Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres
| Men's 400 metres at the Games of the XIX Olympiad | |
|---|---|
| Venue | University Olympic Stadium, Mexico City |
| Dates | 16–18 October 1968 |
| Competitors | 55 from 36 nations |
| Winning time | 43.86 WR |
| Medalists | |
| Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| File:Olympic Athletics.png | ||
| Track events | ||
| 100 m | men | women |
| 200 m | men | women |
| 400 m | men | women |
| 800 m | men | women |
| 1500 m | men | |
| 5000 m | men | |
| 10,000 m | men | |
| 80 m hurdles | women | |
| 110 m hurdles | men | |
| 400 m hurdles | men | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | men | |
| 4 × 100 m relay | men | women |
| 4 × 400 m relay | men | |
| Road events | ||
| Marathon | men | |
| 20 km walk | men | |
| 50 km walk | men | |
| Field events | ||
| Long jump | men | women |
| Triple jump | men | |
| High jump | men | women |
| Pole vault | men | |
| Shot put | men | women |
| Discus throw | men | women |
| Javelin throw | men | women |
| Hammer throw | men | |
| Combined events | ||
| Pentathlon | women | |
| Decathlon | men | |
The men's 400 metres was an event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The competition was held between 16–18 of October.[1] Times are listed as both hand timing and automatic timing. Hand timing was the official time used in the 1968 Olympics. Fifty-five athletes from 36 nations competed.[2] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Lee Evans of the United States, the fourth consecutive and 11th overall title in the event by an American. The Americans swept the podium, the second time a podium sweep occurred in the men's 400 metres (the United States had previously done it in 1904, when the nation had 10 of the 12 competitors).
Background
This was the sixteenth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Andrzej Badeński of Poland, who had won bronze in 1964, was the only finalist from the Tokyo Games to compete again in 1968. The United States team was "dominant in this event in 1968"; Larry James held the world record at 44.1 seconds, Lee Evans was the AAU and NCAA champion, and even the third member of the team, Ron Freeman, ran well below Olympic record time at the U.S. trials.[2] Barbados, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Morocco, Nicaragua, and Sudan appeared in this event for the first time. The federation of Malaysia also competed for the first time, though Malaya had previously appeared. East and West Germany competed separately for the first time. The United States made its sixteenth appearance in the event, the only nation to compete in it at every Olympic Games to that point.
Competition format
The competition retained the basic four-round format from 1920. The "fastest loser" system, introduced in 1964, was available but not used in 1968 because there was no need to balance quarterfinals as there were 8 heats in the first round. Those heats each had between 6 and 8 athletes, with the top four advancing. The 4 quarterfinals each had 8 runners; the top four athletes in each quarterfinal heat advanced to the semifinals. The semifinals featured 2 heats of 8 runners each. The top four runners in each semifinal heat advanced, making an eight-man final.[2][3]
Records
Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | File:Flag of the United States.svg Larry James (USA) | 44.1 | Echo Summit, United States | 14 September 1968 |
| Olympic record | File:Flag of the United States.svg Otis Davis (USA) | 44.9 | Rome, Italy | 6 September 1960 |
Lee Evans broke the Olympic record with a 44.8 second run in the second semifinal; both Larry James and Martin Jellinghaus matched the old record in that same semifinal. All three Americans broke the new record in the final, with Evans (43.8 seconds) and James (43.9 seconds) also coming in under the world record time. Evans' auto-timed result of 43.86 seconds was not official under the rules at that point (which used hand-timed results) but was later recognized as the initial world record upon the switch to automatic timing as official in 1977.
Schedule
The quarterfinals were held on the second day (with the semifinals) rather than the first day (with the first round heats), a change from previous years. All times are Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 16 October 1968 | 15:40 | Round 1 |
| Thursday, 17 October 1968 | 15:20 18:00 |
Quarterfinals Semifinals |
| Friday, 18 October 1968 | 15:50 | Final |
Results
Round 1
The top four runners in each of the eight heats advanced to the quarterfinal round.
