| 1972 | ||||
| Män | ||||
| 100 Meter | 1 | Valeriy Borzov | URS | 10,14 |
| 2 | Robert Taylor | USA | 10,24 | |
| 3 | Lennox Miller | JAM | 10,33 | |
| 4 | Aleksandr Kornelyuk | URS | 10,36 | |
| 5 | Michael Fray | JAM | 10,40 | |
| 6 | Jobst Hirscht | FRG | 10,40 | |
| 7 | Zenon Nowosz | POL | 10,46 | |
| Hasely Crawford | TRI | DNF | ||
| 200 Meter | 1 | Valeriy Borzov | URS | 20,00 |
| 2 | Larry Black | USA | 20,19 | |
| 3 | Pietro Mennea | ITA | 20,30 | |
| 4 | Lawrence Burton | USA | 20,37 | |
| 5 | Chuck Smith | USA | 20,55 | |
| 6 | Siegfried Schenke | GDR | 20,56 | |
| 7 | Martin Jellinghaus | FRG | 20,65 | |
| 8 | Hans-Joachim Zenk | GDR | 21,05 | |
| 400 Meter | 1 | Vincent Matthews | USA | 44,66 |
| 2 | Wayne Collett | USA | 44,80 | |
| 3 | Julius Sang | KEN | 44,92 | |
| 4 | Charles Asati | KEN | 45,13 | |
| 5 | Horst-Rudiger Schlöske | FRG | 45,31 | |
| 6 | Markku Kukkoaho | FIN | 45,49 | |
| 7 | Karl Honz | FRG | 45,68 | |
| John Smith | USA | DNF | ||
| 800 Meter | 1 | David Wottle | USA | 1,45,9 |
| 2 | Yevgeniy Arzhanov | URS | 1,45,9 | |
| 3 | Mike Boit | KEN | 1,46,0 | |
| 4 | Franz-Josef Kemper | FRG | 1,46,5 | |
| 5 | Robert Ouko | KEN | 1,46,5 | |
| 6 | Andrew Carter | GBR | 1,46,6 | |
| 7 | Andrzej Kupczyk | POL | 1,47,1 | |
| 8 | Dieter Fromm | GDR | 1,48,0 | |
| 1500 Meter | 1 | Pekka Vasala | FIN | 3,36,3 |
| 2 | Kipchoge Keino | KEN | 3,36,8 | |
| 3 | Rod Dixon | NZL | 3,37,5 | |
| 4 | Mike Boit | KEN | 3,38,4 | |
| 5 | Brendan Foster | GBR | 3,39,0 | |
| 6 | Herman Mignon | BEL | 3,39,1 | |
| 7 | Paul-Heinz Wellmann | FRG | 3,40,1 | |
| 8 | Vladimir Panteley | URS | 3,40,2 | |
| 5000 Meter | 1 | Lasse Virén | FIN | 13,26,4 |
| 2 | Mohamed Gammoudi | TUN | 13,27,4 | |
| 3 | Ian Stewart | GBR | 13,27,6 | |
| 4 | Steve Prefontaine | USA | 13,28,4 | |
| 5 | Emiel Puttemans | BEL | 13,30,8 | |
| 6 | Harald Norpoth | FRG | 13,32,6 | |
| 7 | Per Halle | NOR | 13,34,4 | |
| 8 | Nikolay Sviridov | URS | 13,39,4 | |
| 10000 M | 1 | Lasse Virén | FIN | 27,38,4 |
| 2 | Emiel Puttemans | BEL | 27,39,6 | |
| 3 | Miruts Yifter | ETH | 27,41,0 | |
| 4 | Mariano Haro | ESP | 27,48,2 | |
| 5 | Frank Shorter | USA | 27,51,4 | |
| 6 | David Bedford | GBR | 28,05,4 | |
| 7 | Daniel Korica | YUG | 28,15,2 | |
| 8 | Abdelkader Zaddem | TUN | 28,18,2 | |
| Marathon | 1 | Frank Shorter | USA | 2,12,19 |
| 2 | Karel Lismont | BEL | 2,14,31 | |
| 3 | Mamo Wolde | ETH | 2,15,08 | |
| 4 | Kenneth Moore | USA | 2,15,39 | |
| 5 | Kenji Kimihara | JPN | 2,16,27 | |
| 6 | Ron Hill | GBR | 2,16,30 | |
| 7 | Don MacGregor | GBR | 2,16,34 | |
| 8 | John Foster | NZL | 2,16,56 | |
| 4x100 M | 1 | United States | 38,19 | |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 38,50 | ||
| 3 | Federal Republic of Germany | 38,79 | ||
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | 38,82 | ||
| 5 | German Democratic Republic | 38,90 | ||
| 6 | Poland | 39,03 | ||
