The , officially known as the '''Games of the XIX Olympiad''', were held in
Mexico City in
1968 . Mexico City beat out bids from
Detroit ,
Buenos Aires and
Lyon to host the Games in
1963 . The Games were preceded by the
Tlatelolco Massacre , in which hundreds of students were killed by Mexican security forces ten days before the opening day.
- The high altitude of Mexico City (2240 m) made it difficult for many endurance athletes to adapt to the oxygen-deprived air. The high altitude was also credited with contributing to many record setting jumps and leaps in the long jump, high jump and pole vault events.
- For the first time, athletes from East and West Germany were members of separate teams, after having competed in a combined team in 1964.
- US Discus Throw er Al Oerter , won his fourth consecutive Gold Medal in the event to become only the second athlete to achieve this feat in an individual event.
- Bob Beamon jumped 8.90 m in the Long Jump , a 55 cm improvement of the world record that would stand until 1991 . United States athletes Jim Hines and Lee Evans also set long world records in the 100m and 400m, respectively, that would last for many years to come.
- In the Triple Jump , the previous world record was improved five times by three different athletes.
- Dick Fosbury won the gold medal in the High Jump using the radical Fosbury Flop technique, which quickly became the dominant technique in the event.
- In the 200 m medal award ceremony, two African-American athletes Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) raised their black-gloved fists as a symbol of Black Power . As punishment, the International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympic Games for life.
- Czechoslovakia n Gymnast Věra Čáslavská won four gold medals.
- United States swimmer Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals, in the 200, 400 and 800 m Freestyle events.
- The introduction of Pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was disqualified for Alcohol use.
- John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania became internationally famous after finishing the marathon in last place despite a dislocated knee.
- This was the first of three Olympic participations by Jacques Rogge . He competed in Yachting and would later become the 8th President Of The International Olympic Committee .
- Norma Enriqueta Basilio (a mexican athlete) became the first woman to light the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic flame.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
(''Host nation in .'')
