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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.

These games were notable for a number of Olympic firsts and numerous world records, attributable to the high altitude of Mexico City. These included:

• Dick Fosbury introduced the Fosbury Flop to the High Jump by jumping over backwards, whereas the prevailing methods involved jumping forwards or sideways.

• The first African Gold Medallists in the 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase, as well as many other medals in middle and long distance events. Particularly symbolic of Africa's new found dominance was the victory by Kenyan athlete Kip Keino over American World Record Holder and hot favourite Jim Ryun in the 1500m final.

• Bob Beamon broke Ralph Boston's 1965 World Record in the Men's Long Jump by 55 cm (22 in). This record was not broken until 1991.

• The World Record was broken in the Mens' Triple Jump five times by three athletes, including the final jump of the event.

• Black American athletes wore black gloves and bowed their heads on the medal podium after their medals in the 200m, sparking huge controversy.

• Jim Hines became the first sprinter to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres.

Medal summary

Men's events

Games	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres	Jim Hines United States (USA)	9.95 (WR)	Lennox Miller Jamaica (JAM)	10.04	Charles Greene United States (USA)	10.07
200 metres	Tommie Smith United States (USA)	19.83 (WR)	Peter Norman Australia (AUS)	20.06 (NR)	John Carlos United States (USA)	20.10
400 metres	Lee Evans United States (USA)	43.86 (WR)	Larry James United States (USA)	43.97	Ron Freeman United States (USA)	44.41
800 metres	Ralph Doubell Australia (AUS)	1:44.40 (WR)	Wilson Kiprugut Kenya (KEN)	1:44.57	Tom Farrell United States (USA)	1:45.46
1,500 metres	Kipchoge Keino Kenya (KEN)	3:34.91 (OR)	Jim Ryun United States (USA)	3:37.89	Bodo Tümmler West Germany (FRG)	3:39.08
5,000 metres	Mohammed Gammoudi Tunisia (TUN)	14:05.01	Kipchoge Keino Kenya (KEN)	14:05.61	Naftali Temu Kenya (KEN)	14:06.41
10,000 metres	Naftali Temu Kenya (KEN)	29:27.40	Mamo Wolde Ethiopia (ETH)	29:27.75	Mohammed Gammoudi Tunisia (TUN)	29:34.20
Marathon	Mamo Wolde Ethiopia (ETH)	2:20:27	Kenji Kimihara Japan (JPN)	2:23:31	Mike Ryan New Zealand (NZL)	2:23:45
110 metre hurdles	Willie Davenport United States (USA)	13.33 (WR)	Ervin Hall United States (USA)	13.42	Eddy Ottoz Italy (ITA)	13.46
400 metre hurdles	David Hemery Great Britain (GBR)	48.12 (WR)	Gerhard Hennige West Germany (FRG)	49.02	John Sherwood Great Britain (GBR)	49.03
3,000 metre steeplechase	Amos Biwott Kenya (KEN)	8:51.02	Benjamin Kogo Kenya (KEN)	8:51.56	George Young United States (USA)	8:51.86
4×100 metre relay	United States (USA) Charles Greene Melvin Pender Ronnie Ray Smith Jim Hines	38.24 (WR)	Cuba (CUB) Hermes Ramírez Juan Morales Pablo Montes Enrique Figuerola	38.40	France (FRA) Gérard Fénouil Jocelyn Delecour Claude Piquemal Roger Bambuck	38.43
4×400 metre relay	United States (USA) Vincent Matthews Ron Freeman Larry James Lee Evans	2:56.16 (WR)	Kenya (KEN) Daniel Rudisha Hezahiah Nyamau Naftali Bon Charles Asati	2:59.64	West Germany (FRG) Helmar Müller Manfred Kinder Gerhard Hennige Martin Jellinghaus	3:00.57
20 km walk	Volodymyr Holubnychy Soviet Union (URS)	1:33:58	José Pedraza Mexico (MEX)	1:34:00	Nikolay Smaga Soviet Union (URS)	1:34:03
50 km walk	Christoph Höhne East Germany (GDR)	4:20:14	Antal Kiss Hungary (HUN)	4:30:17	Larry Young United States (USA)	4:31:55
High jump	Dick Fosbury United States (USA)	2.24 m (OR)	Ed Caruthers United States (USA)	2.22 m	Valentin Gavrilov Soviet Union (URS)	2.20 m
Pole vault	Bob Seagren United States (USA)	5.40 m (OR)	Claus Schiprowski West Germany (FRG)	5.40 m	Wolfgang Nordwig East Germany (GDR)	5.40 m
Long Jump	Bob Beamon United States (USA)	8.90 m (WR)	Klaus Beer East Germany (GDR)	8.19 m	Ralph Boston United States (USA)	8.16 m
Triple jump	Viktor Saneyev Soviet Union (URS)	17.39 m (WR)	Nelson Prudêncio Brazil (BRA)	17.27 m	Giuseppe Gentile Italy (ITA)	17.22 m
Shot put	Randy Matson United States (USA)	20.54 m (OR)	George Woods United States (USA)	20.12 m	Eduard Gushchin Soviet Union (URS)	20.09 m
Discus throw	Al Oerter United States (USA)	64.78 m (OR)	Lothar Milde East Germany (GDR)	63.08 m	Ludvík Daněk Czechoslovakia (TCH)	62.92 m
Hammer throw	Gyula Zsivótzky Hungary (HUN)	73.36 m (OR)	Romuald Klim Soviet Union (URS)	73.28 m	Lázár Lovász Hungary (HUN)	69.78 m
Javelin throw	Jānis Lūsis Soviet Union (URS)	90.10 m (OR)	Jorma Kinnunen Finland (FIN)	88.58 m	Gergely Kulcsár Hungary (HUN)	87.06 m
Decathlon	Bill Toomey United States (USA)	8193 (OR)	Hans-Joachim Walde West Germany (FRG)	8111	Kurt Bendlin West Germany (FRG)	8064

