The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad and commonly known 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. 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.
Andrzej Stanisław Badeński was a Polish sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. He won a bronze medal in that event at the 1964 Summer Olympics, and won the gold medal in that event at the European Indoor Championships in 1968 and in 1971.
Irena Szewińska was a Polish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost track athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. She is the only athlete in history, male or female, to have held the world record in the 100 m, the 200 m and the 400 m.
Petra Schersing is a retired East German sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres. She represented sports club SC Chemie Halle and was coached by Harold Werner. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, she won a silver medal in the 400 metres and a bronze medal in the 4×400 metres relay.
Janet Mary Simpson was a British athlete who competed in sprint events and the 400 metres.
Helmar Müller was a West German athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres.
Ralf Lübke is a retired West German athlete who specialized in the 200 metres.
Thomas Michael Jordan is a former sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. He represented West Germany.
Mathias Schersing is a retired East German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.
Erwin Richard Skamrahl is a retired German track and field athlete who competed in the 200 and 400 metres.
Martin Weppler is a retired West German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.
Rolf Krüsmann is a retired West German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.
Peter Bernreuther is a retired West German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.
Gerhard Seibold was an Austrian sprint canoeist who competed from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he won a bronze in the K-2 1000 m event at Mexico City in 1968.
The men's 400 metres was an event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The competition was held on 28 & 29 of November. Times are listed as both hand timing and automatic timing. Hand timing was the official time used in the 1956 Olympics. Forty-two athletes from 23 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress.
The men's 400 metres was an event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The competition was held between 16–18 of October. Times are listed as both hand timing and automatic timing. Hand timing was the official time used in the 1968 Olympics. Fifty-five athletes from 36 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Lee Evans of the United States, the fourth consecutive and 11th overall title in the event by an American. The Americans swept the podium, the second time a podium sweep occurred in the men's 400 metres.
David Andrew Jenkins is a former World ranked no.1 400m track and field sprinter who also ran other sprint distances. He is, statistically, the highest ranking Scottish sprinter in history, above 1980 Olympic 100m champion Allan Wells. He was part of the UK relay team which won a silver medal at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. Anabolic steroids were banned from athletics in 1976, and Jenkins has said that he began using steroids around then; although his times slowed from this point due in part to his increased propensity for injury. He was a finalist in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics 400m. He received a 7-year prison sentence in the 1980s for drug smuggling, but was able to serve a reduced period of 10-1/2 months by becoming an informant. Jenkins has subsequently had a business career in the United States. He is the brother of Roger Jenkins, also formerly an international athlete, who became one of the UK's highest paid bankers.
Jarrin Solomon is a Trinidadian track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that won the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Solomon also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, where his 4 × 400 m team again won the bronze medal. He was also part of Trinidad and Tobago's 2014 Commonwealth Games 4 x 400 team, where they also won a bronze.
Uwe Schmitt was a German sprinter and hurdler.
Martin Grothkopp is a German bobsledder. He competed in the four-man event at the 2018 Winter Olympics, winning the gold medal.
