Basketball · 1972 · Munich, West Germany
Three Seconds, Three Times
A 63-game US Olympic winning streak ends after officials replay the final three seconds of the gold medal game until the result changes.
USSR 51-50 USA
Result
63 games
US winning streak ended
3 times
Final seconds replayed
The United States had not lost an Olympic basketball game since the sport's introduction in 1936, a streak of 63 straight wins, when they met the Soviet Union in the 1972 Munich final. A point down, the American guard Doug Collins made two free throws with three seconds left to put the USA 50-49 ahead, which looked like the gold medal.
Then it came apart. The Soviets inbounded and the clock ran out, but officials ruled that a timeout had been called just before the ball was played and put one second back. That attempt failed too. At which point FIBA's secretary general intervened from the stands and ordered the full three seconds restored, on no clear rule basis anyone has identified since. On the third attempt, Aleksandr Belov caught a full-court pass and scored the winning basket as time expired.
The US team protested formally, lost, and refused to accept their silver medals, a refusal several surviving players have maintained for decades. The medals are still held in a vault in Switzerland, unclaimed.
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