1968 Summer Olympics

Multi-sport event in Mexico City, Mexico the sport event the social movement Mexican Movement of 1968 February 2021 1968 Summer Olympics 1968 Mexico emblem.svgclass=skin-invert 280 Emblem of the 1968 Summer Olympics Mexico City, Mexico 112 5,516 (4,735 men, 781 women) 172 in 18 sports (24 disciplines) 12 October 1968 27 October 1968 President Gustavo Díaz OrdazFactsheet – Opening Ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf live International Olympic Committee 9 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20160814215458/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf 14 August 2016 22 December 2018 IOC president Avery Brundage Enriqueta Basilio Estadio Olímpico Universitario Tokyo 1964 Munich 1972 Grenoble 1968 Sapporo 1972 The 1968 Summer Olympics (es Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad (es Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (es México 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, the first to be staged in a Spanish-speaking country, and the first to be staged in the Global South. Consequently, these games also marked the first time that there would be a gap of two Olympic Games not to be held in Europe. 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.Omega, the Olympics, and the innovations required to time the Earth's Best https://secondtime.com/blog/omega-the-olympics-and-the-innovations-required-to-time-the-earths-best/ 2021-07-24 SecondTime en 25 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230225233026/https://secondtime.com/blog/omega-the-olympics-and-the-innovations-required-to-time-the-earths-best/ dead The 1968 Games were the third to be held in the last quarter of the year, after the 1956 Games in Melbourne and the 1964 Games in Tokyo. The 1968 Mexican Student Movement was crushed days prior, hence the Games were correlated to the government's repression. The United States won the most gold and overall medals for the last time until the 1984 Summer Games. Host city selection thumb|right|250px|Opening Ceremony of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City On 18 October 1963, at the 60th IOC Session in Baden-Baden, West Germany, Mexico City finished ahead of bids from Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyon to host the Games.http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html IOC Vote History 11 June 2008 25 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080525070757/http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html usurped + 1968 Summer Olympics bidding resultshttp://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml Past Olympic host city election results GamesBids 17 March 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110124022022/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html 24 January 2011 live City CountryRound 1 Mexico City Mexico 1934 30 Detroit United States 14 Lyon France 12 Buenos Aires Argentina 2 Olympic torch relay The 1968 torch relay recreated the route taken by Christopher Columbus to the New World, journeying from Greece through Italy and Spain to San Salvador Island, Bahamas, and then on to Mexico.https://www.olympic.org/mexico-1968 Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics – results & video highlights 18 December 2018 International Olympic Committee en 19 January 2019 American sculptor James Metcalf, an expatriate in Mexico, won the commission to forge the Olympic torch for the 1968 Summer Games.Adrian Dannatt James Metcalf: US sculptor who led a community of artists and artisans in Mexico https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-metcalf-us-sculptor-who-led-a-community-of-artists-and-artisans-in-mexico-6988891.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-metcalf-us-sculptor-who-led-a-community-of-artists-and-artisans-in-mexico-6988891.html 1 May 2022 subscription live The Independent 17 February 2012 25 February 2012 Visual identity The logo is viewed as a Mexican cultural icon.Behind the iconic graphics from 1968, from the artists who created them Washington Post 2018-05-30 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/05/30/feature/behind-the-iconic-graphics-from-1968-from-the-artists-who-created-them/ 2024-09-30 Inspired by the Olympic rings symbol, the five circles are incorporated into the year number 68 and unified with the word Mexico. The radiating parallel lines were extended to fit the poster format. This graphic design was printed in various vibrant colors and certain text with circular imagery.Iconic design: the official poster for the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games