Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's shot put

{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = Women's shot put

|games = 1972 Summer

|image =

|caption =

|venue = Olympic Stadium

|dates = September 4 & 7, 1972

|competitors = 18

|nations = 11

|win_value = 21.03 {{WR|athletics}}

|win_label = Winning distance

|longnames = yes

|gold = Nadezhda Chizhova

|goldNOC = URS

|silver = Margitta Gummel

|silverNOC = GDR

|bronze = Ivanka Khristova

|bronzeNOC = BUL

|prev=1968

|next=1976

}}

{{AthleticsAt1972SummerOlympics}}

The women's shot put field event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 4 & 7. Nadezhda Chizhova was very disappointed with her bronze medal finish in 1968 Olympics. She has won the (1966, 1969 and the 1971) European Athletics Championships. Since 1968 she has broken the world record six times. The only threat for the gold medal came from Margitta Gummel the defending Olympic Champion.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/womens-shot-put.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417175359/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1972/ATH/womens-shot-put.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Athletics at the 1972 Munich Summer Games: Women's Shot Put |access-date=7 January 2018 |work=sports-reference.com}}