Sporting event delegation
The United States competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City . 357 competitors, 274 men and 83 women, took part in 167 events in 18 sports.[ 1]
Medalists
The United States finished first in the final medal rankings, with 45 gold and 107 total medals.
The following U.S. competitors won medals at the games. In the discipline sections below, the medalists' names are bolded .
Medals by day
Day
Date
Total
1
October 13
0
0
0
0
2
October 14
2
1
1
4
3
October 15
2
1
1
4
4
October 16
2
0
2
4
5
October 17
3
1
1
5
6
October 18
3
2
3
8
7
October 19
4
3
5
12
8
October 20
8
7
3
18
9
October 21
4
4
3
11
10
October 22
1
2
3
6
11
October 23
6
1
2
9
12
October 24
2
2
7
11
13
October 25
3
2
2
7
14
October 26
5
2
1
8
15
October 27
0
0
0
0
Total
45
28
34
107
Medals by gender
Gender
Total
Male
30
20
24
74
Female
15
8
10
33
Total
45
28
34
107
a Athletes who participated in the heats only.
Athletics
Key
Note –Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or , in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
Track and road events
Men
Women
Field events
Men
Women
Combined event – Men's decathlon
Athlete
Event
{100 m
LJ
SP
HJ
400 m
110 m H
DT
PV
JT
1500 m
Final
Rank
Rick Sloan
Result
11.2
6.72
14.07
2.10
51.0
15.5
45.58
4.85
49.90
4:44.0
7692
7
Points
756
761
733
942
762
797
792
1017
632
500
Bill Toomey
Result
10.4
7.87
13.75
1.95
45.6
14.9
43.68
4.20
62.80
4:57.1
8193 OR
Points
959
994
712
813
1021
859
757
859
795
424
Tom Waddell
Result
11.3
7.47
14.45
2.01
51.2
15.3
43.73
4.50
63.70
5:04.5
7719
6
Points
733
915
756
865
753
817
758
932
806
384
Combined event – Women's pentathlon
Athlete
Event
80 m H
SP
HJ
LJ
200 m
Final
Rank
Cathy Hamblin
Result
11.9
10.66
1.50
5.72
25.3
4330
24
Points
904
761
836
924
905
Pat Winslow
Result
11.4
13.33
1.65
5.97
24.5
4877
6
Points
979
943
996
982
977
Basketball
Summary
Roster
Name [ 2]
Position
Height
Weight
Age
Team/School
Home Town
Mike Barrett
G
6'2"
155
25
U.S. Armed Forces (West Virginia Tech )
Richwood, West Virginia
John Clawson
G
6'4"
200
24
U.S. Armed Forces (Michigan )
Naperville, Illinois
Don Dee
F
6'7"
205
25
St. Mary of the Plains Col. (KS)
Kansas City, Missouri
Calvin Fowler
G
6'1"
170
27
Goodyear Wingfoots (St. Francis )
Akron, Ohio
Spencer Haywood
C
6'8"
225
19
Trinidad State Junior College
Detroit, Michigan
Bill Hosket
F
6'8"
220
21
Ohio State University
Dayton, Ohio
Jim King
F
6'7"
200
25
Goodyear Wingfoots (Okla. St. )
Akron, Ohio
Glynn Saulters
G
6'2"
175
23
Northeast Louisiana University
Lisbon, Louisiana
Charlie Scott
F
6'5"
180
19
University of North Carolina
New York, New York
Mike Silliman
F
6'6"
225
23
U.S. Armed Forces (Military Acd. )
Louisville, Kentucky
Ken Spain
C
6'9"
240
22
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
Jo Jo White
G
6'3"
195
21
University of Kansas
St. Louis, Missouri
The roster was led by future NBA All-Stars Haywood (19 years old) and White (21 years old), who led the team in scoring, with an average of 16.3 points and 11.7 points respectively.[ 3] Haywood was the youngest player to make the USA basketball team at the time.
