OLYMPIC GAMES: Anniversary of the Munich Massacre

This week is also the 46th anniversary of the worst day in the history of the modern Olympic Movement, when Palestinian terrorists kidnapped, abducted and then murdered 11 members of the Israeli delegation at the Munich Games on 5 September.

Many athletes felt that the remainder of the Games – the incident took place on the 11th day of the Games – should be canceled, but during a 10 a.m. memorial service held on the 6th, International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage (USA) said:

“We have only the strength of a great ideal. I am sure the public will agree that we cannot allow a handful of terrorists to destroy this nucleus of international cooperation and goodwill we have in the Olympic movement.

“The Games must go on and we must continue our efforts to keep them clear, pure and honest and try to extend sportsmanship of the athletic field to other areas.

“We declare today a day of mourning and will continue all the events one day later than scheduled.”

The competition resumed later on that day, beginning at 4:30 p.m., the same time that events were stopped the day before when the hostage-taking became known.