Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics

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 heavy favourite Jim Ryun in the 1500m final.

*Bob Beamon broke Jesse Owens' 1936 World Record in the Men's Long Jump by over a foot. This record was not broken until 1990.

*The World Record was broken in the Mens' Triple Jump numerous times by numerous 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.

Medal summary

Men's events

References

* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp International Olympic Committee results database]
* [http://www.athletics.com.au/history/international/int29.htm Athletics Australia]