V&A Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/iconic-design-official-poster-for-the-mexico-1968-olympic-games?srsltid=AfmBOopgE_lj0bL0pXCJIHIneI7DVYgrbcnYAk6tFI1zv86reeXi5SPo 1 August 2025 It was the subject of dispute between American designer Lance Wyman and Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez over who originated the graphic concepts.Cervantes Rodrigo Mexico 68 Olympics Design Is Still Revered, Disputed KJZZ 2018-10-12 https://www.kjzz.org/2018-10-12/content-711559-after-50-years-iconic-mexico-68-olympics-design-still-revered-and-disputed 2024-09-30 Architect Eduardo Terrazas also worked under Ramirez's direction to develop the concept.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odT8sLuq1Zc Entornos urbanos y Tablas 2024-08-12 Museo MARCO 2024-10-25 YouTubemexico68 https://eduardoterrazas.com/index.php/mexico68/ 2024-10-25 Eduardo Terrazas es A pink chacmool jaguar, which was sold in souvenir shops, is considered an unofficial mascot.Mexico 1968 – Chac Mool (unofficial mascot) http://www.theolympicdesign.com/olympic-games/mascots/mexico-1968/ 2024-08-02 theolympicdesign – Olympic Design Webseite! The dove of peace was also a symbol of the Games, which was appropriated by student protesters with a bayonet piercing it.Imágenes y revuelta: la gráfica del 68 MUAC https://muac.unam.mx/exposicion/imagenes-y-revuelta-la-grafica-del-68 es 2024-09-30 Olympic venues Venues of the 1968 Summer Olympics Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome – Cycling (track) Arena México – Boxing Avándaro Golf Club – Equestrian (eventing) Campo Marte – Equestrian (dressage, jumping individual) Campo Militar 1 – Modern pentathlon (riding, running) Club de Yates de Acapulco – Sailing Estadio Azteca – Football (final) Estadio Cuauhtémoc – Football preliminaries Estadio Nou Camp – Football preliminaries Estadio Olímpico Universitario – Athletics (also 20 km and 50 km walk), Ceremonies (opening / closing), Equestrian (jumping team) Fernando Montes de Oca Fencing Hall – Fencing, Modern pentathlon (fencing) Francisco Márquez Olympic Pool – Diving, Modern pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Water polo Arena Insurgentes – Wrestling Insurgentes Theatre – Weightlifting Jalisco Stadium – Football preliminaries Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium – Volleyball Juan Escutia Sports Palace – Basketball, Volleyball; the Sports Palace was completed time in 1968. Designed by Félix Candela, this sports venue allowed for the unashamed transmission of televised (TV) imagery. But venues of pre-Olympic origin were also designed into this sports eventSpectacular Mexico: Design, Propaganda, and the 1968 Olympics Luis M. Castañeda 2014 University of Minnesota Press 9781452942452 Municipal Stadium – Field hockey National Auditorium – Gymnastics Arena Revolución – Volleyball Satellite Circuit – Cycling (individual road race, road team time trial) University City Swimming Pool – Water polo Vicente Suárez Shooting Range – Modern pentathlon (shooting), Shooting Virgilio Uribe Rowing and Canoeing Course – Canoeing, Rowing Zócalo – Athletics (marathon start) Olympic Village – Villa Olímpica and Villa Coapa were constructed in 1968 to accommodate athletes and delegations and were later converted into residential complexesOfficial Report vol. 2, p. 187–195. Highlights thumb|Adolfo López Mateos, President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964 and first chairman of the Organization Committee of the 1968 Summer Olympics In the medal award ceremony for the men's 200 metres race, Black American athletes Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) took a stand for civil rights by raising their black-gloved fists and wearing black socks in lieu of shoes. The Australian Peter Norman, who had run second, wore an American "human rights" badge as a gesture of support to them on the podium. In response, the IOC banned Smith and Carlos from the Olympic Games for life, and Norman's omission from Australia's Olympic team in 1972 was allegedly as punishment.https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1018.html 2 Black Power Advocates Ousted From Olympics archive.nytimes.com 4 June 2018https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/sport/olympics-norman-black-power/index.html The third man: The forgotten Black Power hero Montague James CNN 4 June 2018 George Foreman won the gold medal in heavyweight boxing division by defeating Soviet Jonas Čepulis via a second-round TKO. After the victory, Foreman waved a small American flag as he bowed to the