Disqualified: Eddie Hart, Munich 1972, and the Voices of the Most Tragic Olympics

Having previously tied the world record, Eddie Hart was a strong favorite to win the 100-meter dash at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. Then the inexplicable happened: he was disqualified after arriving seconds late for a quarterfinal heat. Ten years of training to become the “World’s Fastest Human,” the title attached to an Olympic 100-meter champion, was lost in a heartbeat. But who was to blame?

Hart’s disappointment, though excruciating, was just one of many subplots to the most tra...