| 7 | France | 39,14 | ||
| 8 | Italy | 39,14 | ||
| 4x400 M | 1 | Kenya | 2,59,8 | |
| 2 | Great Britain | 3,00,5 | ||
| 3 | France | 3,00,7 | ||
| 4 | Federal Republic of Germany | 3,00,9 | ||
| 5 | Poland | 3,01,1 | ||
| 6 | Finland | 3,01,1 | ||
| 7 | Sweden | 3,02,6 | ||
| 8 | Trinidad | 3,03,6 | ||
| Hinder | 1 | Kipchoge Keino | KEN | 8,23,6 |
| 2 | Benjamin Jipcho | KEN | 8,24,6 | |
| 3 | Tapio Kantanen | FIN | 8,24,8 | |
| 4 | Bronislaw Malinowski | AUS | 8,28,0 | |
| 5 | Dusan Moravcik | TCH | 8,29,2 | |
| 6 | Amos Biwott | KEN | 8,33,6 | |
| 7 | Romualdas Bite | URS | 8,34,6 | |
| 8 | Pekka Päivärinta | FIN | 8,37,2 | |
| 110m Häck | 1 | Rod Milburn | USA | 13,24 |
| 2 | Guy Drut | FRA | 13,34 | |
| 3 | Thomas Hill | USA | 13,48 | |
| 4 | Willie Davenport | USA | 13,50 | |
| 5 | Frank Siebeck | GDR | 13,71 | |
| 6 | Leszek Wodzynski | POL | 13,72 | |
| 7 | Lubomir Nadenicek | TCH | 13,76 | |
| 8 | Petr Cech | TCH | 13,86 | |
| 400m Häck | 1 | John Akii-Bua | UGA | 47,82 |
| 2 | Ralph Mann | USA | 48,51 | |
| 3 | David Hemery | GBR | 48,52 | |
| 4 | James Seymour | USA | 48,64 | |
| 5 | Rainer Schubert | FRG | 49,65 | |
| 6 | Yevgeniy Gavrilenko | URS | 49,66 | |
| Stavros Tziortzis | GRE | 49,66 | ||
| 8 | Yuriy Zorin | URS | 50,25 | |
| Höjd | 1 | Yuriy Tarmak | URS | 2,23 |
| 2 | Stefan Junge | GDR | 2,21 | |
| 3 | Dwight Stones | USA | 2,21 | |
| 4 | Hermann Magerl | FRG | 2,18 | |
| 5 | Adam Szepesi | HUN | 2,18 | |
| 6 | Istvan Major | HUN | 2,15 | |
| John Beers | CAN | 2,15 | ||
| 8 | Rustam Akhmetov | URS | 2,15 | |
| Stav | 1 | Wolfgang Nordwig | GDR | 5,50 |
| 2 | Bob Seagren | USA | 5,40 | |
| 3 | Jan Johnson | USA | 5,35 | |
| 4 | Reinhard Kuretzky | FRG | 5,30 | |
| 5 | Bruce Simpson | CAN | 5,20 | |
| 6 | Volker Ohl | FRG | 5,20 | |
| 7 | Hans Lagerqvist | SWE | 5,20 | |
| 8 | Francois Tracanelli | FRA | 5,10 | |
| Längd | 1 | Randy Williams | USA | 8,24 |
| 2 | Hans Baumgartner | FRG | 8,18 | |
| 3 | Arnie Robinson | USA | 8,03 | |
| 4 | Joshua Owusu | GHA | 8,01 | |
| 5 | Preston Carrington | USA | 7,99 | |
| 6 | Max Klauss | GDR | 7,96 | |
| 7 | Alan Lerwill | GBR | 7,91 | |
| 8 | Leonid Barkovskiy | URS | 7,75 | |
| Tresteg | 1 | Viktor Saneyev | URS | 17,35 |
| 2 | Jörg Drehmel | GDR | 17,31 | |
| 3 | Nelson Prudencio | BRA | 17,05 | |
| 4 | Carol Corbu | ROM | 16,85 | |
| 5 | John Craft | USA | 16,83 | |
| 6 | Mansour Dia | SEN | 16,83 | |
| 7 | Michal Joachimowski | POL | 16,69 | |
| 8 | Kristen Fløgstad | NOR | 16,44 | |
| Kula | 1 | Wladyslaw Komar | POL | 21,18 |
| 2 | George Woods | USA | 21,17 | |
| 3 | Hartmut Briesenick | GDR | 21,14 | |
| 4 | Hans-Peter Gies | GDR | 21,14 | |
| 5 | Al Feuerbach | USA | 21,01 | |
| 6 | Brian Oldfield | USA | 20,91 | |
| 7 | Heinfried Birlenbach | FRG | 20,37 | |
| 8 | Vilmos Varju | HUN | 20,10 | |
| Diskus | 1 | Ludvig Danek | TCH | 64,40 |
| 2 | Jay Silvester | USA | 63,50 | |