crowd.George Foreman George Foreman vs Ionas Chepulis (1968 Gold medal boxing match) 12 November 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iswHPKP5sEU https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/iswHPKP5sEU 2021-11-03 live 4 June 2018 The high elevation of Mexico City, at 2240 m ft on above sea level, influenced many of the events, particularly in track and field. No other Summer Olympic Games before or since have been held at high elevation.https://books.google.com/books?id=kh97OBEUTn4C&q=3M%20tartan%20surface%20olympics%201968&pg=PA23 Historical Dictionary of Track and Field Matthews Peter 22 March 2012 Scarecrow Press 9780810879850 en In addition to high elevation, this was the first Olympics to use a synthetic all-weather surface for track and field events; the "Tartan" surface was originally developed by 3M for horse racing, but did not catch on. The tracks at previous Olympics were conventional cinder.https://books.google.com/books?id=kh97OBEUTn4C Historical Dictionary of Track and Field Matthews Peter 22 March 2012 Scarecrow Press 9780810879850 en For the first time, East and West Germany competed as separate teams, after being forced by the IOC to compete as a combined German team in 1956, 1960, and 1964. Al Oerter won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the discus to become only the second athlete to achieve this feat in an individual event, and the first in athletics.https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/sports/othersports/02oerter.html Al Oerter, Olympic Discus Champion, Is Dead at 71 Litsky Frank The New York Times 2 October 2007 25 January 2017 Bob Beamon leapt 8.90 m ftin 2 on in the long jump, an incredible 55 cm in on improvement over the previous world record. It stood as the world record for 23 years, until broken by American Mike Powell in 1991; yet it has stood as the current Olympic record for 1968 years. Jim Hines, Tommie Smith and Lee Evans also set long-standing world records in the 100 m,Media PA Jim Hines, the first man to break 10 seconds in 100m, dies aged 76 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/05/jim-hines-athletics-olympics-first-man-break-10-seconds-100m-sprint-dies-aged-76 The Guardian 5 June 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited 5 June 2023 200 m and 400 m,Reynolds Shatters 400 Record https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-18-sp-907-story.html Los Angeles Times 18 August 1988 respectively. In the triple jump, the previous world record was improved five times by three different athletes. Winner Viktor Saneev also won in 1972 and 1976, and won silver in 1980. Dick Fosbury won the gold medal in the high jump using his unconventional Fosbury flop technique, which quickly became the dominant technique in the event.The Sports of the Times: A Day-by-Day Selection of the Most Important, Thrilling and Inspired Events of the Past 150 Years, edited by William Taaffe, David Fischer, New York, N.Y, U.S.: The New York Times and St. Martin's Press, 2003, "October 20, 1968: Fearless Fosbury Flops to Glory," Joseph Durso, page 333. Věra Čáslavská of Czechoslovakia won four gold medals in gymnastics and protested the Soviet invasion of her country.'I will sweat blood to defeat invaders' representatives' – 1968's forgotten Olympic protest BBC Sport https://web.archive.org/web/20230221225620/https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/45900544 2023-02-21 live https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/45900544 Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals, in the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle events. The 800 m was a new long-distance event for women. Meyer was only 16 years old, a student at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California. Meyer was the first of several American teenagers to win the 800 m, with Katie Ledecky being her notable successor. American swimmer Charlie Hickcox won three gold medals (200 m IM, 400 m IM, 4 × 100 m medley relay) and one silver medal (100 m backstroke).https://www.olympic.org/mexico-1968/swimming Mexico 1968 Swimming – Results & Videos 8 September 2016 International Olympic Committee 13 February 2017 en February 2015 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 just prior to competing).Mason Christopher Gold medals, vitamin V and miscreant sports Canadian Medical Association Journal July 29, 2008 179 3 219–222 10.1503/cmaj.080993 18663195 2474878 https://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/3/219 June 25, 2022 John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania became internationally famous after finishing the marathon, in the last place, despite a dislocated knee.https://hub.olympic.org/news/tanzanias-most-inspirational-athlete/ Tanzania's most inspirational athlete : IOC – HUB 2 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161001035332/https://hub.olympic.org/news/tanzanias-most-inspirational-athlete/ 1 October 2016 dead This was the first of three Olympic participation by Jacques Rogge. He competed in yachting and would later become the president of the IOC.https://www.olympic.org/count-jacques-rogge Count Jacques Rogge – Comité Olympique et Interfédéral Belge, IOC Member since 1991 17 January 2017 International Olympic Committee en 19 January 2017 Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo of Mexico became the first woman to light the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic flame.Olympic Games Mexico City 1968 https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/mexico-city-1968 2025-09-13 International Olympic Committee2012-05-10 Olympic Torch Relays -- From Berlin To Beijing https://www.rferl.org/a/24576324.html 2025-09-13 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty en It was the first games at which there was a significant African presence in men's distance running. Africans won at least one medal in all running events from 800 meters to the marathon, and in so doing they set a trend for future games. Most of these runners came from high-altitude areas of countries like Kenya and Ethiopia, and they were well-prepared for the 2240 m elevation of Mexico City.García-Soriano Daniel Quesada-Román Adolfo Zamorano-Orozco José Juan 2020-10-01 Geomorphological hazards susceptibility in high-density urban areas: A case study of Mexico City Journal of South American Earth Sciences 102 102667 10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102667 2020JSAES.10202667G 0895-9811 free Kipchoge Keino of Kenya, competing in spite of unexpected bouts of severe abdominal pain later diagnosed as a gall bladder infection, finished the 10,000 meters in spite of collapsing from pain with two laps to go, won silver in the 5000, and won gold in the 1500 meters.The Complete Book of the Olympics, 2012 edition, David Wallechinsky, Jaime Loucky, London, England, UK: Aurum Press Ltd, 2012, "Track & Field (Men): 1500 Meters," page 108.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-28-sp-oly28-story.html Keino Reflects on Legendary Race: Now 63 and an IOC member, ever-humble Kenyan takes a lap around Mexico City track where he ran memorable 1,500 Los Angeles Times Alan Abrahamson 28 November 2002 It was the first Olympic games in which the closing ceremony was transmitted in color to the world, as well as the events themselves.Guinness World Records – First summer Olympic Games televised in colour Controversies South Africa Apartheid-era South Africa and the Olympics#1965–68 After being banned from participating in 1964, South Africa - under its new leader John Vorster - had made diplomatic overtures to improve relations with neighboring countries and internationally, suggesting legal changes to allow South Africa to compete with an integrated, multiracial team internationally. The nominal obstacle behind South Africa's exclusion thus removed, the country was thus provisionally invited to the Games, on the understanding that all segregation and discrimination in sport would be eliminated by the 1972 Games. However, African countries and African American athletes promised to boycott the Games if South Africa was present, and Eastern Bloc countries threatened to do likewise. In April 1968 the IOC conceded that "it would be most unwise for South Africa to participate".Espy Richard The Politics of the Olympic Games: With an Epilogue, 1976-1980 https://books.google.com/books?id=JEA_Ss_2wK0C&pg=PA125 125–8 16 June 2013 1981 University of California Press 9780520043954 It was thus the first Olympics where South Africa was positively excluded, which continued until the Olympics of 1992. Tlatelolco massacre Tlatelolco massacre Responding to growing social unrest and protests, the government of Mexico had increased economic and political suppression, against labor unions in particular, in the decade building up to the Olympics. A series of protest marches in the city in August gathered significant attendance, with an estimated 500,000 taking part on 27 August. President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered the police occupation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in September, but protests continued. Using the prominence brought by the Olympics, students gathered in Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco to call for greater civil and democratic rights and showed disdain for the Olympics with slogans such as ¡No queremos olimpiadas, queremos revolución! ("We don't want Olympics, we want revolution!").México 1968: Las Olimpiadas 10 días después de la matanza. ADN Politico (8 August 2012). Retrieved on 2013-07-03.1968: Student riots threaten Mexico Olympics. