The 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City celebrated the 16th modern occurrence of this elite sporting event. The high altitude proved advantageous for events requiring bursts of energy such as the high jump and sprint races but hindered the performance of events requiring endurance like cross-country track races. For the first time in Olympic history, all medal-winning athletes were subjected to drug testing before the presentation ceremony. Female athletes were subjected to gender verification testing for the first time.
Men's Track
Men's track saw records broken and a number of Olympic firsts during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. Runners broke every record held for men's track races 400 meters and shorter. The men's long jump and triple jump records were bested as well. Bob Beamon from the United States set a long jump record of 8.90 meters that was not beaten for 22 years. Dick Fosbury won the men's high jump, introducing his personal jumping style known as the "Fosbury Flop."
Other Notable Medals
Swimmer Debbie Meyer of the United States won three gold medals in freestyle racing. Klaus Kibiasi from Italy captured the first of the three gold medals for platform diving he would win during his Olympic career. Boris Lagutin of the Soviet Union won his second gold medal in middleweight boxing. Japanese gymnast Kato Sawao won the gold medal in the combined exercises, a gold in the floor exercise, and a bronze in the rings.
World Politics
The 1968 Summer Olympic Games were said to be the most politically charged Olympics since the 1936 Games in Britain. Before the games opened, Mexican police fired upon student protestors opposing the government spending money on preparing for the Olympics instead of on social programs. East Germany and West Germany competed as separate countries for the first time. Members from the U.S. Olympic team showed solidarity for the civil rights movement during the medal ceremony.
U.S. Civil Rights
Two black medal-winning athletes from the United States raised a black-gloved fist and bowed their heads as a show of solidarity to the civil rights movement in the United States during the playing of the national anthem at the medal ceremony. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, winners of the gold and bronze medal in the 200-meter dash, were expelled from the Olympic Village as a result of their protest against racial segregation.
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