| 3 | Rickard Bruch | SWE | 63,40 | |
| 4 | John Powell | USA | 62,82 | |
| 5 | Geza Fejer | HUN | 62,62 | |
| 6 | Detlef Thorith | GDR | 62,42 | |
| 7 | Ferenc Tégla | HUN | 60,60 | |
| 8 | Tim Vollmer | USA | 60,24 | |
| Slägga | 1 | Anatoliy Bondarchuk | URS | 75,50 |
| 2 | Jochen Sachse | GDR | 74,96 | |
| 3 | Vasiliy Khmelevskiy | URS | 74,04 | |
| 4 | Uwe Beyer | FRG | 71,52 | |
| 5 | Gyula Zsivótzky | HUN | 71,38 | |
| 6 | Sándor Eckschmidt | HUN | 71,20 | |
| 7 | Edwin Klein | FRG | 71,14 | |
| 8 | Shigenobu Murofushi | JPN | 70,88 | |
| Spjut | 1 | Klaus Wolfermann | FRG | 90,48 |
| 2 | Jänis Lusis | URS | 90,46 | |
| 3 | William Schmidt | USA | 84,42 | |
| 4 | Hannu Siitonen | FIN | 84,32 | |
| 5 | Björn Grimnes | NOR | 83,08 | |
| 6 | Jorma Kinnunen | FIN | 82,08 | |
| 7 | Miklos Németh | HUN | 81,98 | |
| 8 | Fredrick Luke | USA | 80,06 | |
| Tiokamp | 1 | Nikolay Avilov | URS | 8454 |
| 2 | Leonid Litvinenko | URS | 8035 | |
| 3 | Ryszard Katus | POL | 7984 | |
| 4 | Jefferson Bennett | USA | 7974 | |
| 5 | Stefan Schreyer | GDR | 7950 | |
| 6 | Freddy Herbrandt | BEL | 7947 | |
| 7 | Steen Smidt-Jensen | DEN | 7947 | |
| 8 | Tadeusz Janczenko | POL | 7861 | |
| Kvinnor | ||||
| 100 Meter | 1 | Renate Stecher | GDR | 11,07 |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle | AUS | 11,23 | |
| 3 | Silvia Chivas | CUB | 11,24 | |
| 4 | Iris Davis | USA | 11,32 | |
| 5 | Annegret Richter | FRG | 11,38 | |
| 6 | Alice Annum | CHA | 11,41 | |
| 7 | Barbara Ferrell | USA | 11,45 | |
| 8 | Eva Glesková | TCH | 12,48 | |
| 200 Meter | 1 | Renate Stecher | GDR | 22,40 |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle | AUS | 22,45 | |
| 3 | Irena Szewinska | POL | 22,74 | |
| 4 | Ellen Stropahl | GDR | 22,75 | |
| 5 | Annegret Kroniger | FRG | 22,89 | |
| Christina Heinich | GDR | 22,89 | ||
| 7 | Alice Annum | GHA | 22,99 | |
| 8 | Rosie Allwood | JAM | 23,11 | |
| 400 Meter | 1 | Monika Zehrt | GDR | 51,08 |
| 2 | Rita Wilden | FRG | 51,21 | |
| 3 | Kathy Hammond | USA | 51,64 | |
| 4 | Helga Seidler | GDR | 51,86 | |
| 5 | Mable Ferguson | USA | 51,96 | |
| 6 | Charlene Rendina | AUS | 51,99 | |
| 7 | Dagmar Käsling | GDR | 52,19 | |
| 8 | Györgyi Balogh | HUN | 52,39 | |
| 800 Meter | 1 | Hildegard Falck | FRG | 1,58,6 |
| 2 | Nijole Sabaité | URS | 1,58,7 | |
| 3 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 1,59,2 | |
| 4 | Svetla Zlateva | BUL | 1,59,7 | |
| 5 | Vera Nikolic | YUG | 2,00,0 | |
| 6 | Ilena Silai | ROM | 2,00,0 | |
| 7 | Rosemary Stirling | GBR | 2,00,2 | |
| 8 | Abigail Hoffman | CAN | 2,00,2 | |
| 1500 Meter | 1 | Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4,01,4 |
| 2 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | FRG | 4,02,8 | |
| 3 | Paola Cacchi | ITA | 4,02,9 | |
| 4 | Karin Burneleit | GDR | 4,04,1 | |
| 5 | Sheila Carey | GBR | 4,04,8 | |
| 6 | Ilja Keizer | NED | 4,05,1 | |