USA Basketball also selected 6 alternates to the U.S. squad; Tom Black of the Goodyear Wingfoots , George Carter of the US Army, Joe Hamilton of Christian College of the Southwest (TX) Junior College , Dan Issel of the University of Kentucky , Rick Mount of Purdue University and Charlie Paulk of Northeastern Oklahoma College .[ 4]
Notably absent from the squad or the list of alternates were Pete Maravich , who led the NCAA in scoring during his sophomore season at LSU and would go on to set the NCAA career scoring record of 3,667 points, and reigning NCAA Champion and Player of the Year Lew Alcindor , who chose not to try out for the Olympic team in protest at the treatment of African Americans in the United States, stating that he was "trying to point out to the world the futility of winning the gold medal for this country and then coming back to live under oppression."[ 5] Some of other NCAA stars, such as Elvin Hayes , Wes Unseld , Bob Lanier and Calvin Murphy , were also absent. As such, the Americans were severely weakened.
Boxing
Canoeing
Men
Women
Qualification Legend: QF = Qualify to final; SF = Qualify to semifinal; R = Qualify to repechage
Cycling
Fifteen cyclists represented the United States in 1968.
Road
Track
Pursuit
Sprint
Time trial
Diving
Men
Women
Equestrian
Dressage
Eventing
Jumping
Fencing
20 fencers represented the United States in 1968.
Men
Women
Gymnastics
Men
All-around
Athlete
Event
Apparatus
Total
Floor exercise
Pommel horse
Rings
Vault
Parallel bars
Horizontal bar
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
Score
Rank
Kanati Allen
Individual
9.10
9.20
18.30
=34
9.00
8.55
17.55
=58
7.80
8.50
16.30
99
9.00
9.15
18.15
=54
7.70
9.05
16.75
=102
8.80
9.50
18.40
=56
105.45
80
Steve Cohen
8.85
8.75
17.60
=75
9.00
8.35
17.35
=67
9.30
9.60
18.90
=9
8.95
9.05
18.00
=68
9.10
9.50
18.60
=41
8.90
9.40
18.30
=56
108.75
46
Sid Freudenstein
9.15
9.50
18.65
=14
8.75
7.85
16.60
93
8.90
9.15
18.05
=44
9.10
8.95
18.05
=63
8.95
9.40
18.25
=63
8.95
9.45
18.40
53
108.00
57
Steve Hug
9.00
9.15
18.15
=42
9.30
9.40
18.70
19
8.80
9.10
17.90
=52
8.75
9.05
17.80
=83
9.05
9.40
18.45
=51
9.25
9.35
18.60
=39
109.60
36
Fred Roethlisberger
8.95
9.40
18.35
=32
8.85
8.70
17.55
=58
9.15
9.20
18.35
27
9.25
9.15
18.40
=30
9.10
9.50
18.60
=41
9.10
9.35
18.45
=47
109.70
=34
Dave Thor
9.15
9.30
18.45
=26
9.50
9.60
19.10
=4
9.00
9.00
18.00
=47
9.10
9.40
18.50
=23
8.70
9.30
18.00
=74
9.05
9.50
18.55
=42
110.60
24
Kanati Allen Steve Cohen Sid Freudenstein Steve Hug Fred Roethlisberger Dave Thor
Team
45.35
46.55
—
45.65
44.60
—
45.15
46.05
—
45.40
45.80
—
44.80
47.10
—
45.25
47.20
—
548.90
7
Women
All-around
Athlete
Event
Apparatus
Total
Vault
Uneven bars
Balance beam
Floor exercise
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
C
V
Total
Rank
Score
Rank
Wendy Cluff
Individual
9.05
8.75
17.80
=58
8.75
9.00
17.75
46
9.20
9.00
18.20
=33
9.10
8.95
18.05
42
71.80
39
Kathy Gleason
9.20
9.30
18.50
=29
9.00
9.30
18.30
29
9.15
9.30
18.45
=27
9.20
9.05
18.25
=33
73.30
31
Linda Metheny
9.35
9.05
18.40
=31
9.40
8.75
18.15
=34
9.60
9.55
19.15
3 Q
9.30
9.00
18.30
32
74.00
28
Colleen Mulvihill
8.95
8.90
17.85
=53
9.20
9.30
18.50
=24
9.40
9.30
18.70
=18
9.15
8.85
18.00
=43
73.05
34
Cathy Rigby
9.20
9.10
18.30
=36
9.40
9.50
18.90
=12
9.55
9.45
19.00
=5
9.45
9.30
18.75
=20
74.95
16
Joyce Tanac
9.25
9.20
18.45
30
9.20
9.20
18.40
27
9.25
9.20
18.45
=27
9.25
9.10
18.35
31
73.65
30
Wendy Cluff Kathy Gleason Linda Metheny Colleen Mulvihill Cathy Rigby Joyce Tanac
Team
46.05
45.55
—
46.20
46.30
—
47.00
46.80
—
46.35
45.40
—
369.75
6
Apparatus
Modern pentathlon
Three pentathletes represented the United States in 1968.