Women's events

Games	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres	Wyomia Tyus United States (USA)	11.0 (WR)	Barbara Ferrell United States (USA)	11.1	Irena Szewińska Poland (POL)	11.1
200 metres	Irena Szewińska Poland (POL)	22.5 (WR)	Raelene Boyle Australia (AUS)	22.7	Jenny Lamy Australia (AUS)	22.8
400 metres	Colette Besson France (FRA)	52.0	Lillian Board Great Britain (GBR)	52.1	Natalya Pechonkina Soviet Union (URS)	52.2
800 metres	Madeline Manning United States (USA)	2:00.9 (WR)	Ilona Silai Romania (ROU)	2:02.5	Maria Gommers Netherlands (NED)	2:02.6
80 metre hurdles	Maureen Caird Australia (AUS)	10.3 (WR)	Pam Kilborn Australia (AUS)	10.4	Chi Cheng Republic of China (ROC)	10.4
4×100 metre relay	United States (USA) Margaret Bailes Barbara Ferrell Mildrette Netter Wyomia Tyus	42.8 (WR)	Cuba (CUB) Violetta Quesada Miguelina Cobián Marlene Elejarde Fulgencia Romay	43.3	Soviet Union (URS) Galina Bukharina Lyudmila Samotesova Vera Popkova Liudmila Zharkova-Maslakova	43.4
High jump	Miloslava Rezková Czechoslovakia (TCH)	1.82 m	Antonina Okorokova Soviet Union (URS)	1.80 m	Valentina Kozyr Soviet Union (URS)	1.80 m
Long jump	Viorica Viscopoleanu Romania (ROU)	6.82 m (WR)	Sheila Sherwood Great Britain (GBR)	6.68 m	Tatyana Talysheva Soviet Union (URS)	6.66 m
Shot put	Margitta Gummel East Germany (GDR)	19.61 m (WR)	Marita Lange East Germany (GDR)	18.78 m	Nadezhda Chizhova Soviet Union (URS)	18.19 m
Discus throw	Lia Manoliu Romania (ROU)	58.28 m (OR)	Liesel Westermann West Germany (FRG)	57.76 m	Jolán Kleiber Hungary (HUN)	54.90 m
Javelin throw	Angéla Németh Hungary (HUN)	60.36 m	Mihaela Peneş Romania (ROU)	59.92 m	Eva Janko Austria (AUT)	58.04 m
Pentathlon	Ingrid Becker West Germany (FRG)	5098	Liese Prokop Austria (AUT)	4966	Annamária Tóth Hungary (HUN)	4959

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (USA)	15	6	7	28
2	Soviet Union (URS)	3	2	8	13
3	Kenya (KEN)	3	4	1	8
4	Australia (AUS)	2	3	1	6
	East Germany (GDR)	2	3	1	6
6	Romania (ROU)	2	2	0	4
7	Hungary (HUN)	2	1	4	7
8	West Germany (FRG)	1	4	3	8
9	Great Britain (GBR)	1	2	1	4
10	Ethiopia (ETH)	1	1	0	2
11	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	1	0	1	2
	France (FRA)	1	0	1	2
	Poland (POL)	1	0	1	2
	Tunisia (TUN)	1	0	1	2
15	Cuba (CUB)	0	2	0	2
16	Austria (AUT)	0	1	1	2
17	Brazil (BRA)	0	1	0	1
	Finland (FIN)	0	1	0	1
	Jamaica (JAM)	0	1	0	1
	Japan (JPN)	0	1	0	1
	Mexico (MEX)	0	1	0	1
22	Italy (ITA)	0	0	2	2
23	Netherlands (NED)	0	0	1	1
	New Zealand (NZL)	0	0	1	1
	Republic of China (ROC)	0	0	1	1

References

• International Olympic Committee results database
• Athletics Australia

External links

• Youtube video of 1968 Olympic Men's 100 final
• Youtube video of 1968 Olympic Men's 200 final
• Youtube video of 1968 Olympic Men's 1500 final

Athletics at the Summer Olympics 1896 • 1900 • 1904 • 1908 • 1912 • 1920 • 1924 • 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004 • 2008 List of medalists (men, women) • List of Olympic records