Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres
The women's 100 metres sprint event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 1 & 2.Heats
Top five in each heat and the next two fastest advanced to quarterfinal round.| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Silvia Chivás | | 3 | 11.18 | WJR |
| 2 | Annegret Richter | | 7 | 11.30 | - |
| 3 | Wilma van Gool | | 4 | 11.43 | - |
| 4 | Andrea Lynch | | 1 | 11.52 | - |
| 5 | Mattiline Render | | 5 | 11.60 | - |
| 6 | Juana Mosquera | | 8 | 11.64 | - |
| 7 | Marion Hoffman | | 6 | 11.68 | - |
| 8 | Missie Misomali | | 2 | 12.78 | - |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Esther Shakhamorov | | 7 | 11.45 |
| 2 | Ivanka Valkova | | 1 | 11.49 |
| 3 | Eva Glesková | | 5 | 11.50 |
| 4 | Evelin Kaufer | | 8 | 11.59 |
| 5 | Galina Bukharina | | 3 | 11.69 |
| 6 | Beatrice Lungu | | 4 | 12.42 |
| 7 | Fatima El-Faquir | | 2 | 12.56 |
| 8 | Russel Carrero | | 6 | 13.45 |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Iris Davis | | 3 | 11.34 |
| 2 | Alice Anum | | 5 | 11.54 |
| 3 | Anita Neil | | 8 | 11.55 |
| 4 | Cecilia Molinari | | 1 | 11.61 |
| 5 | Pam Kilborn | | 4 | 11.73 |
| 6 | Linda Haglund | | 2 | 11.97 |
| 7 | Freida Nicholls-Davy | | 7 | 12.16 |
| 8 | Irene Fitzner | | 6 | 12.51 |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 5 | 11.31 |
| 2 | Rosie Allwood | | 4 | 11.46 |
| 3 | Barbara Ferrell | | 3 | 11.47 |
| 4 | Hannah Afriyie | | 1 | 11.90 |
| 5 | Laura Nappi | | 6 | 12.02 |
| 6 | Carolina Rieuwpassa | | 7 | 12.23 |
| 7 | Amelita Alanes | | 2 | 12.37 |
| 8 | Meas Kheng | | 8 | 12.72 |
Heat 5
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Raelene Boyle | | 7 | 11.37 |
| 2 | Carmen Valdés | | 1 | 11.53 |
| 3 | Ingrid Becker | | 3 | 11.55 |
| 4 | Lyudmila Zharkova | | 8 | 11.56 |
| 5 | Ellen Strophal | | 4 | 11.63 |
| 6 | Tuula Rautanen | | 6 | 11.89 |
| 7 | Emilie Edet | | 2 | 12.06 |
| 8 | Mireille Joseph | | 5 | 13.84 |
Heat 6
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Elfgard Schittenhelm | | 1 | 11.32 |
| 2 | Irena Szewińska | | 8 | 11.33 |
| 3 | Sylviane Telliez | | 6 | 11.36 |
| 4 | Sonia Lannaman | | 4 | 11.45 |
| 5 | Brenda Matthews | | 2 | 11.77 |
| 6 | María Luisa Vilca | | 5 | 11.85 |
| 7 | Claudette Powell | | 3 | 12.01 |
| - | Nadezhda Bezfamilnaya | | 7 | DNS |
Quarterfinals
Top four in each heat advanced to semifinal round.Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Silvia Chivás | | 3 | 11.22 |
| 2 | Raelene Boyle | | 7 | 11.30 |
| 3 | Barbara Ferrell | | 5 | 11.38 |
| 4 | Esther Shakhamorov | | 6 | 11.46 |
| 5 | Ellen Strophal | | 8 | 11.48 |
| 6 | Anita Neil | | 2 | 11.58 |
| 7 | Cecilia Molinari | | 1 | 11.63 |
| 8 | Brenda Matthews | | 4 | 11.87 |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 5 | 11.27 |
| 2 | Irena Szewińska | | 6 | 11.49 |
| T3 | Ingrid Becker | | 4 | 11.52 |
| T3 | Rosie Allwood | | 8 | 11.52 |
| 5 | Sonia Lannaman | | 7 | 11.72 |
| 6 | Pam Kilborn | | 1 | 11.85 |
| 7 | Hannah Afriyie | | 2 | 12.04 |
| 8 | Laura Nappi | | 3 | 12.13 |
Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Annegret Richter | | 8 | 11.33 |
| 2 | Eva Glesková | | 7 | 11.43 |
| 3 | Alice Anum | | 5 | 11.45 |
| 4 | Andrea Lynch | | 3 | 11.57 |
| 5 | Sylviane Telliez | | 6 | 11.64 |
| 6 | Mattiline Render | | 2 | 11.67 |
| 7 | Marion Hoffman | | 4 | 11.78 |
| 8 | Galina Bukharina | | 1 | 11.81 |
Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Iris Davis | | 1 | 11.27 |
| 2 | Elfgard Schittenhelm | | 8 | 11.42 |
| 3 | Carmen Valdés | | 6 | 11.46 |
| 4 | Lyudmila Zharkova | | 4 | 11.46 |
| 5 | Wilma van Gool | | 7 | 11.47 |
| 6 | Ivanka Valkova | | 5 | 11.48 |
| 7 | Evelin Kaufer | | 3 | 11.55 |
| 8 | Juana Mosquera | | 2 | 11.66 |
Semifinals
Top four in each heat advanced to the final round.Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Renate Stecher | | 2 | 11.18 |
| 2 | Iris Davis | | 3 | 11.36 |
| 3 | Eva Glesková | | 1 | 11.43 |
| 4 | Alice Anum | | 4 | 11.47 |
| 5 | Elfgard Schittenhelm | | 6 | 11.49 |
| 6 | Carmen Valdés | | 8 | 11.52 |
| 7 | Ingrid Becker | | 7 | 11.53 |
| 8 | Rosie Allwood | | 5 | 11.58 |
Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Lane | Time |
| 1 | Raelene Boyle | | 8 | 11.32 |
| 2 | Silvia Chivás | | 6 | 11.33 |
| 3 | Annegret Richter | | 7 | 11.39 |
| 4 | Barbara Ferrell | | 4 | 11.49 |
| 5 | Esther Shakhamorov | | 1 | 11.49 |
| 6 | Irena Szewińska | | 2 | 11.54 |
| 7 | Andrea Lynch | | 5 | 11.64 |
| 8 | Lyudmila Zharkova | | 3 | 11.67 |
Final
Key: WR = world record; DNS = did not start; T = Tie
