Cycling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's track time trial

Last updated

Contents

Men's track time trial
at the Games of the XIX Olympiad
VenueOlympic Velodrome, Mexico City
Date17 October 1968
Competitors32 from 32 nations
Winning time1:03.91 WR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Pierre Trentin
Flag of France.svg  France
Silver medal icon.svg Niels Fredborg
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Bronze medal icon.svg Janusz Kierzkowski
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland
  1964
1972  

The men's track time trial at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, was held on 17 October 1968. There were 32 participants from 32 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. [1] The event was won by Pierre Trentin of France, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial since 1948 and third overall (breaking a tie with Italy and Australia for most-ever in the event). In a sport where competitors rarely competed at more than one Games, Trentin was only the second man to win multiple medals in the track time trial. Niels Fredborg's silver medal was Denmark's first medal in the event since Willy Hansen's win in 1928; Fredborg would go on to be the only man to win three medals in the event. Poland earned its first ever medal in the time trial with Janusz Kierzkowski's bronze. Italy's four-Games medal streak in the event ended as Gianni Sartori took fourth.

Background

This was the 10th appearance of the event, which had previously been held in 1896 and every Games since 1928. It would be held every Games until being dropped from the programme after 2004. The returning cyclists from the 1964 Games were bronze medalist Pierre Trentin of France, eighth-place finisher Roger Gibbon of Trinidad and Tobago, and thirteenth-place finisher José Mercado of Mexico. The two-time reigning world champion, and favorite in this race, was Niels Fredborg of Denmark. Gianni Sartori, the amateur world record holder, and Trentin were also significant contenders. [2]

Barbados, Lebanon, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and South Korea each made their debut in the men's track time trial; East and West Germany competed separately for the first time. France and Great Britain each made their 10th appearance, having competed at every appearance of the event.

Competition format

The event was a time trial on the track, with each cyclist competing separately to attempt to achieve the fastest time. Each cyclist raced one kilometre from a standing start. [2] [3]

Records

The following were the world and Olympic records prior to the competition.

World recordFlag of Italy.svg  Gianni Sartori  (ITA)1:04.61 Mexico City, Mexico 21 October 1967
Olympic recordFlag of Italy.svg  Sante Gaiardoni  (ITA)1:07.27 Rome, Italy 26 August 1960

The track was fast, and at altitude, and 17 of the 32 cyclists beat the old Olympic record. The first one to do so was Gianni Sartori (the world record holder), who set a time of 1:04.65. He was immediately followed by Niels Fredborg, who matched Sartori's world record of 1:04.61. That Olympic mark held until rider #24, Pierre Trentin, who broke the world record at 1:03.91.

Schedule

All times are Central Standard Time (UTC-6)

DateTimeRound
Thursday, 17 October 196814:00Final

Results

RankCyclistNation200 m400 m600 m800 mTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Pierre Trentin Flag of France.svg  France 16.0027.8039.8052.001:03.91 WR
Silver medal icon.svg Niels Fredborg Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 16.8028.5040.2052.701:04.61
Bronze medal icon.svg Janusz Kierzkowski Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland 15.9027.2039.4051.501:04.63
4 Gianni Sartori Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 16.6028.2040.1052.401:04.65
5 Roger Gibbon Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 15.7027.2039.2052.001:04.66
6 Leijn Loevesijn Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 17.1028.5040.2052.701:04.84
7 Jocelyn Lovell Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 16.0027.5039.9052.501:05.18
8 Serhiy Kravtsov Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 16.8028.2040.1052.601:05.21
9 José Pittaro Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 16.0027.6039.7052.401:05.57
10 Heinz Richter Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  East Germany 16.3028.1039.9052.701:05.61
11 Herbert Honz Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  West Germany 16.9027.3040.4052.801:05.61
12 Jackie Simes Flag of the United States.svg  United States 16.4028.1039.8052.201:05.67
13 Luis Barruffa Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 15.9029.1040.7053.301:06.27
14 Hilton Clarke Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 16.8028.6040.6053.601:06.45
15 Miloš Jelínek Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 16.0027.9040.0053.601:06.52
16 Brendan McKeown Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 17.6029.3041.4054.001:06.56
17 Tibor Lendvai Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 16.3028.3040.6053.501:06.65
18 Dirk Baert Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 16.8028.7040.8054.001:07.34
19 Sanji Inoue Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 16.5028.7040.9054.401:07.54
20 Edwin Torres Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg  Puerto Rico 17.2029.1041.1054.701:07.65
21 José Mercado Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 16.8028.8041.5054.801:07.97
22 Jupp Ripfel Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 17.3029.3041.9055.101:08.65
23 Raimo Suikkanen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 17.5029.8042.9056.101:08.92
24 Raúl Marcelo Vázquez Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 17.9030.2042.7054.201:08.96
25 Jorge Hernández Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 16.8029.0041.8055.001:09.24
26 Kim Gwang-seon Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).png  South Korea 16.5028.9041.9055.201:09.40
27 Kensley Reece Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados 17.2029.1041.7055.601:09.90
28 Rolando Guaves Flag of the Philippines (1936-1985, 1986-1998).svg  Philippines 17.2029.5042.5056.201:10.02
29 Pakanit Boriharnvanakhet Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 17.3029.7042.8056.601:10.66
30 Fan Yue-tao Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 16.7028.8042.1056.701:11.13
31 Aubrey Bryce Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 18.2030.3043.7057.601:12.73
32 Tarek Abou Al Dahab Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 19.7033.4047.601:02.401:16.18

Related Research Articles

Denmark at the 1968 Summer Olympics Sporting event delegation

Denmark competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. 64 competitors, 60 men and 4 women, took part in 53 events in 11 sports.

