Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's discus throw
The women's discus throw field event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 9 & September 10. Armenia Soviet Faina Melnik was the strong favorite to win the gold. She has broken the world record five times since 1971 as well as being the European Champion in the same year. But twice in 1972 she had been beaten by Romanian Argentina Menis. Menis took the lead in round one breaking the Olympic record throw of. In the start of the fourth round Menis lead with Melnik in fifth. Menis then improved here distance to. Melnike threw next and overtook Menis with a throw of which held on to win the gold. Thirteen days later, Menis broke Melnik’s world record with a throw of.Results
All throwers reaching and the top 12 including ties, advanced to the finals. All qualifiers are shown in blue. All distances are listed in metres.Qualifying
Final
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Mark | 1st throw | 2nd throw | 3rd throw | 4th throw | 5th throw | 6th throw |
| Faina Melnik | | 66.62
OR | 60.56 | 61.32 | 57.96 | 66.62
OR | 62.76 | x |
| Argentina Menis | | 65.06 | 64.28
OR | 59.82 | 60.88 | 65.06
OR | 63.78 | 64.90 |
| Vasilka Stoeva | | 64.34 | 61.08 | x | 64.20 | 62.24 | 64.34 | 62.10 |
| 4 | Tamara Danilova | | 62.86 | 62.64
OR | 58.14 | 62.86 | 61.14 | x | x |
| 5 | Liesel Westermann | | 62.18 | x | 57.04 | 62.18 | 61.66 | x | x |
| 6 | Gabriele Hinzmann | | 61.72 | 57.52 | 59.14 | 60.12 | 61.08 | 61.72 | 60.22 |
| 7 | Carmen Ionescu | | 60.42 | 57.78 | 58.76 | 57.06 | 59.08 | x | 60.42 |
| 8 | Lyudmila Muravyova | | 59.00 | 57.52 | 57.92 | 59.00 | x | 58.86 | 57.20 |
| 9 | Lia Manoliu | | 58.50 | 58.18 | 58.50 | x | - | - | - |
| 10 | Svetla Bozhkova | | 56.72 | 56.50 | 56.72 | x | - | - | - |
| 11 | Brigitte Berendonk | | 56.58 | 55.60 | x | 56.58 | - | - | - |
| 12 | Rosemary Payne | | 56.50 | 56.50 | x | 52.26 | - | - | - |
Key: OR = Olympic record; p = pass; x = fault; NM = no mark