Athlete
Event
Riding(Cross-country steeplechase)
Fencing(Épée)
Shooting(Rapid-fire pistol)
Swimming(300 m freestyle)
Running(4000 m cross-country)
Total
Time
Penalties
Rank
MP
V
Rank
MP (AIP )
Score
Penalties
Rank
MP
Time
Rank
MP
Time
Rank
MP
MP Points
Rank
Robert Beck
Individual
3:41
90
27
1010
28
=8
885 (896 )
190
0
=13
912
4:06.5
28
925
16:10.3
42
655
4387
22
Tom Lough
3:32
120
31
980
18
=37
655 (662 )
187
0
=25
846
3:56.4
12
988
15:15.2
24
820
4289
29
James Moore
3:36
60
=13
1040
24
=22
793 (766 )
190
0
=13
912
4:05.5
=26
931
14:36.8
9
937
4613
11
Robert Beck Tom Lough James Moore
Team
—
3030
—
2324
—
2670
—
2844
—
2412
13280
4
Rowing
Qualification Legend: FA =Final A (medal); FB =Final B (non-medal); SF =Semifinal; R =Repechage
Sailing
Shooting
Twelve shooters represented the United States in 1968. Gary Anderson won gold in the 300 m rifle, three positions, John Writer won silver in the 50 m rifle, three positions, and Thomas Garrigus won silver in the trap.
Swimming
Men
Women
a Swimmers who participated in the heats only.
Volleyball
Summary
Men's tournament
Defeated Soviet Union (3-2)
Lost to Czechoslovakia (1-3)
Defeated Brazil (3-0)
Lost to Bulgaria (2-3)
Lost to Poland (0-3)
Lost to East Germany (0-3)
Lost to Japan (0-3)
Defeated Mexico (3-1)
Defeated Belgium (3-0) → Seventh place
Women's tournament
Lost to Japan (0-3)
Lost to Czechoslovakia (1-3)
Lost to Poland (0-3)
Lost to South Korea (1-3)
Lost to Soviet Union (1-3)
Lost to Peru (1-3)
Lost to Mexico (0-3) → 8th and last place
Water polo
Summary
Team Competition
Preliminary round (group A)
Defeated Brazil (10:5)
Defeated Spain (10:7)
Tied with Cuba (6:6)
Lost to Hungary (1:5)
Lost to Soviet Union (3:8)
Defeated West Germany (7:5)
5th/8th place : Defeated Netherlands (6:3)
5th/6th place : Defeated East Germany (6:4) → 5th place
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Key :
TF – Victory by fall .
SP - Win by technical superiority
PP - Win by technical points
References
^ "United States at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games" . sports-reference.com . Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2011 .
^ "1968 USA Men's Olympic Games Roster Archived January 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ." usabasketball.com. Retrieved on May 6, 2014.
^ Team Leaders.
^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search" .
^ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar details passing on 1968 Olympics in new book" . NBC Sports . May 22, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2024 .
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill ; et al. "United States Volleyball at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games" . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC . Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
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