1968 in athletics
Encyclopedia
While the most notable story coming out of 1968 was Socio-Political
, politics involved with the Olympics was not something unique to this year. However, the year marked the beginning of several emerging elements of contemporary Track and Field.
were the first to use Fully Automatic Timing, in not only athletics, but in canoeing, rowing, cycling, equestrian and swimming competitions. Subsequently, systems to record such times became more common and thus the accuracy of Fully Automatic Timing became mandated for World Record acceptance. While this rule was officially put into place in 1977, many 1968 records still stood as the first Automatically timed record.
s were used as the competition surface for the first time at an Olympics. Since then an All-weather running track
was required for all top level competition. Subsequently, the inconsistency of the running surface became a significantly smaller factor in athletic performance.
, at high altitude, the effect of the thin air on athletic performance became a factor on world records. Following the 1968 Summer Olympics
the:
's victories in the two previous Olympic Marathon
s had announced to the world the potential of East African athletes, Kenya won its first Gold medals in Mexico City, and it won three of them, including the Steeplechase
which it would subsequently claim ownership of. Ethiopia won its third straight marathon. There has been a fierce athletic rivalry between Kenya and Ethiopia ever since, while both countries and their neighbors have dominated long distance running both on the track and on the roads.
was the first to do what is now called the "Fosbury Flop" to the High Jump. He learned to take advantage of the new foam landing pads (another technical innovation introduced in this era) by jumping over the bar backwards. Canadian Debbie Brill
started doing the "Brill Bend" about the same time, but Fosbury got the most exposure, winning the Olympics. The prevailing methods involved jumping forwards or sideways, styles called the Roll or "Western Roll" and previous to that, the "Scissors" style. After Fosbury's victory, the flop became almost the only style used by elite competitors.
1968 Olympics Black Power salute
The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute involved the African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black power salute at the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City...
, politics involved with the Olympics was not something unique to this year. However, the year marked the beginning of several emerging elements of contemporary Track and Field.
Automatic timing
While timing to the 100th of a second had been experimented with for many years, the 1968 Summer Olympics1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
were the first to use Fully Automatic Timing, in not only athletics, but in canoeing, rowing, cycling, equestrian and swimming competitions. Subsequently, systems to record such times became more common and thus the accuracy of Fully Automatic Timing became mandated for World Record acceptance. While this rule was officially put into place in 1977, many 1968 records still stood as the first Automatically timed record.
All weather tracks
This technology too had been developing, but Tartan trackTartan track
Tartan Track is the trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane which is used for track and field competitions. It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces...
s were used as the competition surface for the first time at an Olympics. Since then an All-weather running track
All-weather running track
An all weather running track is the common term to describe a rubberized artificial running surface for the sport of Track and field athletics. Throughout the history of the sport, there has always been a search for a consistent surface that gave competitors an equal advantage, to test their...
was required for all top level competition. Subsequently, the inconsistency of the running surface became a significantly smaller factor in athletic performance.
Altitude
With the Olympics happening in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, at high altitude, the effect of the thin air on athletic performance became a factor on world records. Following the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
the:
- Men's 100 meters record, set by Jim HinesJim HinesJames "Jim" Ray Hines is a former American track and field athlete, who held the 100 m world record for 15 years. He was the first sprinter to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters.-Track career:...
lasted almost 15 years, to be replaced by another mark set by Calvin SmithCalvin SmithCalvin Smith is a former sprint track and field athlete from the United States. He is a former World Record holder in the 100 metre sprint, and was twice World Champion over 200 metres...
at altitude in Colorado Springs that lasted another four years. - Men's 200 meters record, set by Tommie SmithTommie SmithTommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
lasted almost 11, to be replaced by another mark also set on the same track that lasted almost 17 more years. At the high altitude United States Olympic TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (track and field)The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
at Echo SummitEcho SummitEcho Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S...
CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
that year, John CarlosJohn CarlosJohn Wesley Carlos is a Cuban American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics and his black power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy...
had posted a prior world record that was never ratified due to his shoes. - Men's 400 meters record, set by Lee EvansLee Evans (athlete)Lee Edward Evans is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics....
lasted almost 20 years. At the high altitude United States Olympic TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (track and field)The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
at Echo SummitEcho SummitEcho Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S...
CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
that year, Evans had posted a prior world record that was also never ratified due to his shoes. Larry JamesLarry JamesGeorge Lawrence "Larry" James was an American track athlete.-Biography:James was born on November 6, 1947, in Mount Pleasant, New York, and took up track in seventh grade...
in second place, also beat the previous world record and was awarded the record. - Men's 400 meter hurdles record that was set by Geoff VanderstockGeoff VanderstockGeoffrey Peter "Geoff" Vanderstock is an American track and field athlete primarily known for running hurdles. He was once the World Record holder in the 400 metres hurdles. His 48.94 was set at the high altitude United States Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, California on September 11, 1968...
at the high altitude United States Olympic TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (track and field)The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
that year, was improved upon at the Olympics by David HemeryDavid HemeryDavid Peter Hemery, CBE, is a British former athlete, winner of the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics.He was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but his father's work took the family to the United States, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University.Hemery's first...
and lasted four years. - Men's Long Jump record had been set a year earlier in a Mexico City preparation meet, but was improved upon by Bob BeamonBob BeamonRobert "Bob" Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, which remained the world record for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as...
an incredible 22 inches or 55 cm. That record lasted almost 23 years and still has only been beaten once. The feat was so outstanding it coined a new adjective "beamonesque" - Men's Triple Jump recordWorld record progression triple jumpThe following table shows the World Record Progression in the Men's and Women's triple jump, officially ratified by the IAAF.-Men's World Record Progression:...
was set and improved five times at Mexico City including on the last jump in the competition by Viktor SaneyevViktor SaneyevViktor Saneyev is a retired triple jumper, who competed internationally for the USSR and won four Olympic medals; three golds and one silver . He was born in Sukhumi, Georgian SSR. He dominated the event during the late 1960s and 1970s...
, three years later it was improved upon again, by Pedro PérezPedro PérezPedro Pérez Dueñas is a retired triple jumper from Cuba. He set the world record in the men's triple jump event on August 5, 1971, jumping 17.40 metres in the final of the Pan American Games.-Achievements:-References:* *...
at altitude in CaliCalìCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. A year later that was improved upon at sea level by Saneyev, but three years later the record was again set at Mexico City by João Carlos de OliveiraJoão Carlos de OliveiraJoão Carlos de Oliveira, also known as "João do Pulo" was a Brazilian athlete who competed in the triple jump and the long jump....
, which lasted ten more years. - Men's Pole Vault was set at the high altitude United States Olympic TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (track and field)The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
by Bob SeagrenBob SeagrenRobert "Bob" Seagren was an American pole vaulter, the 1968 Olympic champion.A native of Pomona, California, Bob Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won six National AAU and four NCAA titles indoors and outdoors. Indoors he posted eight world...
, the eventual gold medalist. The record lasted until the next summer. The current World Record in the Pole VaultPole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
, was set at altitude in SestriereSestriereSestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by Sergey Bubka in 1994 and has not been challenged since. - Men's 4x100 RelayMen's 4 x 100 metres relay world record progressionThe first world record in the 4 x 100 metres relay for men was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912....
record was set three times in Mexico City, including both semi-finals and the final by the which lasted until the next Olympics - Men's 4x400 RelayMen's 4 x 400 metres relay world record progressionThe first world record in the 4 x 400 metres for men was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912....
record by the lasted almost 24 years (although it was equalled after 20 years). - Women's 100 meter record, set by Wyomia TyusWyomia TyusWyomia Tyus is an American athlete, and the first person to retain the Olympic title in the 100 m....
lasted almost 4 years. - Women's 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
record, set by Irena SzewińskaIrena SzewinskaIrena Szewińska is a retired Polish Jewish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events....
lasted almost 2 years. - Women's Long JumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
record, set by Viorica ViscopoleanuViorica ViscopoleanuViorica Viscopoleanu is a Romanian athlete who competed mainly in the long jump.She was born in Budinet, then in Romania, now in Ukraine....
lasted almost 2 years. - Women's 4x100 Relay4 x 100 metres relayThe 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
record, set by the lasted until the next Olympics
East Africa
1968 marked the emergence of high altitude trained long distance runners from Kenya. While Abebe BikilaAbebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila was a two-time Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia. A stadium in Addis Ababa is named in his honor.-1932–1959:...
's victories in the two previous Olympic Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s had announced to the world the potential of East African athletes, Kenya won its first Gold medals in Mexico City, and it won three of them, including the Steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
which it would subsequently claim ownership of. Ethiopia won its third straight marathon. There has been a fierce athletic rivalry between Kenya and Ethiopia ever since, while both countries and their neighbors have dominated long distance running both on the track and on the roads.
Fosbury Flop
Dick FosburyDick Fosbury
Richard Douglas "Dick" Fosbury is one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He completely revolutionized the high jump event, inventing a unique "back-first" technique, now known as the Fosbury Flop, adopted by almost all high jumpers today. His method was to sprint...
was the first to do what is now called the "Fosbury Flop" to the High Jump. He learned to take advantage of the new foam landing pads (another technical innovation introduced in this era) by jumping over the bar backwards. Canadian Debbie Brill
Debbie Brill
Debbie Brill OC is a Canadian high jump athlete who was the first North American woman to clear 6 feet, at age 16. Her unique reverse jumping style was called the "Brill Bend"...
started doing the "Brill Bend" about the same time, but Fosbury got the most exposure, winning the Olympics. The prevailing methods involved jumping forwards or sideways, styles called the Roll or "Western Roll" and previous to that, the "Scissors" style. After Fosbury's victory, the flop became almost the only style used by elite competitors.