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 3 July 2013. Ten days before the start of the Olympics, the government ordered the gathering in Plaza de las Tres Culturas to be broken up. Some 5000 soldiers and 200 tankettes surrounded the plaza. Hundreds of protesters and civilians were killed and over 1000 were arrested. At the time, the event was portrayed in the national media as the military suppression of a violent student uprising, but later analysis indicates that the gathering was peaceful prior to the army's advance.Werner, Michael S., ed. Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society & Culture. Vol. 2 Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997.Mexican students protest for greater democracy, 1968. Global Non-Violent Action Database. Retrieved on 3 July 2013.The Dead of Tlatelolco. The National Security Archive. Retrieved on 3 July 2013. Black Power salute 1968 Olympics Black Power salute 160px|thumb|Gold medalist Tommie Smith (center) and bronze medalist John Carlos (right) showing the raised fist on the podium after the 200 m race On 16 October 1968, African American sprinters 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 wearing human rights badges and black socks without shoes, lowered their heads and each raised a black-gloved fist as "The Star Spangled Banner" was played, in solidarity with the Black Freedom Movement in the United States. Both were members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Avery Brundage deemed it to be a domestic political statement unfit for the apolitical, international forum the Olympic Games were intended to be. In response to their actions, he ordered Smith and Carlos suspended from the US team and banned from the Olympic Village. When the US Olympic Committee refused, Brundage threatened to ban the entire US track team. This threat led to the expulsion of the two athletes from the Games.On This Day: Tommie Smith and John Carlos Give Black Power Salute on Olympic Podium https://web.archive.org/web/20201109003515/http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/September-October-08/On-this-Day--US-Athletes-Give-Black-Power-Salute-on-Olympic-Podium.html 9 November 2020 . Findingdulcinea.com. Retrieved on 13 June 2015. Peter Norman, the Australian sprinter who came second in the 200-meter race, also wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during the medal ceremony. Norman was the one who suggested that Carlos and Smith wear one glove each. His actions resulted in him being ostracized by Australian mediaMike Wise Clenched fists, helping hand https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100401753_2.html The Washington Post 5 October 2006 9 November 2008 and a reprimand by his country's Olympic authorities. He was not sent to the 1972 games, despite several times making the qualifying time,https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7674157.stm BBC News The other man on the podium 9 November 2008 17 October 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081020092915/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7674157.stm 20 October 2008 Caroline live Frost though opinions differ over whether that was due to the 1968 protest.Messenger Robert Leigh sprints into wrong lane over Norman http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/leigh-sprints-into-wrong-lane-over-norman-20120823-24oug.html 12 November 2015 Sydney Morning Herald 24 August 2012 When Australia hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, he had no part in the opening ceremony, though the significance of that is also debated. In 2006, after Norman died of a heart attack, Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at Norman's funeral.Martin Flanagan Martin Flanagan (journalist) Olympic protest heroes praise Norman's courage http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/olympic-protest-heroes-praise-normans-courage/2006/10/09/1160246069969.html The Sydney Morning Herald 6 October 2006 9 November 2008 Věra Čáslavská and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia In another notable incident in the gymnastics competition, while standing on