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| Event type

Individual Pursuit, 4,000 metres, Men

Date31 August – 1 September 1972
StatusOlympic
LocationRadstadion, Olympiapark, München
Participants28 from 28 countries

Switzerland’s Xaver Kurmann was favored. He had been bronze medalist in 1968 and was the World Champion in 1969-70. But the leading qualifying time was posted by the surprising Norwegian Knut Knudsen. Only two days before the qualifying, Knudsen had ridden with Norway’s team in the 100 km. team time trial. Knudsen was not well known but was an obvious talent. In both the quarter-final and semi-final, he overtook his opponent, finishing the semi in the fastest time of the competition, 4:45.57. In the final he met Kurmann, who led early. But Knudsen caught Kurmann at the end of the fourth lap, and pulled away to a comfortable victory, having a 6+ second margin at the end. The bronze medal went to the FRG’s Hans Lutz. Knudsen and Lutz would win the next two World Championships – Knudsen in 1973, Lutz in 1974. Knudsen turned professional and twice placed second in the event at the professional Worlds – 1975 and 1977.

PosCompetitor(s)NOC
1Knut KnudsenNORGold
2Xaver KurmannSUISilver
3Hans LutzFRGBronze
4John BylsmaAUS
=5Carlos Miguel ÁlvarezARG
=5Luciano BorgognoniITA
=5Luis DíazCOL
=5Roy SchuitenNED
9 r1/4Thomas HuschkeGDR
10 r1/4Ian HallamGBR
11 r1/4Francisco HuertaMEX
12 r1/4John Vande VeldeUSA
13 r1/4Reno OlsenDEN
14 r1/4Mieczysław NowickiPOL
15 r1/4Ivan TsvetkovBUL
16 r1/4Milan PuzrlaTCH
17 r1/4Miguel EspinósESP
18 r1/4Wilfried WesemaelBEL
19 r1/4Raimo SuikkanenFIN
20 r1/4Michel ZucarelliFRA
21 r1/4Roberto HerederoCUB
22 r1/4Ron HaymanCAN
23 r1/4Vernon StaubleTTO
24 r1/4Orlando BatesBAR
25 r1/4Khosro HaghgoshaIRI
26 r1/4Michael LeckyJAM
27 r1/4Tarek Abou Al DahabLBN
28 r1/4Maximo JuntaPHI

Qualifying Round (31 August 1972 — 15:00)

Top eight advanced to the quarter-finals.

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Knut KnudsenNOR4:49.06Q
2John BylsmaAUS4:50.06Q
3Hans LutzFRG4:51.33Q
4Luciano BorgognoniITA4:52.37Q
5Xaver KurmannSUI4:54.50Q
6Carlos Miguel ÁlvarezARG4:55.46Q
7Roy SchuitenNED4:56.10Q
8Luis DíazCOL4:56.32Q
9Thomas HuschkeGDR4:57.95
10Ian HallamGBR4:59.43
11Francisco HuertaMEX5:00.93
12John Vande VeldeUSA5:01.75
13Reno OlsenDEN5:02.00
14Mieczysław NowickiPOL5:02.28
15Ivan TsvetkovBUL5:02.39
16Milan PuzrlaTCH5:02.55
17Miguel EspinósESP5:03.26
18Wilfried WesemaelBEL5:04.67
19Raimo SuikkanenFIN5:06.77
20Michel ZucarelliFRA5:07.17
21Roberto HerederoCUB5:07.70
22Ron HaymanCAN5:17.51
23Vernon StaubleTTO5:17.87
24Orlando BatesBAR5:19.68
25Khosro HaghgoshaIRI5:22.98
26Michael LeckyJAM5:29.90
27Tarek Abou Al DahabLBN5:41.19
28Maximo JuntaPHI5:53.19

Quarter-Finals (31 August 1972 — 22:35)

Winner of each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Xaver KurmannSUI4:50.54Q
2Luciano BorgognoniITA4:52.31

Heat Two

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Hans LutzFRG4:56.17Q
2Carlos Miguel ÁlvarezARG4:57.09

Heat Three

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1John BylsmaAUS4:50.47Q
2Roy SchuitenNED4:52.16

Heat Four

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Knut KnudsenNOR4:47.43Q
DNFLuis DíazCOLovertaken

Semi-Finals (1 September 1972 — 15:00)

Winner of each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Xaver KurmannSUI4:47.04Q
2John BylsmaAUS4:47.41

Heat Two

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Knut KnudsenNOR4:45.57Q
DNFHans LutzFRGovertaken

Final Round (1 September 1972 — 21:44)

Match 1/2 (21:44)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Knut KnudsenNOR4:45.74
2Xaver KurmannSUI4:51.96

Match 3/4 (21:44)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCTime
1Hans LutzFRG4:50.80
2John BylsmaAUS4:54.93