Czechoslovakia competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.

Czechoslovakia won a silver medal at the second Olympic handball tournament.

Czechoslovakia won the tie-breaker over the Iceland team, which had also defeated Tunisia and lost to East Germany, and advanced to the second round.

There, wins over Sweden and the Soviet Union put Czechoslovakia in another standings tie, this time in first place with East Germany.

Again, the tie-breaker went to Czechoslovakia, giving the team the opportunity to play Yugoslavia, the winner of the other group, in the gold medal game.