the medal podium after the balance beam event final, in which Natalia Kuchinskaya of the Soviet Union had controversially taken the gold, Czechoslovak 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. Her protest was repeated when she accepted her medal for her floor exercise routine when the judges changed the preliminary scores of the Soviet Larisa Petrik to allow her to tie with Čáslavská for the gold. While Čáslavská's countrymen supported her actions and her outspoken opposition to Soviet control (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 and made her an outcast from society until the fall of communist regime in Czechoslovakia.https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/45900544 'I will sweat blood to defeat invaders' representatives' - 1968's forgotten Olympic protest BBC Sport Sports The 1968 Summer Olympic program featured 172 events in the following 18 sports: 17em Aquatics Diving 4 d Swimming 29 d Water polo 1 d Athletics 36 d Basketball 1 d Boxing 11 d Canoeing 7 d Cycling d Road (2) Track (5) Equestrian d Dressage (2) Eventing (2) Jumping (2) Fencing 8 d Field hockey 1 d Football 1 d Gymnastics 14 d Modern pentathlon 2 d Rowing 7 d Sailing 5 d Shooting 7 d Volleyball 2 d Weightlifting 7 d Wrestling d Freestyle (8) Greco-Roman (8) Demonstration sports Basque pelota 10 d Tennis 4 d The organizers declined to hold a judo tournament at the Olympics, even though it had been a full-medal sport four years earlier. This was the last time judo was not included in the Olympic games. Baseball had been featured as a demonstration sport at the 1964 Tokyo Games, but not in 1968, despite Mexico's baseball heritage. Instead, a separate international tournament was held in Mexico City, shortly after the conclusion of the Olympic Games. Participating National Olympic Committees East Germany and West Germany competed as separate entities for the first time at a Summer Olympiad, and would remain so through 1988. Barbados competed for the first time as an independent country. Also competing for the first time in a Summer Olympiad were British Honduras (now Belize), Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (as Congo-Kinshasa), El Salvador, Guinea, Honduras, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and the United States Virgin Islands. Singapore returned to the Games as an independent country after competing as part of the Malaysian team in 1964. Suriname and Libya actually competed for the first time (in 1960 and 1964, respectively, they took part in the Opening Ceremony, but their athletes later withdrew from the competition). The People's Republic of China last competed at the 1952 Summer Games but had since withdrawn from the IOC due to a dispute with the Republic of China over the right to represent China.China and the Olympic Movement Xiao Li China Internet Information Center http://www.china.org.cn/english/null/116819.htm August 4, 2011 thumb|center|upright=2.8|Participating countries thumb|center|upright=2.8|Number of athletes per country Participating National Olympic Committees22em AFG 1968 Summer 5 ALG 1968 Summer 3 ARG 1968 Summer 89 AUS 1968 Summer 128 AUT 1968 Summer 43 BAH 1968 Summer 16 BAR 1968 Summer 9 BEL 1968 Summer 82 BER 1968 Summer 6 BOL 1968 Summer 4 BRA 1968 Summer 76 HBR 1968 Summer 7 BUL 1968 Summer 112 BIR 1968 Summer 4 CMR 1968 Summer 5 CAN 1968 Summer 138 CAF 1968 Summer 1 CEY 1968 Summer 3 CHA 1968 Summer 3 CHI 1968 Summer 21 COL 1968 Summer 43 COK 1968 Summer 5 CRC 1968 Summer 18 CUB 1968 Summer 115 TCH 1968 Summer 121 DEN 1968 Summer 64 DOM 1968 Summer 18 ECU 1968 Summer 15 EGY 1968 Summer 30 ESA 1968 Summer 60 ETH 1968 Summer 18 FIJ 1968 Summer 1 FIN 1968 Summer 66 FRA 1968 Summer 200 GDR 1968 Summer 226 FRG 1968 Summer 275 GHA 1968 Summer 31 GBR 1968 Summer 225 GRE 1968 Summer 44 GUA 1968 Summer 48 GUI 1968 Summer 15 GUY 1968 Summer 5 HON 1968 Summer 6 HKG 1968 Summer 11 HUN 1968 Summer 167 ISL 1968 Summer 8 IND 1968 Summer 25 INA 1968 Summer 6 IRI 1968 Summer 14 IRQ 1968 Summer 3 IRL 1968 Summer 31 ISR 1968 Summer 29 ITA 1968 Summer 167 CIV 1968 Summer 10 JAM 1968 Summer 25 JPN 1968 Summer 171 KEN 1968 Summer 39 KOR 1968 Summer 54 KUW 1968 Summer 2 LIB 1968 Summer 11 LBA 1968 Summer 1 LIE 1968 Summer 2 LUX 1968 Summer 5 MAD 1968 Summer 4 MAS 1968 Summer 31 MLI 1968 Summer 2 MLT 1968 Summer 1 MEX 1968 Summer 275 (host) MON 1968 Summer 2 MGL 1968 Summer 16 MAR 1968 Summer 24 NED 1968 Summer 107 AHO 1968 Summer 5 NZL 1968 Summer 52 NCA 1968 Summer 11 NIG 1968 Summer 2 NGR 1968 Summer 36 NOR 1968 Summer 46 PAK 1968 Summer 15 PAN 1968 Summer 16 PAR 1968 Summer 1 PER 1968 