The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad and officially branded as Mexico 1968, were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Olympic Games to be staged in Latin America and the first to be staged in a Spanish-speaking country, as well as meaning for the first time, that there would be a gap of two Olympic Games not to be held in Europe. They were also the first Games to use an all-weather (smooth) track for track and field events instead of the traditional cinder track, as well as the first example of the Olympics exclusively using electronic timekeeping equipment.
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad and commonly known as Rome 1960, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awarded the administration of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, the city had no choice but to decline and pass the honour to London. The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals at the 1960 Games.
Zachary Zorn is an American former competition swimmer for the University of California Los Angeles and a 1968 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. An exceptional freestyle sprinter, he was a member of three world record setting 4x100-meter freestyle relay teams.
The diving competitions at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City featured four events . It was one of three aquatic sports at the Games, along with swimming, and water polo.
Caitlin Leverenz Smith is an American competition swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and medley events. She won the bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Catharine Ball Condon, née Catharine Northcutt Ball, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in three events. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team. Ball is a former world record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events, and is remembered as a teenage star who was the dominant female breaststroke swimmer of her generation.
Cynthia "Cindy" Ann Potter is an American former Olympic diver and diving color commentator. She was a member of three Olympic diving teams, winning a bronze medal in the 3 m springboard in 1976.
Charles Buchanan Hickcox was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in six events.
Maxine Joyce "Micki" King is an American former competitive diver and diving coach. She was a gold medal winner at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the three meter springboard event.
Jane Louise Barkman, also known by her married name Jane Brown, is an American former swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
Bernard Charles Wrightson is a former Olympic and Pan American Games gold medalist for the United States. The Denver, Colorado, native was primarily a three-meter springboard diver, but he also won a national AAU championship on the ten-meter platform. Between 1964 and 1968, Bernie Wrightson captured a total of eight USA Open titles in the sport of diving. He represented US at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal in Springboard Diving.
Allison Rodgers Schmitt is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. She is a four-time Olympian and a ten-time Olympic medalist.
Janet Ely is a former American female diver for the University of Michigan and Southern Methodist University and was a diving competitor in the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics. Under coach Dick Kimball, she trained in swimming and diving at the YMCA Tennis Club, then attended and swam for the University of Michigan and Southern Methodist University.
Barbara Ellen Talmage is an American diver. She won a gold medal in springboard diving at the 1963 Pan American Games in São Paulo and competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen was an American diver. She competed in the 3 m springboard at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and won a silver and a bronze medal, respectively. During her career Olsen won 12 AAU diving titles, starting from 1945 as a 14-year-old. In 1949 she married the football and baseball player Jackie Jensen, and divorced him in 1968.
Sharon Evans Finneran, also known by her married name Sharon Rittenhouse, is an American former Hall of Fame competitive swimmer, and was a 1964 Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter individual medley, having set a world record in the event in 1962. She also set world records in the 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter breaststroke, making her the first woman to hold world records in three events.
Michael Hixon is an American diver. He is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won the silver medal with Sam Dorman in the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the silver medal with Andrew Capobianco at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the same event.
David "Dave" Charles Johnson is an American former competition swimmer and 1968 Mexico City Olympic competitor. He later graduated Yale Medical School and became an orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine.
Hali Flickinger is a retired American swimmer who specializes in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley events. She represents the Cali Condors of the International Swimming League.
Delaney Schnell is an American diver. In the 10 meter platform, she won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. In the 10 meter synchronized platform, she won silver medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 World Aquatics Championships as well as a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games. In the 10 meter mixed synchronized platform, she won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. She competes collegiately for the University of Arizona.