Heat 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Evans | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.3 | 45.40 | Q |
| 2 | Claver Kamanya | File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania | 45.7 | 45.74 | Q |
| 3 | Christian Nicolau | File:Flag of France.svg France | 45.7 | 45.77 | Q |
| 4 | Sam Bugri | File:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana | 45.8 | 45.88 | Q |
| 5 | Manfred Kinder | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 46.9 | 46.95 | |
| 6 | Ezra Burnham | File:Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados | 47.9 | 47.94 |
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Heat 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrzej Badeński | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.5 | 45.52 | Q |
| 2 | Clifton Forbes | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 45.7 | 45.75 | Q |
| 3 | Larry James | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.8 | 45.83 | Q |
| 4 | Daniel Rudisha | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 46.9 | 46.96 | Q |
| 5 | Angelo Hussein | File:Flag of Sudan (1956-1970).svg Sudan | 47.7 | 47.80 | |
| 6 | Victor Asirvatham | File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia | 48.0 | 48.02 |
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Heat 3
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amadou Gakou | File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal | 45.3 | 45.39 | Q |
| 2 | Tegegne Bezabeh | File:Flag of Ethiopia (1897–1974).svg Ethiopia | 45.5 | 45.60 | Q |
| 3 | Ron Freeman | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.6 | 45.67 | Q |
| 4 | Rodobaldo Díaz | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 46.4 | 46.48 | Q |
| 5 | Ramon Magariños | File:Flag of Spain (1945–1977).svg Spain | 46.9 | 46.92 | |
| 6 | Anthony Egwunyenga | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 47.3 | 47.37 | |
| 7 | Francisco Menocal | File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua | 49.1 | 49.14 |
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Heat 4
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Jellinghaus | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 46.4 | 46.50 | Q |
| 2 | Pedro Grajales | File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia | 46.7 | 46.73 | Q |
| 3 | Michael Zerbes | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg East Germany | 46.8 | 46.84 | Q |
| 4 | Ross MacKenzie | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 47.0 | 47.05 | Q |
| 5 | Howard Davies | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 47.2 | 47.30 | |
| 6 | Jacques Pennewaert | File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 48.5 | 48.55 | |
| 7 | José Astacio | File:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador | 52.9 | 52.92 |
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Heat 5
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amos Omolo | File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda | 45.8 | 45.85 | Q |
| 2 | Munyoro Nyamau | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 45.9 | 45.91 | Q |
| 3 | Jean-Claude Nallet | File:Flag of France.svg France | 45.9 | 45.93 | Q |
| 4 | Helmar Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 45.9 | 45.98 | Q |
| 5 | José Jacinto Hidalgo | File:Flag of Venezuela (1954–2006).png Venezuela | 46.3 | 46.32 | |
| 6 | Carlos Martínez | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 47.2 | 47.28 | |
| 7 | Tony Harper | File:Flag of Bermuda (1910–1999).svg Bermuda | 49.1 | 49.18 |
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Heat 6
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan Werner | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.9 | 45.97 | Q |
| 2 | Martin Winbolt-Lewis | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 46.2 | 46.27 | Q |
| 3 | Mamman Makama | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 46.4 | 46.49 | Q |
| 4 | Sergio Bello | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 46.5 | 46.54 | Q |
| 5 | Eddy Téllez | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 46.7 | 46.80 | |
| 6 | Noel Carroll | File:Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg Ireland | 46.8 | 46.83 | |
| 7 | José L'Oficial | File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic | 47.9 | 47.93 |
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Heat 7
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naftali Bon | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 46.2 | 46.21 | Q |
| 2 | Jan Balachowski | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 46.2 | 46.23 | Q |
| 3 | Musa Dogon Yaro | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 46.2 | 46.24 | Q |
| 4 | Gilles Bertould | File:Flag of France.svg France | 46.3 | 46.31 | Q |
| 5 | Don Domansky | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 46.4 | 46.46 | |
| 6 | Melesio Piña | File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico | 46.8 | 46.81 | |
| 7 | Leslie Miller | File:Flag of the Bahamas (1964–1973).svg Bahamas | 46.9 | 46.99 | |
| 8 | Yoyaga Dit Coulibaly | File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast | 50.0 | 50.11 |
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Heat 8
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolfgang Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg East Germany | 46.6 | 46.66 | Q |
| 2 | Colin Campbell | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 46.6 | 46.66 | Q |
| 3 | Sergio Ottolina | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 46.7 | 46.78 | Q |
| 4 | Juan Carlos Dyrzka | File:Flag of Argentina (1861–2010).svg Argentina | 47.0 | 47.02 | Q |
| 5 | George Simon | File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago | 47.9 | 47.95 | |
| 6 | Omar Ghizlat | File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco | 48.2 | 48.23 | |
| 7 | Kun Min-Mu | File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan | 49.0 | 49.07 |
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Quarterfinals
The top four runners in each of the four heats advanced to the semifinal round.
