Summer Olympiad (1968)

The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, celebrated in Mexico City. The Games were preceded by the Tlatelolco massacre, in which security forces killed hundreds of students 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 choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics was a controversial one because of the city's high altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than at sea level. Sure enough, the rarefied air proved disastrous to many athletes competing in endurance events. On the other hand, the high altitude led to world records in all of the men’s races that were 400m or shorter, including both relays, and in the 400m hurdles, in the long jump and triple jump as well. Bob Beamon’s spectacular long jump of 8.90m would last as a world record for 22 years. The Mexico City Olympics, the first Summer Games to include sex testing for women, were blessed with many outstanding heroines. Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. Eulalia Rolinska of Poland, Gladys de Seminario of Peru and Nuria Ortiz of Mexico were the first women to compete in shooting. Wyomia Tyus of the United States became the first repeat winner of the 100m dash. The most popular female athlete of the 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska, the Czech gymnast. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia two months before the Olympics, Caslavska went into hiding for three weeks. She emerged to win four gold medals and two silvers. On the male side, Al Oerter of the United States won the discus throw for the fourth time. The 1968 Games also saw the first drug disqualification, as a Swedish entrant in the modern pentathlon, Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, tested positive…for excessive alcohol.

Opening date: 12 October 1968

Closing date: 27 October 1968

Ceremonies

Official opening of the Games by: President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz

Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo (athletics)

Olympic Oath by: Pablo Lugo Garrido (athletics)

Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Participations

112 NOCs (Nations)
5,516 athletes (781 women, 4,735 men)
172 events

Country of the host city: Mexico (MEX)

Candidate cities: Detroit (USA), Lyon (FRA) and Buenos Aires (ARG)

Sports

• Aquatics
• Athletics
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Canoe / Kayak
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Fencing
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Hockey
• Modern Pentathlon
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling

Demonstration sports

• Basque pelota
• Tennis

Venues

• Mexico City venues
• University City (Ciudad Universitaria) venues
• University City Olympic Stadium (Estadio Olimpico Universitario) - opening/closing ceremonies, athletics, football/soccer
• University City Swimming Pool - water polo
• Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City venues
• Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome (Velodromo Olimpico) - cycling
• Fernando Montes de Oca Fencing Hall - fencing
• Juan Escutia Sports Palace (Palacio de los Deportes Juan Escutia) - basketball
• Municipal Stadium - hockey
• Chapultepec Park venues
• National Auditorium (Auditorio Nacional) - gymnastics
• Campo Marte - equestrian events
• Chapultepec Sports Center - fronton, tennis
• Aztec Stadium (Estadio Azteca) - football/soccer
• Francisco Marquez Olympic Pool (Alberca Olímpica Francisco Marquez) - swimming, diving, water polo
• Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium (Gimnasio Olimpico Juan de la Barrera) - volleyball
• Arena Mexico - boxing
• Insurgentes Theater - weightlifting
• Insurgentes Ice Rink - wrestling
• Revolution Ice Rink - volleyball
• Frontón Mexico - fronton
• Austrian Sports Center - fronton
• Lebanese Sports Center - fronton
• Frontón Metropolitano - fronton
• Vicente Suarez Shooting Range, Campo Militar No. 1, Lomas Sotelo district - shooting
• Campo Militar No. 1, Lomas de Sotelo district - modern pentathlon
• Virgilio Uribe Rowing and Canoeing Course (Pista Olímpica Virgilio Uribe), Xochimilco at Cuemanco - rowing, canoeing
• Venues outside Mexico City
• Cuauhtémoc Stadium (Estadio Cuauhtémoc), Puebla - football/soccer preliminaries
• Jalisco Stadium (Estadio Jalisco), Guadalajara - football/soccer preliminaries
• Leon Stadium, Leon - football/soccer preliminaries
• Club de Yates, Acapulco Bay, Acapulco - yachting
• Avándaro Golf Club, Valle de Bravo - equestrian events
• Acapulco Jai-Alai, Acapulco - fronton
• Guadalajara Country Club, Guadalajara - tennis
• Atlas Sports Club, Guadalajara - tennis
• Guadalajara Sports Club, Guadalajara – tennis

Highlights

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. The "Fosbury flop", a real revolution clearing the bar on one's back after a curved run-up and a much faster take-off than normal. The Californian western roll was outdated.

• United States swimmer Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals, in the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle events. She achieved her unique Olympic treble.

• 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.

• Bob Beamon (USA-athletics) was the favourite in the long jump event but no one could have imagined what he would do. His first jump was so long that the optical measuring device slid off its rail before it reached Beamon's point of impact. The judges therefore used a metal tape measure. His jump measured 8.90 metres, 55 centimetres longer than the world record.

Facts

• The athletes from the German Democratic Republic competed in their own team under the name of “East Germany”. It was only in 1972 that they took part under the official name of their country, “German Democratic Republic”.

• The itinerary of the Olympic torch relay followed in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus, leaving from Spain.

• 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.

• The introduction of doping tests resulted in the first disqualification because of doping: Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was disqualified for alcohol use (he drank several beers prior).

• A synthetic material (tartan) was used for the first time on the athletics track.

• The athletics, cycling, rowing, canoe, swimming and equestrian competitions were timed manually and electronically- for the first time, the electronic time was the official one.