Article updated: 7/27/2012 6:32 AM

40 years of pain worth a minute of Olympic silence

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Israeli Ilana Romano, widow of an Israeli Olympian killed by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics, talks to the media during a news conference ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 25, 2012, in London. Relatives of the victims are calling on spectators to stage a silent protest during the opening of the London games, but the International Olympic Committee says the opening ceremony is not an appropriate arena to remember the dead, despite pressure from politicians in the United States, Israel and Germany.

Associated Press

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A minute of silence carved out of a three-hour opening ceremony is not too much to ask. It works out to little more than five seconds for each victim. Besides, the widows and families of the Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Games have been waiting for 40 years. “They came with dreams and came home in coffins,” said Anke Spitzer, whose husband, Andrei, was a fencer.

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