Summer 28 PHI 1968 Summer 49 POL 1968 Summer 177 POR 1968 Summer 20 PUR 1968 Summer 58 ROU 1968 Summer 82 SMR 1968 Summer 4 SEN 1968 Summer 21 SLE 1968 Summer 3 SIN 1968 Summer 4 URS 1968 Summer 312 ESP 1968 Summer 122 SUD 1968 Summer 5 SUR 1968 Summer 1 SWE 1968 Summer 100 SUI 1968 Summer 85 SYR 1968 Summer 2 ROC 1968 Summer Taiwan 43 TAN 1968 Summer 4 THA 1968 Summer 41 TRI 1968 Summer 19 TUN 1968 Summer 7 TUR 1968 Summer 29 UGA 1968 Summer 11 USA 1968 Summer 357 URU 1968 Summer 27 VEN 1968 Summer 23 VIE 1968 Summer 9 ISV 1968 Summer 6 YUG 1968 Summer 69 ZAM 1968 Summer 7 Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees IOC Letter Code Country Athletes USA USA 1968 Summer 357 URS URS 1968 Summer 312 ALE FRG 1968 Summer 275 MEX MEX 1968 Summer 275 ODE GDR 1968 Summer 226 GBR GBR 1968 Summer 225 FRA FRA 1968 Summer 200 POL POL 1968 Summer 177 JPN JPN 1968 Summer 171 HUN HUN 1968 Summer 167 ITA ITA 1968 Summer 167 CAN CAN 1968 Summer 138 AUS AUS 1968 Summer 128 ESP ESP 1968 Summer 122 CHE TCH 1968 Summer 121 CUB CUB 1968 Summer 115 BUL BUL 1968 Summer 112 HOL NED 1968 Summer 107 SUE SWE 1968 Summer 100 ARG ARG 1968 Summer 89 SUI SUI 1968 Summer 85 BEL BEL 1968 Summer 82 RUM ROU 1968 Summer 82 BRA BRA 1968 Summer 76 YUG YUG 1968 Summer 69 FIN FIN 1968 Summer 66 DIN DEN 1968 Summer 64 SAL ESA 1968 Summer 60 PRI PUR 1968 Summer 58 COR KOR 1968 Summer 54 NZL NZL 1968 Summer 52 FIL PHI 1968 Summer 49 GUA GUA 1968 Summer 48 NOR NOR 1968 Summer 46 GRE GRE 1968 Summer 44 AUT AUT 1968 Summer 43 COL COL 1968 Summer 43 TWN ROC 1968 Summer Taiwan 43 THA THA 1968 Summer 41 KEN KEN 1968 Summer 39 NGR NGR 1968 Summer 36 GHA GHA 1968 Summer 31 IRL IRL 1968 Summer 31 MAS MAS 1968 Summer 31 RAU EGY 1968 Summer 30 ISR ISR 1968 Summer 29 TUR TUR 1968 Summer 29 PER PER 1968 Summer 28 URG URU 1968 Summer 27 IND IND 1968 Summer 25 JAM JAM 1968 Summer 25 MAR MAR 1968 Summer 24 VEN VEN 1968 Summer 23 CHI CHI 1968 Summer 21 SEN SEN 1968 Summer 21 POR POR 1968 Summer 20 TRI TRI 1968 Summer 19 CRC CRC 1968 Summer 18 DOM DOM 1968 Summer 18 ETI ETH 1968 Summer 18 BAH BAH 1968 Summer 16 MGL MGL 1968 Summer 16 PAN PAN 1968 Summer 16 ECU ECU 1968 Summer 15 GUI GUI 1968 Summer 15 PAK PAK 1968 Summer 15 IRN IRI 1968 Summer 14 HOK HKG 1968 Summer 11 LIB LIB 1968 Summer 11 NIC NCA 1968 Summer 11 UGA UGA 1968 Summer 11 CML CIV 1968 Summer 10 BAR BAR 1968 Summer 9 VNM VIE 1968 Summer 9 ISL ISL 1968 Summer 8 HBR HBR 1968 Summer 7 TUN TUN 1968 Summer 7 ZAM ZAM 1968 Summer 7 BER BER 1968 Summer 6 HON HON 1968 Summer 6 INA INA 1968 Summer 6 ISV ISV 1968 Summer 6 AFG AFG 1968 Summer 5 CMR CMR 1968 Summer 5 COK COK 1968 Summer 5 GUY GUY 1968 Summer 5 LUX LUX 1968 Summer 5 AHO AHO 1968 Summer 5 SUD SUD 1968 Summer 5 BOL BOL 1968 Summer 4 BIR BIR 1968 Summer 4 MAD MAD 1968 Summer 4 SMR SMR 1968 Summer 4 SIN SIN 1968 Summer 4 TAN TAN 1968 Summer 4 AGL ALG 1968 Summer 3 CEI CEY 1968 Summer 3 CHA CHA 1968 Summer 3 IRK IRQ 1968 Summer 3 SLA SLE 1968 Summer 3 KUW KUW 1968 Summer 2 LIE LIE 1968 Summer 2 MLI MLI 1968 Summer 2 MON MON 1968 Summer 2 NIG NIG 1968 Summer 2 SIR SYR 1968 Summer 2 AFC CAF 1968 Summer 1 FIJ FIJ 1968 Summer 1 LBA LBA 1968 Summer 1 MLT MLT 1968 Summer 1 PAR PAR 1968 Summer 1 SUR SUR 1968 Summer 1 Total 5,516 Calendar All dates are in Central Time Zone (UTC-6) OCOpening ceremony●Event competitions1Gold medal eventsCCClosing ceremony 100pxOctober 196812thSat13thSun14thMon15thTue16thWed17thThu18thFri19thSat20thSun21stMon22ndTue23rdWed24thThu25thFri26thSat27thSunEvents20px Ceremonies OC CCAquatics 20px|alt=|link= Diving | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 |3320px|alt=|link= Swimming | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |3 | 20px|alt=|link= Water polo | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | 20px|alt=|link= Athletics | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | | | | | | | | 36 20px|alt=|link= Basketball | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Boxing | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |11 | | 11 20px|alt=|link= Canoeing | | | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | | | 7Cycling 20px|alt=|link= Road cycling | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | |7 20px Track cycling | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | | 20px|alt=|link= Equestrian | | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | 6 20px|alt=|link= Fencing | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | 8 20px|alt=|link= Field hockey | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Football | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | 1 