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1968 In Athletics
While the most notable story coming out of 1968 was socio-political, politics involved with the Olympics was not something unique to this year. However, the year marked the beginning of several emerging elements of contemporary track and field. Automatic timing While timing to the 100th of a second had been experimented with for many years, the 1968 Summer Olympics were the first to use Fully Automatic Timing, in not only athletics, but in canoeing, rowing, cycling, equestrian and swimming competitions.] Subsequently, systems to record such times became more common and thus the accuracy of Fully Automatic Timing became mandated for World Record acceptance. While this rule was officially put into place in 1977, many 1968 records still stood as the first Automatically timed record. All weather tracks This technology too had been developing, but Tartan tracks were used as the competition surface for the first time at an Olympics. Since then an all-weather running track was requir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Athletics At The 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 12 for women. There were a total number of 1031 participating athletes from 93 countries. These games were notable for a number of Olympic firsts and numerous world records. These included: *Dick Fosbury introduced the Fosbury Flop to the high Jump by jumping over backwards, whereas the prevailing methods involved jumping forwards or sideways. *The first African Gold Medallists in the 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase, as well as many other medals in middle and long distance events. Particularly symbolic of Africa's newfound dominance was the victory by Kenyan athlete Kip Keino in the 1500m final. *Bob Beamon broke Ralph Boston's 1965 and Igor Ter-Ovanesyan's 1967 World Record in the Men's Long Jump by 55 cm (22 in). This record was not broken until 1991. It remains the second best legal jump in history. *The World Record was broken in the Men's Triple Jump five times by three ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Men's 100 Metres World Record Progression
The first record in the 100 metres for men (athletics) was recognised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1912. , the IAAF had ratified 67 records in the event, not including rescinded records. Unofficial progression before the IAAF IAAF record progression "Wind" in these tables refers to wind assistance, the velocity of the wind ''parallel'' to the runner - positive values are from the starting line towards the finish line, negative are from the finish line towards the starting line, 0 is no wind in either direction, and all values are measured in metres per second. Any wind ''perpendicular'' to the runners (from left to right, right to left, or up to down or down to up, although the conditions of the track generally preclude those wind directions) is ''ignored'' and not listed. "Auto" refers to automatic timing, and for the purposes of these lists, indicates auto times which were either also taken for hand-timed records, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Snell
Sir Peter George Snell (17 December 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964. Snell had a relatively short career as a world-famous international sportsman, 1960–1965, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand's "Sports Champion of the (20th) Century" and was one of 24 inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame named in 2012. A protégé of the New Zealand athletics coach Arthur Lydiard, Snell is known for the three Olympic and two Commonwealth Games gold medals he won, and the several world records he set. Early athletic career Born in Ōpunake, Snell moved with his family to Waikato in 1949 where he attended Te Aroha College and became an all-around sportsman. He won several middle-distance running events in his hometown of Te Aroha, although some members of hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Doubell
Ralph Douglas Doubell AM (born 11 February 1945) is an Australian former athlete, and gold medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Athletic career Doubell was born in Melbourne, was educated at Melbourne High School and graduated from the University of Melbourne, where he had come under the tutelage of Austrian-born coach Franz Stampfl. Doubell's first major international victory in 800 metres was at the World Student Games in Tokyo in 1967 in a time of 1:46.7. His next season (the Olympic season) was severely curtailed by Achilles' tendon injuries, and he was unable to compete for six months prior to the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Doubell, however, was able to recover in time for Mexico City and won the 800 m gold medal, passing the pre-race favourite Wilson Kiprugut of Kenya down the straight to win in a world record equalling time of 1:44.3. Doubell also won the 800 metres gold medal at the 1969 Pacific Conference Games, in a time of 1:48.0. Doubell had planned to c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Men's 800 Metres World Record Progression
The following table shows the world record progression in the men's and women's 800 metres, officially ratified by the IAAF. Men The first world record in the men's 800 metres was recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1912. As of June 21, 2011, 23 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event. "y" denotes time for 880 yards (804.68 m) ratified as a record for the 800 m. (+) - indicates en route time from longer race. The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th of a second, depending on the rules then in place. Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m from 1981. Hence, Sebastian Coe's record at 1:42.4 was rendered as 1:42.33 from that year. Women The first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Larry James
