1968 Summer Olympics

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Games of the XIX Olympiad
Games of the XIX Olympiad
Host city Mexico City, Mexico
Nations participating 112
Athletes participating 5,530
(4,750 men, 780 women)
Events 172 in 20 sports
Opening ceremony October 12
Closing ceremony October 27
Officially opened by President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz
Athlete's Oath Pablo Garrido
Olympic Torch Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo
Stadium Estadio Olímpico Universitario

The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were celebrated in Mexico City in 1968. Mexico City beat out bids from Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyon to host the Games on October 18, 1963, at the 60th IOC Session in Baden-Baden, West Germany. The Games were preceded by the Tlatelolco massacre, in which hundreds of students were killed by security forces ten days before the opening day. It is the only Games ever held in Latin America, and it was the second ever outside of Europe, Australia, or the USA.

The chart's information below is a compliment from the International Olympic Committee Vote History web page.

1968 Summer Olympics Bidding Results
City NOC Name Round 1
Mexico City Flag of Mexico Mexico 30
Detroit, Michigan Flag of the United States United States 14
Lyon Flag of France France 12
Buenos Aires Flag of Argentina Argentina 2

Contents

[edit] Highlights

  • The high altitude of Mexico City (2240 m) made it difficult for many endurance athletes to adapt to the oxygen-deprived air. The high altitude was also credited with contributing to many record setting jumps and leaps in the long jump, high jump and pole vault events.
  • For the first time, athletes from East and West Germany were members of separate teams, after having competed in a combined team in 1964.
  • US discus thrower Al Oerter, won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the event to become only the second athlete to achieve this feat in an individual event.
  • Bob Beamon jumped 8.90 m in the long jump, a 55 cm improvement of the world record that would stand until 1991 (when it was broken by Mike Powell); it is still the Olympic record. United States athletes Jim Hines and Lee Evans also set long world records in the 100 m and 400 m, respectively, that would last for many years to come.
  • In the triple jump, the previous world record was improved five times by three different athletes.
  • Dick Fosbury won the gold medal in the high jump using the radical Fosbury flop technique, which quickly became the dominant technique in the event.
  • In the 200 m medal award ceremony, two African-American athletes Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) raised their black-gloved fists as a symbol of Black Power. As punishment, the International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympic Games for life.
  • After winning the gold medal for heavyweight boxing, George Foreman walked around the ring with a tiny American flag, bowing several times to the audience.
  • Czechoslovakian gymnast Věra Čáslavská won four gold medals.
  • United States swimmer Charles Hickcox won 3 gold medals (200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m medley relay) and 1 silver medal (100m backstroke).
  • United States swimmer Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals, in the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle events.
  • The introduction of doping tests resulted in the first disqualification because of doping: Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was disqualified for alcohol use.
  • John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania became internationally famous after finishing the marathon, in last place, despite a dislocated knee.
  • This was the first of three Olympic participations by Jacques Rogge. He competed in yachting and would later become the 8th President of the International Olympic Committee.
  • Mexican athlete Norma Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic flame.
  • It was the first games at which there was a significant African presence in men's distance running. Africans won medals in all events from 800m to the marathon and in so doing set a trend for future games.


[edit] Controversies

Main article: Tlatelolco massacre

On October 2, 1968, ten days before the start of the 1968 Summer Olympics the Plaza de las Tres Culturas was the scene of the Tlatelolco massacre, in which more than 300 student protesters were killed by army and police. After the event, the International Olympic Committee held an urgent meeting to consider cancelling the games.

Main article: 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute

On October 16, 1968, an action by two Black US sprinters at the Mexico City Olympics shook the sporting world.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalists in the men's 200-meter race, took their places on the podium for the medal ceremony barefooted and wearing civil rights buttons, lowered their heads and each defiantly raised a black-gloved fist as the Star Spangled Banner was played. Both of them were members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.

Some people (particularly IOC president Avery Brundage) felt that a political statement had no place in the international forum of the Olympic Games. In an immediate response to their actions, Smith and Carlos were suspended from the U.S. team by Brundage and banned from the Olympic Village. Those who opposed the protest said the actions disgraced all Americans. Supporters, on the other hand, praised the men for their bravery.

Peter Norman, the Australian sprinter who came second in the 200 m race, and Martin Jellinghaus, a member of the German bronze medal-winning 1600-meter relay team, also wore Olympic Project for Human Rights buttons at the games to show support for the suspended American sprinters.

In another incident, while standing on the medal podium after the balance beam event final, Czechoslovakian gymnast Věra Čáslavská quietly turned her head down and away during the playing of the Soviet national anthem. The action was Čáslavská's silent protest against the recent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and was repeated when she accepted her medal for her floor exercise routine. While Čáslavská's countrymen supported her actions and her outspoken opposition to Communism (she had publicly signed and supported Ludvik Vaculik's "Two Thousand Words" manifesto), the new regime responded by banning her from both sporting events and international travel for many years.

[edit] Venues

  • Mexico City venues
    • University City (Ciudad Universitaria) venues
      • University City Olympic Stadium² (Estadio Olímpico Universitario) - opening/closing ceremonies, athletics, football/soccer
      • University City Swimming Pool² - water polo
    • Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City venues
      • Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome¹ (Velodromo Olímpico) - cycling
      • Fernando Montes de Oca Fencing Hall¹ - fencing
      • Juan Escutia Sports Palace¹ (Palacio de los Deportes Juan Escutia) - basketball
      • Municipal Stadium² - hockey
    • Chapultepec Park venues
      • National Auditorium² (Auditorio Nacional) - gymnastics
      • Campo Marte² - equestrian events
      • Chapultepec Sports Center² - fronton, tennis
    • Aztec Stadium² (Estadio Azteca) - football/soccer
    • Francisco Márquez Olympic Pool¹ (Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez) - swimming, diving, water polo
    • Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium¹ (Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera) - volleyball
    • Arena México² - boxing
    • Insurgentes Theater² - weightlifting
    • Insurgentes Ice Rink² - wrestling
    • Revolution Ice Rink² - volleyball
    • Frontón México² - fronton
    • Asturian Sports Center² - fronton
    • Lebanese Sports Center² - fronton
    • Frontón Metropolitano² - fronton
    • Vicente Suárez Shooting Range¹, Campo Militar No. 1, Lomas Sotelo district - shooting
    • Campo Militar No. 1², Lomas de Sotelo district - modern pentathlon
    • Virgilio Uribe Rowing and Canoeing Course¹ (Pista Olímpica Virgilio Uribe), Xochimilco at Cuemanco - rowing, canoeing
  • Venues outside Mexico City

¹ New facilities constructed in preparation for the Olympic Games. ² Existing facilities modified or refurbished in preparation for the Olympic Games.

[edit] Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

[edit] Demonstration sports

[edit] Participating nations

participants
participants

[edit] Medal count

Main article: 1968 Summer Olympics medal count

These are the top ten nations that won medals at these Games (host Mexico won 3 of each color of medal):

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States United States 45 28 34 107
2 Soviet Union Soviet Union 29 32 30 91
3 Japan Japan 11 7 7 25
4 Hungary Hungary 10 10 12 32
5 East Germany East Germany 9 9 7 25
6 France France 7 3 5 15
7 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 7 2 4 13
8 West Germany West Germany 5 11 10 26
9 Australia Australia 5 7 5 17
10 Great Britain Great Britain 5 5 3 13

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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