20px|alt=|link= Gymnastics | | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |4 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |6 | | 14 20px|alt=|link= Modern pentathlon | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 20px|alt=|link= Rowing | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |7 | | | | | | | | | 7 20px|alt=|link= Sailing | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |5 | | | | | | | 5 20px|alt=|link= Shooting | | | | | | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | | | | 7 20px|alt=|link= Volleyball | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |2 | | 2 20px|alt=|link= Weightlifting | | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |1 | | | | | | | | | 7 20px|alt=|link= Wrestling | | | | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |8 | | | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#3399ff;" |● | style="background-color:#ffcc00;" |8 | | 16Daily medal events 2 5 6 9 13 10 17 20 14 5 12 8 16 34 1 172Cumulative total 2 713 2235 45 62 82 96 101 113 121 137171 172October 196812thSat13thSun14thMon15thTue16thWed17thThu18thFri19thSat20thSun21stMon22ndTue23rdWed24thThu25thFri26thSat27thSunTotal events Boycotting countries North Korea withdrew from the 1968 Games because of two incidents that strained its relations with the IOC. First, the IOC had barred North Korean track and field athletes from the 1968 Games because they had participated in the rival Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in 1966. Secondly, the IOC had ordered the nation to compete under the name "North Korea" in the 1968 Games, whereas the country itself would have preferred its official name: "Democratic People's Republic of Korea".Grasso John Mallon Bill Heijmans Jeroen Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement https://books.google.com/books?id=uCN1CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA316 5th 2015 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Lanham 978-1-4422-4860-1 316 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) (PRK) Medal count 1968 Summer Olympics medal table List of 1968 Summer Olympics medal winners These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1968 Games. Host Mexico won nine medals in total. flagIOC 1968 Summer 45 28 34 29 32 30 11 7 7 10 10 12 9 9 7 7 3 5 7 2 4 5 11 10 5 7 5 5 5 3 See also 1968 Summer Olympics 1968 Olympics Black Power salute Further reading Heather L. Dichter. 2021. Bidding for the 1968 Olympic Games: International Sport's Cold War Battle with NATO. University of Massachusetts Press References Bibliography José Rogelio Alvarez, MEXICO 68. Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games. Produced by the Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad. Volume 1–5 (4+1 Official Souveniers[sic]), Mexico City 1969. (french/english, spanish/german) Supplement: Volume 2b – Final report, Mexico City 1969. (spanish) Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, MEXICO 68: Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games. Volume 1 – The country. Mexico City 1969. (french/english) Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, MEXICO 68: Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games. Volume 2 – The organization. Mexico City 1969. (french/english) Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, MEXICO 68: Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games. Volume 3 – The games. Mexico City 1969. (french/english) Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, MEXICO 68: Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games. Volume 4 – The cultural Olympiad. Mexico City 1969. (french/english) External links pVsQYRZgb10 Full Olympic Film - Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games 1968 Summer Olympics The Politics of Hypocrisy – Mexico '68 Luis Castañeda, "Beyond Tlatelolco: Design, Media and Politics at Mexico '68" article in Grey Room 40 (Summer 2010) Result of the 1968 Summer Olympics host city candidacies https://web.archive.org/web/20110124022022/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html 24 January 2011 An article on the American Sprinters Controversy The program of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics Research Guide to Latin American and Caribbean Sport at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign soly Tokyo XIX OlympiadMexico City 1968 Munich Olympics Mexico Sports 1960s O Category:Sports competitions in Mexico City Category:Olympic Games in Mexico Olympic Games Category:Summer Olympics by year Category:1960s in Mexico City Category:October 1968 sports events in Mexico