George Larry James (November 6, 1947 – November 6, 2008) was an American track athlete. At the 1968 Olympics he won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay and a silver in the individual 400 m. Biography Early life James was born on November 6, 1947, in Mount Pleasant, New York, and took up track in seventh grade. He attended White Plains High School, where he competed in the intermediate hurdles and the triple jump, and was a member of relay teams that set national records.Litsky, Frank"G. Larry James, Olympic Gold Medalist, Dies at 61" ''The New York Times'', November 7, 2008. Accessed November 8, 2008. Athlete A double medalist at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, James also set world records and won NCAA titles during his track career. James won the silver medal in the 400 m with his time of 43.97 seconds at the 1968 Summer Olympics, bettering the existing world record but placing him second behind teammate (and fellow Hall of Famer) Lee Evans (43.86). James added a g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lee Evans (athlete)
Lee Edward Evans (February 25, 1947 – May 19, 2021) was an American sprinter. He won two gold medals in the 1968 Summer Olympics, setting world records in the World record progression 400 metres men, 400 meters and the 4 × 400 metres relay at the Olympics, 4 × 400 meters relay, both of which stood for 20 and 24 years respectively. Evans co-founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights and was part of the athlete's boycott and the Black Power movement. Early life and education Lee Edward Evans was born on February 25, 1947, in Madera, California to Dayton and Pearlie Mae Evans. At the age of four, his family moved to Fresno, California, Fresno. During his childhood, he harvested grapes and picked cotton in fields with his brothers and sisters. He attended Madison Elementary School and in his last year there trained for his first race by racing his friends at school. Evans went on to Central Union High School where he was classified in the C class for the 660 yard dash due to h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Men's 400 Metres World Record Progression
The first world record in the 400 m for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1912. The IAAF ratified Charles Reidpath's 48.2 performance set at that year's Stockholm Olympics as a world record, but it also recognized the superior mark over 440 yards (402.34 metres) run by Maxie Long in 1900 as a world record. Through 2021, World Athletics has ratified 24 world records in the event. The following tables show the world record progression in the men's 400 metres, as ratified by World Athletics. Records 1912–1976 (+) plus sign denotes en route time during longer race "y" denotes time for 440 yards, ratified as a record for this event "A" indicates that the time was set at altitude. The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the offi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945) is an American former track and field athlete and professional American football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he displayed the Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith. He went on to tie the world record in the 100-yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record (although the latter achievement was never certified). After his track career, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Canadian Football League but retired due to injury. He became involved with the United States Olympic Committee and helped to organize the 1984 Summer Olympics. Following this, he became a track coach at Palm Springs High School. He was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003. He is the author, with sportswriter Dave Zirin, of ''The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World'', published in 2011 by Haymarket Books. Early life and education Born in The Bronx, Carlos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommie Smith
Tommie C. Smith (born June 6, 1944) is an American former track and field, track and field athlete and former wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold medal in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20-second barrier was broken officially. His 1968 Olympics Black Power salute, Black Power salute with John Carlos atop the medal podium to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans in the United States caused controversy, as it was seen as politicizing the Olympic Games. It remains a symbolic moment in the history of the Black Power movement. Early life and career Tommie Smith was born on June 6, 1944, in Clarksville, Texas, the seventh of twelve children born to Richard and Dora Smith. He suffered from pneumonia as a child, but still grew to be an athletic youth. While attending Lemoore High School in Lemoore, California, Smith showed great potential, setting most of the schoo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Men's 200 Metres World Record Progression
The following table shows the world record progression in the men's 200 metres, as ratified by the IAAF. The current record of 19.19 seconds was set by Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. The IAAF maintained separate records for 200 m over a straight track and over a curved track until 1976, when records for the former were discarded. The IAAF ratified the first record for 200 m on a curved track in 1951. "y" denotes times for 220 yards (201.17 m) which were also ratified for the event. As of 2018, the IAAF has ratified 24 world records in the event. Records 1951–1976 The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Wind" column indicates the wind assistance in metres per second, 2.0 m/s the current maximum allowable, a negative indicates the mark was set running into a wind; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the offic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
