Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the Games of the XIX Olympiad | |
---|---|
Venue | Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez |
Dates | 17 – 26 October 1968 |
No. of events | 29 |
Competitors | 468 from 51 nations |
Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics | ||
---|---|---|
Freestyle | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | women |
800 m | women | |
1500 m | men | |
Backstroke | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
Breaststroke | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
Butterfly | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
Individual medley | ||
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | women |
Freestyle relay | ||
4×100 m | men | women |
4×200 m | men | |
Medley relay | ||
4×100 m | men | women |
The swimming competitions at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City took place from 17 to 26 October at the Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez. Swimming featured a record total of 29 events. There was a total of 468 participants from 51 countries competing.[1] 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):
- Freestyle: 100, 200, 400, and 1,500 (men's); 100, 200, 400 and 800 (women's)
- Backstroke: 100 and 200;
- Breaststroke: 100 and 200;
- Butterfly: 100 and 200;
- Individual medley: 200 and 400;
- Relays: 4×100 free, 4×200 free, 4×100 medley (men's); 4×100 free, 4×100 medley (women's)
Participating nations
468 swimmers from 51 nations competed.[1]
- Argentina (8)
- Australia (24)
- Austria (3)
- Barbados (1)
- Belgium (6)
- Brazil (4)
- Bulgaria (3)
- Canada (15)
- Taiwan (4)
- Colombia (9)
- Costa Rica (1)
- Cuba (3)
- Czechoslovakia (1)
- Denmark (3)
- East Germany (24)
- Ecuador (3)
- El Salvador (14)
- Finland (3)
- France (16)
- Great Britain (24)
- Guatemala (3)
- Hong Kong (3)
- Hungary (14)
- Iceland (4)
- Ireland (4)
- Israel (6)
- Italy (10)
- Jamaica (1)
- Japan (20)
- Lebanon (1)
- Luxembourg (1)
- Mexico (27)
- Netherlands (17)
- New Zealand (4)
- Norway (1)
- Peru (3)
- Philippines (7)
- Poland (4)
- Puerto Rico (9)
- Romania (2)
- South Korea (1)
- Soviet Union (31)
- Spain (13)
- Sweden (16)
- Switzerland (4)
- Trinidad and Tobago (1)
- United States (52)
- Uruguay (5)
- Vietnam (2)
- West Germany (27)
- Yugoslavia (6)
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 21 | 15 | 16 | 52 |
2 | Australia | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
3 | East Germany | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
4 | Yugoslavia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
5 | Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
6 | Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7 | Soviet Union | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
8 | Canada | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
9 | Great Britain | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
10 | West Germany | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
11 | France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (11 entries) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 87 |
Medal summary
Men's events
Women's events
Gallery of the medalists
Some of the Olympic medalists in Mexico City:
- Don Schollander, winner of the 4×200-metre freestyle relay.
- Mark Spitz, winner of the 4×100-metre freestyle relay and 4×200-metre freestyle relay.
- Mike Burton, winner of the 400-metre freestyle and 1500-metre freestyle.
- Debbie Meyer, winner of the 200-metre freestyle, 400-metre freestyle, and 800-metre freestyle.
- Roland Matthes, winner of the 100-metre backstroke and 200-metre backstroke.
- Carl Robie, winner of the 200-metre butterfly.
- Charlie Hickcox, winner of the 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley.
- Claudia Kolb, winner of the 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley.
- Don McKenzie, winner of the 100-metre breaststroke and 4×100-metre medley relay.
References
- "Swimming at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2016.