Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics

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Athletics
at the Games of the XIX Olympiad
Athletics, Mexico 1968.png
Venue Estadio Olímpico Universitario
No. of events36
Competitors1,031 from 93 nations
  1964
1972  

At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 12 for women. There were a total number of 1031 participating athletes from 93 countries. [1] [2]

These games were notable for a number of Olympic firsts and numerous world records. These included:

This was the first Olympics to use an all-weather track surface now used in every major international athletics competition.

Medal summary

Men

GamesGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Jim Hines
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
9.95 WR Lennox Miller
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
10.04 Charles Greene
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
10.07
200 metres
details
Tommie Smith
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
19.83 WR Peter Norman
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
20.06 NR John Carlos
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
20.10
400 metres
details
Lee Evans
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
43.86 WR Larry James
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
43.97 Ron Freeman
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
44.41
800 metres
details
Ralph Doubell
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:44.40 WR Wilson Kiprugut
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
1:44.57 Tom Farrell
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
1:45.46
1500 metres
details
Kipchoge Keino
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
3:34.91 OR Jim Ryun
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
3:37.89 Bodo Tümmler
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
3:39.08
5000 metres
details
Mohammed Gammoudi
Flag of Tunisia (1959-1999).svg  Tunisia
14:05.01 Kipchoge Keino
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
14:05.16 Naftali Temu
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
14:06.41
10,000 metres
details
Naftali Temu
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
29:27.40 Mamo Wolde
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
29:27.75 Mohammed Gammoudi
Flag of Tunisia (1959-1999).svg  Tunisia
29:34.2
110 metres hurdles
details
Willie Davenport
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
13.33 OR Ervin Hall
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
13.42 Eddy Ottoz
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
13.46
400 metres hurdles
details
David Hemery
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
48.12 WR Gerhard Hennige
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
49.02 John Sherwood
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
49.03
3000 metres steeplechase
details
Amos Biwott
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
8:51.02 Benjamin Kogo
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
8:51.56 George Young
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
8:51.86
4 × 100 metres relay
details
Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Charles Greene
Mel Pender
Ronnie Ray Smith
Jim Hines
38.24 WR Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg  Cuba  (CUB)
Hermes Ramírez
Juan Morales
Pablo Montes
Enrique Figuerola
38.40Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)
Gérard Fenouil
Jocelyn Delecour
Claude Piquemal
Roger Bambuck
38.43
4 × 400 metres relay
details
Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Vincent Matthews
Ron Freeman
Larry James
Lee Evans
2:56.16 WR Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)
Daniel Rudisha
Munyoro Nyamau
Naftali Bon
Charles Asati
2:59.64Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany  (FRG)
Helmar Müller
Manfred Kinder
Gerhard Hennige
Martin Jellinghaus
3:00.57
Marathon
details
Mamo Wolde
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
2:20:27 Kenji Kimihara
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:23:31 Mike Ryan
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2:23:45
20 kilometres walk
details
Volodymyr Holubnychy
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1:33:58 José Pedraza
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
1:34:00 Nikolay Smaga
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1:34:03
50 kilometres walk
details
Christoph Höhne
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
4:20:14 Antal Kiss
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
4:30:17 Larry Young
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
4:31:55
High jump
details
Dick Fosbury
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2.24 m OR Ed Caruthers
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2.22 m Valentin Gavrilov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
2.20 m
Pole vault
details
Bob Seagren
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
5.40 m OR Claus Schiprowski
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
5.40 m Wolfgang Nordwig
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
5.40 m
Long jump
details
Bob Beamon
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
8.90 m WR Klaus Beer
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
8.19 m Ralph Boston
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
8.16 m
Triple jump
details
Viktor Saneyev
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
17.39 m WR Nelson Prudêncio
Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  Brazil
17.27 m Giuseppe Gentile
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
17.22 m
Shot put
details
Randy Matson
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
20.54 m OR George Woods
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
20.12 m Eduard Gushchin
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
20.09 m
Discus throw
details
Al Oerter
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
64.78 m OR Lothar Milde
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
63.08 m Ludvík Daněk
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
62.92 m
Hammer throw
details
Gyula Zsivótzky
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
73.36 m OR Romuald Klim
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
73.28 m Lázár Lovász
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
69.78 m
Javelin throw
details
Jānis Lūsis
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
90.10 m OR Jorma Kinnunen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
88.58 m Gergely Kulcsár
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
87.06 m
Decathlon
details
Bill Toomey
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
8193 OR Hans-Joachim Walde
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
8111 Kurt Bendlin
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
8064

Women

GamesGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Wyomia Tyus
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
11.08 WR Barbara Ferrell
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
11.15 Irena Szewińska
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland
11.19
200 metres
details
Irena Szewińska
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland
22.58 WR Raelene Boyle
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
22.74 Jenny Lamy
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
22.88
400 metres
details
Colette Besson
Flag of France.svg  France
52.03 Lillian Board
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
52.12 Natalya Pechonkina
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
52.25
800 metres
details
Madeline Manning
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:00.92 OR Ileana Silai
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
2:02.58 Mia Gommers
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
2:02.63
80 metres hurdles
details
Maureen Caird
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
10.39 OR Pam Kilborn
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
10.46 Chi Cheng
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan
10.51
4 × 100 metres relay
details
Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Margaret Bailes
Barbara Ferrell
Mildrette Netter
Wyomia Tyus
42.88 WR Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg  Cuba  (CUB)
Violetta Quesada
Miguelina Cobián
Marlene Elejarde
Fulgencia Romay
43.36Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)
Galina Bukharina
Lyudmila Samotyosova
Vera Popkova
Lyudmila Zharkova
43.41
High jump
details
Miloslava Rezková
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
1.82 m Antonina Okorokova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1.80 m Valentina Kozyr
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1.80 m
Long jump
details
Viorica Viscopoleanu
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
6.82 m WR Sheila Sherwood
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
6.68 m Tatyana Talysheva
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
6.66 m
Shot put
details
Margitta Gummel
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
19.61 m WR Marita Lange
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany
18.78 m Nadezhda Chizhova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
18.19 m
Discus throw
details
Lia Manoliu
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
58.28 m OR Liesel Westermann
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
57.76 m Jolán Kleiber-Kontsek
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
54.90 m
Javelin throw
details
Angéla Németh
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
60.36 m Mihaela Peneș
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
59.92 m Eva Janko
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
58.04 m
Pentathlon
details
Ingrid Becker
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany
5098 Liese Prokop
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
4966 Annamária Tóth
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
4959

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)156728
2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)3418
3Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)32813
4Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)2316
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany  (GDR)2316
6Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania  (ROU)2204
7Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary  (HUN)2147
8Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany  (FRG)1438
9Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain  (GBR)1214
10Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)1102
11Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH)1012
Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)1012
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland  (POL)1012
Flag of Tunisia (1959-1999).svg  Tunisia  (TUN)1012
15Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg  Cuba  (CUB)0202
16Flag of Austria.svg  Austria  (AUT)0112
17Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  Brazil  (BRA)0101
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland  (FIN)0101
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica  (JAM)0101
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan  (JPN)0101
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico  (MEX)0101
22Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)0022
23Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)0011
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand  (NZL)0011
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan  (ROC)0011
Totals (25 entries)363636108

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References

  1. Sports Reference
  2. IOC. "Mexico City 1968 Athletics - Olympic Results by Discipline". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  3. Sports Reference Sports Reference