Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics

Swimming
at the Games of the XIX Olympiad
VenueAlberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez
Dates17 – 26 October 1968
No. of events29
Competitors468 from 51 nations

The swimming competitions at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City took place from 17 to 26 October at the Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez.[1] Swimming featured a record total of 29 events. There was a total of 468 participants from 51 countries competing.[2] The United States dominated the competition, winning 52 of 87 possible medals. 15-year-old American phenom Debbie Meyer from Maryland won three gold medals.

Events

Swimming at the 1968 Olympics featured a total of 29 events (15 for men and 14 for women). This was a significant increase from the 18 events contested in the previous Olympic Games. The following events were contested (all pool events are long course, and distances are in meters):[1]

Participating nations

468 swimmers from 51 nations competed.[2]

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States21151652
2 Australia3238
3 East Germany2316
4 Yugoslavia1102
5 Mexico1012
6 Netherlands1001
7 Soviet Union0448
8 Canada0314
9 Great Britain0101
10 West Germany0022
11 France0011
Totals (11 entries)29292987

Medal summary

Men's events

Games Gold Silver Bronze
100 m freestyle
details
Michael Wenden
 Australia
52.2 WR Ken Walsh
 United States
52.8 Mark Spitz
 United States
53.0
200 m freestyle
details
Michael Wenden
 Australia
1:55.2 OR Don Schollander
 United States
1:55.8 John Nelson
 United States
1:58.1
400 m freestyle
details
Mike Burton
 United States
4:09.0 OR Ralph Hutton
 Canada
4:11.7 Alain Mosconi
 France
4:13.3
1500 m freestyle
details
Mike Burton
 United States
16:38.9 OR John Kinsella
 United States
16:57.3 Greg Brough
 Australia
17:04.7
100 m backstroke
details
Roland Matthes
 East Germany
58.7 OR Charlie Hickcox
 United States
1:00.2 Ronnie Mills
 United States
1:00.5
200 m backstroke
details
Roland Matthes
 East Germany
2:09.6 OR Mitch Ivey
 United States
2:10.6 Jack Horsley
 United States
2:10.9
100 m breaststroke
details
Don McKenzie
 United States
1:07.7 OR Vladimir Kosinsky
 Soviet Union
1:08.0 Nikolai Pankin
 Soviet Union
1:08.0
200 m breaststroke
details
Felipe Muñoz
 Mexico
2:28.7 Vladimir Kosinsky
 Soviet Union
2:29.2 Brian Job
 United States
2:29.9
100 m butterfly
details
Doug Russell
 United States
55.9 OR Mark Spitz
 United States
56.4 Ross Wales
 United States
57.2
200 m butterfly
details
Carl Robie
 United States
2:08.7 Martyn Woodroffe
 Great Britain
2:09.0 John Ferris
 United States
2:09.3
200 m individual medley
details
Charlie Hickcox
 United States
2:12.0 OR Greg Buckingham
 United States
2:13.0 John Ferris
 United States
2:13.3
400 m individual medley
details
Charlie Hickcox
 United States
4:48.4 Gary Hall, Sr.
 United States
4:48.7 Michael Holthaus
 West Germany
4:51.4
4×100 m freestyle relay
details
 United States (USA)
Zac Zorn
Stephen Rerych
Ken Walsh
Mark Spitz
3:31.7 WR  Soviet Union (URS)
Georgi Kulikov
Viktor Mazanov
Semyon Belits-Geiman
Leonid Ilyichov
3:34.2  Australia (AUS)
Greg Rogers
Robert Cusack
Bob Windle
Michael Wenden
3:34.7
4×200 m freestyle relay
details
 United States (USA)
John Nelson
Stephen Rerych
Mark Spitz
Don Schollander
7:52.3  Australia (AUS)
Greg Rogers
Graham White
Bob Windle
Michael Wenden
7:53.7  Soviet Union (URS)
Vladimir Bure
Semyon Belits-Geiman
Georgi Kulikov
Leonid Ilyichov
8:01.6
4×100 m medley relay
details
 United States (USA)
Charlie Hickcox
Don McKenzie
Doug Russell
Ken Walsh
3:54.9 WR  East Germany (GDR)
Roland Matthes
Egon Henninger
Horst-Günter Gregor
Frank Wiegand
3:57.5  Soviet Union (URS)
Yuri Gromak
Vladimir Nemshilov
Vladimir Kosinsky
Leonid Ilyichov
4:00.7

Women's events

Games Gold Silver Bronze
100 m freestyle
details
Jan Henne
 United States
1:00.0 Susan Pedersen
 United States
1:00.3 Linda Gustavson
 United States
1:00.3
200 m freestyle
details
Debbie Meyer
 United States
2:10.5 OR Jan Henne
 United States
2:11.0 Jane Barkman
 United States
2:11.2
400 m freestyle
details
Debbie Meyer
 United States
4:31.8 OR Linda Gustavson
 United States
4:35.5 Karen Moras
 Australia
4:37.0
800 m freestyle
details
Debbie Meyer
 United States
9:24.0 OR Pam Kruse
 United States
9:35.7 Maria Teresa Ramírez
 Mexico
9:38.5
100 m backstroke
details
Kaye Hall
 United States
1:06.2 WR Elaine Tanner
 Canada
1:06.7 Jane Swagerty
 United States
1:08.1
200 m backstroke
details
Lillian Watson
 United States
2:24.8 OR Elaine Tanner
 Canada
2:27.4 Kaye Hall
 United States
2:28.9
100 m breaststroke
details
Đurđica Bjedov
 Yugoslavia
1:15.8 OR Galina Prozumenshchikova
 Soviet Union
1:15.9 Sharon Wichman
 United States
1:16.1
200 m breaststroke
details
Sharon Wichman
 United States
2:44.4 OR Đurđica Bjedov
 Yugoslavia
2:46.4 Galina Prozumenshchikova
 Soviet Union
2:47.0
100 m butterfly
details
Lyn McClements
 Australia
1:05.5 Ellie Daniel
 United States
1:05.8 Susan Shields
 United States
1:06.2
200 m butterfly
details
Ada Kok
 Netherlands
2:24.7 OR Helga Lindner
 East Germany
2:24.8 Ellie Daniel
 United States
2:25.9
200 m individual medley
details
Claudia Kolb
 United States
2:24.7 OR Susan Pedersen
 United States
2:28.8 Jan Henne
 United States
2:31.4
400 m individual medley
details
Claudia Kolb
 United States
5:08.5 OR Lynn Vidali
 United States
5:22.2 Sabine Steinbach
 East Germany
5:25.3
4×100 m freestyle relay
details
 United States (USA)
Jane Barkman
Linda Gustavson
Susan Pedersen
Jan Henne
4:02.5 OR  East Germany (GDR)
Gabriele Wetzko
Roswitha Krause
Uta Schmuck
Martina Grunert
4:05.7  Canada (CAN)
Angela Coughlan
Marilyn Corson
Elaine Tanner
Marion Lay
4:07.2
4×100 m medley relay
details
 United States (USA)
Kaye Hall
Catie Ball
Ellie Daniel
Susan Pedersen
4:28.3 OR  Australia (AUS)
Lynne Watson
Judy Playfair
Lyn McClements
Janet Steinbeck
4:30.0  West Germany (FRG)
Angelika Kraus
Uta Frommater
Heike Hustede
Heidemarie Reineck
4:36.4

Gallery of the medalists

Some of the Olympic medalists in Mexico City:

References

  1. ^ a b "Olympedia – Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Swimming at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
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