Quarterfinal 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amadou Gakou | File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal | 45.5 | 45.56 | Q |
| 2 | Larry James | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.7 | 45.77 | Q |
| 3 | Claver Kamanya | File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania | 46.0 | 46.03 | Q |
| 4 | Ross MacKenzie | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 46.1 | 46.15 | Q |
| 5 | Musa Dogon Yaro | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 46.1 | 46.19 | |
| 6 | Colin Campbell | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 46.3 | 46.35 | |
| 7 | Naftali Bon | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 46.3 | 46.39 | |
| 8 | Sergio Bello | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 46.8 | 46.84 |
Quarterfinal 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amos Omolo | File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda | 45.3 | 45.33 | Q |
| 2 | Lee Evans | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.5 | 45.54 | Q |
| 3 | Munyoro Nyamau | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 46.1 | 46.12 | Q |
| 4 | Wolfgang Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg East Germany | 46.2 | 46.32 | Q |
| 5 | Jan Balachowski | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 46.3 | 46.33 | |
| 6 | Rodobaldo Díaz | File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Cuba | 46.3 | 46.38 | |
| 7 | Juan Carlos Dyrzka | File:Flag of Argentina (1861–2010).svg Argentina | 46.8 | 46.85 | |
| — | Christian Nicolau | File:Flag of France.svg France | DNS | — |
Quarterfinal 3
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan Werner | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.6 | 45.63 | Q |
| 2 | Martin Jellinghaus | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 45.9 | 46.00 | Q |
| 3 | Tegegne Bezabeh | File:Flag of Ethiopia (1897–1974).svg Ethiopia | 46.0 | 46.02 | Q |
| 4 | Sam Bugri | File:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana | 46.0 | 46.08 | Q |
| 5 | Clifton Forbes | File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 46.2 | 46.29 | |
| 6 | Daniel Rudisha | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 47.6 | 47.68 | |
| 7 | Gilles Bertould | File:Flag of France.svg France | 48.9 | 48.91 | |
| — | Sergio Ottolina | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | DNS | — |
Quarterfinal 4
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Freeman | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.3 | 45.31 | Q |
| 2 | Andrzej Badeński | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.6 | 45.60 | Q |
| 3 | Helmar Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 45.7 | 45.78 | Q |
| 4 | Jean-Claude Nallet | File:Flag of France.svg France | 45.7 | 45.80 | Q |
| 5 | Martin Winbolt-Lewis | File:Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain | 45.9 | 45.91 | |
| 6 | Michael Zerbes | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg East Germany | 46.1 | 46.19 | |
| 7 | Mamman Makama | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 46.4 | 46.41 | |
| 8 | Pedro Grajales | File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia | 46.5 | 46.53 |
Semifinals
Top four in each of the two heats advanced to the final round.
Semifinal 1
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amadou Gakou | File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal | 45.1 | 45.17 | Q |
| 2 | Ron Freeman | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 45.4 | 45.47 | Q |
| 3 | Andrzej Badeński | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.4 | 45.50 | Q |
| 4 | Tegegne Bezabeh | File:Flag of Ethiopia (1897–1974).svg Ethiopia | 45.5 | 45.60 | Q |
| 5 | Sam Burgi | File:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana | 45.9 | 45.92 | |
| 6 | Helmar Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 46.2 | 46.22 | |
| 7 | Claver Kamanya | File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania | 46.2 | 46.22 | |
| 8 | Wolfgang Müller | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg East Germany | 48.3 | 48.37 |
Semifinal 2
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Evans | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 44.8 | 44.83 | Q, OR |
| 2 | Larry James | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 44.9 | 44.88 | Q |
| 3 | Martin Jellinghaus | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 44.9 | 45.06 | Q |
| 4 | Amos Omolo | File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda | 45.4 | 45.52 | Q |
| 5 | Jan Werner | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.7 | 45.75 | |
| 6 | Munyoro Nyamau | File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya | 46.3 | 46.37 | |
| 7 | Jean-Claude Nallet | File:Flag of France.svg France | 49.0 | 49.01 | |
| 8 | Ross MacKenzie | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 49.2 | 49.28 |
Final
Evans nearly withdrew from the final in protest of the expulsion of his college teammates Tommie Smith and John Carlos from the Games after their Black Power salute. Smith and Carlos, however, convinced him to compete. Evans and James were the first runners to achieve times below 44 seconds in the 400 metres.[2]
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time (hand) | Time (auto) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place, gold medalist(s) | 6 | Lee Evans | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 43.8 | 43.86 | WR |
| 2nd place, silver medalist(s) | 2 | Larry James | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 43.9 | 43.97 | |
| 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) | 1 | Ron Freeman | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 44.4 | 44.41 | |
| 4 | 5 | Amadou Gakou | File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal | 45.0 | 45.01 | |
| 5 | 3 | Martin Jellinghaus | File:Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg West Germany | 45.3 | 45.33 | |
| 6 | 4 | Tegegne Bezabeh | File:Flag of Ethiopia (1897–1974).svg Ethiopia | 45.4 | 45.42 | |
| 7 | 7 | Andrzej Badeński | File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland | 45.4 | 45.42 | |
| 8 | 8 | Amos Omolo | File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda | 47.6 | 47.61 |
References
- ↑ "Athletics at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games: Men's 400 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "400 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ↑ Official Report, vol. 3, p. 522.
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