France at the 1968 Summer Olympics Sporting event delegation

France competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. 200 competitors, 169 men and 31 women, took part in 107 events in 16 sports.

Niels Fredborg Danish cyclist

Niels Christian Fredborg is a retired Danish track cyclist. He competed at the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics in the sprint and 1 km time trial events, winning a silver, a gold and a bronze medal in the time trial in 1968, 1972 and 1976, respectively. In 1972 he was Denmark's only Olympic medalist.

Cycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial was a track cycling event held as part of the Cycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics programme. It was held on 16 October 1964 at the Hachioji Velodrome. Twenty-seven cyclists from 27 nations competed, with each nation limited to one competitor. The event was won by Patrick Sercu of Belgium, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial and first medal in the event since 1948. Giovanni Pettenella's silver medal put Italy on the podium for the event for the fourth consecutive Games, while Pierre Trentin's bronze was the first medal for France in the event since 1948.

Cycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Mens sprint

The men's sprint was a track cycling event held as part of the Cycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics programme. It was held on 17 and 18 October 1964 at the Hachioji Velodrome. 39 cyclists from 22 nations competed. Nations were limited to two cyclists each. The event was won by Giovanni Pettenella of Italy, the nation's second consecutive and fourth overall victory in the men's sprint. Sergio Bianchetto took silver, making it the second consecutive Games in which Italy had two men on the podium in the event. It was also the fifth straight Games with Italy taking at least silver. Daniel Morelon of France took bronze, the first of his record four medals in the event.

Cycling at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, was held on Thursday 6 December 1956. There were 22 participants from 22 nations. Each competitor rode singly against the watch from a standing start. Competitors were allowed one ride only. The event was won by Leandro Faggin of Italy, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial. Ladislav Fouček earned Czechoslovakia's first medal in the event with his silver, while Alfred Swift gave South Africa its second consecutive bronze medal.

Cycling at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, was held on July 20, 1976. There were 30 participants from 30 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. One additional cyclist, Elmabruk Kehel from Libya, was entered but did not start because of the last-minute boycott from the African countries. The event was won by Klaus-Jürgen Grünke of East Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial. Michel Vaarten of Belgium took silver. Niels Fredborg became the only man to win three medals in the event, adding a bronze to his 1968 silver and 1972 gold.

Cycling at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Mens sprint

The men's sprint at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, was held from 21 to 24 July 1976. There were 25 participants from 25 nations. Following the explosion in size of the event from 1960 to 1972 when nations were allowed two cyclists each, the limit was again reduced to one competitor from each nation. The event was won by Anton Tkáč of Czechoslovakia, the nation's first medal in the men's sprint. Tkáč beat two-time defending champion Daniel Morelon of France in the final; Morelon's silver was a (still-standing record fourth medal in the event. Jürgen Geschke earned bronze to give East Germany its first medal in the event and the first medal for any German cyclist since 1952.

Cycling at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, was held on 31 August 1972. There were 31 participants from 31 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. One additional cyclist was entered but did not start. The event was won by Niels Fredborg of Denmark, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial since Willy Hansen won in 1928. Denmark tied Italy and Australia for second-most gold medals in the event at 2. Fredborg was just the third man to win multiple medals in the event; he would become the only one to earn a third, in 1976. Daniel Clark's silver medal was Australia's first medal in the event since 1952. Jürgen Schütze's bronze was the first track time trial medal for East Germany as a separate nation.

Cycling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial cycling event at the 1932 Summer Olympics took place on August 1. Nine cyclists from nine nations competed, with each nation limited to one cyclist. The event was won by Dunc Gray of Australia, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial. Gray was the first man to win two medals in the event, adding the gold to his 1928 bronze. Jacques van Egmond gave the Netherlands its second consecutive silver medal in the event. Charles Rampelberg of France took bronze, the nation's first medal since 1896.

Cycling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial Cycling at the Olympics

The men's track time trial in Cycling at the 2000 Summer Olympics was a time trial race in which each of the sixteen cyclists attempted to set the fastest time for four laps of the track. The race was held on Saturday, September 16 at the Dunc Gray Velodrome. For the first time since 1896, a nation had more than one cyclist: Germany had two. The event was won by Jason Queally of Great Britain, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial. Stefan Nimke's silver was the first medal for Germany since 1936. Shane Kelly, the 1992 silver medalist from Australia, became the fifth and last man to win multiple medals in the event with his bronze.