| 7 | Tamara Pangelova | URS | 4,06,5 | |
| 8 | Jennifer Orr | AUS | 4,12,2 | |
| 4x100 M | 1 | Federal Republic of Germany | 42,81 | |
| 2 | German Democratic Republic | 42,95 | ||
| 3 | Cuba | 43,36 | ||
| 4 | United States | 43,39 | ||
| 5 | Soviet Union | 43,59 | ||
| 6 | Australia | 43,61 | ||
| 7 | Great Britain | 43,71 | ||
| 8 | Poland | 44,20 | ||
| 4x400 M | 1 | German Democratic Republic | 3,23,0 | |
| 2 | United States | 3,25,2 | ||
| 3 | Federal Republic of Germany | 3,26,5 | ||
| 4 | France | 3,27,5 | ||
| 5 | Great Britain | 3,28,7 | ||
| 6 | Australia | 3,28,8 | ||
| 7 | Finland | 3,29,4 | ||
| 8 | Soviet Union | 3,31,9 | ||
| 100m Häck | 1 | Anneliese Ehrhardt | GDR | 12,59 |
| 2 | Valeria Bufanu | ROM | 12,84 | |
| 3 | Karin Balzer | GDR | 12,90 | |
| 4 | Pamela Ryan | AUS | 12,98 | |
| 5 | Teresa Nowak | POL | 13,17 | |
| 6 | Danuta Straszynska | POL | 13,18 | |
| 7 | Annerose Krumpholz | GDR | 13,27 | |
| 8 | Grazyna Rabsztyn | POL | 13,44 | |
| Höjd | 1 | Ulrike Meyfarth | FRG | 1,92 |
| 2 | Yordanka Blagoeve | BUL | 1,88 | |
| 3 | Ilona Gusenbauer | AUT | 1,88 | |
| 4 | Barbara Inkpen | GBR | 1,85 | |
| 5 | Rita Schmidt | GDR | 1,85 | |
| 6 | Sara Simeoni | ITA | 1,85 | |
| 7 | Rosemarie Witschas | GDR | 1,85 | |
| 8 | Debbie Brill | CAN | 1,82 | |
| Längd | 1 | Heide Rosendahl | FRG | 6,78 |
| 2 | Diana Yorgova | BUL | 6,77 | |
| 3 | Eva Suranova | TCH | 6,67 | |
| 4 | Marcia Garbey | CUB | 6,52 | |
| 5 | Heidi Schuller | FRG | 6,51 | |
| 6 | Meta Antenen | SUI | 6,49 | |
| 7 | Viorica Viscopoleanu | ROM | 6,48 | |
| 8 | Margrit Olfert | GDR | 6,46 | |
| Kula | 1 | Nadezhda Chizhova | URS | 21,03 |
| 2 | Margitta Gummel | GDR | 20,22 | |
| 3 | Ivanka Khristova | BUL | 19,35 | |
| 4 | Esfir Dolzhenko | URS | 19,24 | |
| 5 | Marianne Adam | GDR | 18,94 | |
| 6 | Maritta Lange | GDR | 18,85 | |
| 7 | Helena Fibingerová | TCH | 18,81 | |
| 8 | Elena Stoyanova | BUL | 18,34 | |
| Diskus | 1 | Faina Melnik | URS | 66,62 |
| 2 | Argentina Menis | ROM | 65,06 | |
| 3 | Vasilka Stoeva | BUL | 64,34 | |
| 4 | Tamara Danilova | URS | 62,86 | |
| 5 | Liesel Westermann | FRG | 62,18 | |
| 6 | Gabriele Hinzmann | GDR | 61,72 | |
| 7 | Carmen Ionescu | ROM | 60,42 | |
| 8 | Lyudmila Muravyeva | URS | 59,00 | |
| Spjut | 1 | Ruth Fuchs | GDR | 63,88 |
| 2 | Jaqueline Todten | GDR | 62,54 | |
| 3 | Kathy Schmidt | USA | 59,94 | |
| 4 | Lutvian Mollova | BUL | 59,36 | |
| 5 | Natasa Urbancic | YUG | 59,06 | |
| 6 | Eva Janko | AUT | 58,56 | |
| 7 | Ewa Gryziecka | POL | 57,00 | |
| 8 | Svetlana Korolyeva | URS | 56,36 | |
| Femkamp | 1 | Mary Peters | GBR | 4801 |
| 2 | Heide Rosendahl | FRG | 4791 | |
| 3 | Burglinde Pollak | GDR | 4768 | |
| 4 | Christine Bodner | GDR | 4671 | |
| 5 | Valentina Tikhomirova | URS | 4597 | |
| 6 | Nedyalka Angelova | BUL | 4496 | |
| 7 | Karen Mack | FRG | 4449 | |
| 8 | Ilona Bruzsenyak | HUN | 4419 | |