born 24 November 1944) is a Scottish former long-distance runner. He won the silver medal at the 1970 Commonwealth Games 5000 metres when he recorded a time of 13:23.34.
This was one of the greatest races of all time. Reigning European 5000 metres champion Ian Stewart set a new European record and the two Scots, moved up to second and third on the world all-time list. In the race McCafferty defeated the current world record holder Ron Clarke, and Olympic 1,500 metres champion Kip Keino. McCafferty also finished sixth in the Commonwealth 1,500 metres in a time of 3:42.2.McCafferty was Scottish 5000 metres champion in 1971, and was also three times the Scottish champion in the mile run. He also won the AAA Indoor Championships on three occasions for two miles/3000 metres. He won the Junior race at the 1964 International Cross Country Championships.He represented Great Britain at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Competing over the 5000 m, he finished in 11th place with a time of 13:43.2 minutes. He was quicker in the heats, having won that race in a time of 13:38.2. McCafferty was so disappointed that he never raced again as an amateur. McCafferty was also the first Scot to break the four-minute mile.McCafferty became the third fastest British miler of all time in 1969. At the end of 1972 he was fifth on the world all-time list for 5000 metres.The U.S. magazine Track & Field News' annual world rankings ranked McCafferty fifth at 5000 metres in 1967. They ranked him third in 1970 and eighth in 1972.

Edith Noeding (born November 3, 1954, in Lobitos District) is a retired female track and field athlete from Peru, who competed in the hurdles event during her career. She won the gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games in the women's 100 metres hurdles event. There Noeding set her personal best in the women's 100 metres hurdles event on October 19, 1975, clocking 13.56 in Mexico City. She represented Peru at the 1972 Summer Olympics and 1976 Summer Olympics.

Jean-Paul Villain (born 1 November 1946) is a retired French runner. In 1971 he won the steeplechase at the European Championships and Mediterranean Games. He competed in this event at the 1968, 1972 and in 1976 Summer Olympics with the best result of ninth place in 1968.

Jacques Accambray (born 23 May 1950) is a French former track and field athlete.
A talented age group thrower, Accambray set a world junior record in men's hammer throw in 1969. During the early 1970s he studied at Kent State University in Ohio, winning NCAA championship titles in both hammer throw and weight throw. He represented France as a hammer thrower at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics, as well as at the European Championships of 1969, 1971, 1974 and 1978. From 1985 to 1996 he was President of the French American Football Federation.

Jacques "Jacky" Boxberger (16 April 1949 – 9 August 2001) was a track and field athlete from France who specialized in long-distance races.
He was the great hope of French middle-distance running, breaking the junior world record in the 1500 metres at Stade Charléty in 1968. He represented France at the 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics, placing sixth in the 1968 1500 metres and 42nd in the 1984 marathon. He also won the Paris Marathon in 1983 and 1985, the 1500 metres title at the 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the Marrakech Marathon in 1987, and French titles in the 1500 metres, 5000 metres, and 10000 metres. He suffered a knee injury during his military service with the Joinville battalion. His career was the most brilliant among male French distance runners of his era behind only that of former world mile record-holder Michel Jazy.Boxberger was part of the French team that finished third at the World Cross Country Championships in 1976.
In 2001, Boxberger was on vacation with his family in Kenya. While he was trying to film an elephant on a safari, the animal picked him up with its trunk, threw him against a tree, and trampled him to death.The middle distance runner Ophélie Claude-Boxberger is his daughter.

Franz-Josef Kemper (born 30 September 1945) is a German athlete, Olympian, and official. He achieved his greatest success as a middle-distance runner in the 1960s and 1970s.

Colette Besson (7 April 1946 – 9 August 2005) was a French athlete, the surprise winner of the 400 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.