Cycling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial in Cycling at the 1992 Summer Olympics was a time trial race in which each of the thirty-two cyclists attempted to set the fastest time for four laps of the track. The race was held on Monday, July 27 at the Velòdrom d'Horta. Adler Capelli rode a bike that allowed for a single gear change, a first for an Olympic track event. There were 32 competitors from 32 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. The event was won by José Manuel Moreno of Spain, the nation's first medal in the men's track time trial. The United States also earned its first medal in the event, with Erin Hartwell's bronze. Shane Kelly took Australia's second consecutive silver medal in the track time trial.

Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial Cycling at the Olympics

The men's track time trial in Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics was a time trial race in which each of the twenty cyclists attempted to set the fastest time for four laps of the track. The race was held on Wednesday, July 24, 1996 at the Stone Mountain Velodrome. There were 20 competitors from 20 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. The event was won by Florian Rousseau of France, the nation's first victory in the men's track trial since 1968 and fourth overall. Erin Hartwell of the United States took silver, becoming the fourth man to win multiple medals in the event. Japan won its first track time trial medal with Takanobu Jumonji's bronze.

Cycling at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial cycling event at the 1936 Summer Olympics took place on 8 August and was one of six events at the 1936 Olympics. Nineteen cyclists from 19 nations competed, with each nation limited to one competitor. The event was won by Arie van Vliet of the Netherlands, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial after two consecutive silver medals in 1924 and 1928. Pierre Georget's silver put France on the podium for the third time. Germany earned its first medal in the event with Rudolf Karsch's bronze.

Cycling at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial Cycling at the Olympics

The men's track time trial cycling event at the 1948 Summer Olympics took place on 11 August and was one of six events at the 1948 Olympics. Twenty-one cyclists from 21 nations competed, with each nation limited to one competitor. The event was won by Jacques Dupont of France, the nation's first victory in the event since 1896 and third consecutive podium appearance. Pierre Nihant earned Belgium's first medal in the men's track time trial with his silver; Tommy Godwin similarly took Great Britain's first medal in the event with his bronze.

Cycling at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial Cycling at the Olympics

The men's track time trial at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, was held on 26 August 1960. There were 25 participants from 25 nations, with each nation limited to one competitor. The event was won by Sante Gaiardoni of Italy, the nation's second consecutive victory and third consecutive podium appearance in the men's track time trial. Dieter Gieseler won the United Team of Germany's first medal in the event in its first appearance with his silver; it was the first medal for a German athelte since 1936. Rostislav Vargashkin's bronze was the first medal for the Soviet Union in the event.

Cycling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Mens individual road race

The men's individual road race was a road bicycle racing event held as part of the Cycling at the 1968 Summer Olympics programme. 144 cyclists from 44 nations took part. The maximum number of cyclists per nation was four. It was held on 23 October 1968. The course, just short of 25 kilometres, was covered 8 times for a total distance of 196.2 kilometres. The event was won by Pierfranco Vianelli of Italy, the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's individual road race. It was the fourth consecutive Games that an Italian cyclist finished first or second. Leif Mortensen's silver was Denmark's second consecutive silver medal in the event. Gösta Pettersson earned Sweden's first medal in the event with his bronze.

The men's sprint was a cycling event held at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, held on 18 to 19 October 1968. There were 47 participants from 28 nations. Each nation was limited to two cyclists. The event was won by Daniel Morelon of France, his second consecutive medal and first gold; it was also France's world-leading sixth victory in the men's sprint. His countryman Pierre Trentin, who had lost the bronze medal match to Morelon four years earlier, this year won it against Omar Pkhakadze of the Soviet Union. Between the French cyclists was silver medalist Giordano Turrini of Italy, extending that nation's streak of top-two results in the event to six Games.

Cycling at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial cycling event at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place on 30 July and was one of eight cycling events at the 1984 Olympics. There were 25 competitors from 25 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. Two other cyclists entered but did not start. The event was won by Fredy Schmidtke of West Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial and the third consecutive Games in which a German cyclist won. Curt Harnett earned Canada's first medal in the event with his silver, while France returned to the podium for the first time since 1968 with Fabrice Colas's bronze.

Cycling at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial event at the 1980 Summer Olympics took place on 22 July 1980 in Moscow Olympic Velodrome. There were 18 competitors from 18 nations, with one additional cyclist entered but not starting. The event was won by Lothar Thoms of East Germany, the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's track time trial. Aleksandr Panfilov of the Soviet Union took silver, the nation's first medal in the event since 1960. David Weller's bronze remains—through the 2020 Games—Jamaica's only medal outside of track and field athletics. Denmark's three-Games medal streak ended.

References

  1. "Cycling at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games: Men's 1000m Time Trial". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 "1,000 metres Time Trial, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  3. Official Report, vol. 3, p. 623.