1968 Summer Olympics
On 18 October 1963, at the 60th IOC Session in Baden-Baden, West Germany, Mexico City finished ahead of bids from Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyon to host the Games.[3] The 1968 torch relay recreated the route taken by Christopher Columbus to the New World, journeying from Greece through Italy and Spain to San Salvador Island, Bahamas, and then on to Mexico.[7][8] It was the subject of dispute between American designer Lance Wyman and Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez over who originated the graphic concepts.Responding to growing social unrest and protests, the government of Mexico had increased economic and political suppression, against labor unions in particular, in the decade building up to the Olympics.President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered the police occupation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in September, but protests continued.[29][30] Ten days before the start of the Olympics, the government ordered the gathering in Plaza de las Tres Culturas to be broken up.At the time, the event was portrayed in the national media as the military suppression of a violent student uprising, but later analysis indicates that the gathering was peaceful prior to the army's advance.[31][32][33] On 16 October 1968, African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalists in the men's 200-meter race, took their places on the podium for the medal ceremony wearing human rights badges and black socks without shoes, lowered their heads and each raised a black-gloved fist as "The Star Spangled Banner" was played, in solidarity with the Black Freedom Movement in the United States.Her protest was repeated when she accepted her medal for her floor exercise routine when the judges changed the preliminary scores of the Soviet Larisa Petrik to allow her to tie with Čáslavská for the gold.
Mexican Movement of 1968Mexico CityNationssportsOpened byPresidentGustavo Díaz OrdazIOC PresidentAvery BrundageCauldronEnriqueta BasilioStadiumEstadio Olímpico UniversitarioTokyo 1964Munich 1972Grenoble 1968Sapporo 19721968 Summer ParalympicsSpanishmulti-sport eventOlympic GamesLatin AmericaSpanish-speakingGlobal Southall-weathertrack and fieldcinder track1956 Games in Melbourne1964 Games in Tokyo1968 Mexican Student Movementcrushed days priorthe 1984 Summer GamesBaden-BadenWest GermanyMexicoDetroitUnited StatesFranceBuenos AiresArgentina1968 torch relayChristopher ColumbusNew WorldsculptorJames MetcalfexpatriateOlympic torchcultural iconLance WymanPedro Ramírez Vázquezchacmooljaguarmascotdove of peacebayonetAdolfo López Mateosmen's 200 metres raceBlack AmericanTommie SmithJohn Carloscivil rightsblack-gloved fistsPeter NormanGeorge ForemanJonas ČepuliselevationTartancindercombined German teamAl Oertergold medaldiscusathleticsBob Beamonlong jumpMike PowellJim HinesLee Evanstriple jumpViktor SaneevDick Fosburyhigh jumpFosbury flopVěra ČáslavskáCzechoslovakiagymnasticsDebbie MeyerfreestyleRio Americano High SchoolSacramento, CaliforniaKatie LedeckyCharlie HickcoxdopingSwedishpentathleteHans-Gunnar LiljenwallalcoholJohn Stephen AkhwariTanzaniaJacques RoggeyachtingNorma Enriqueta Basilio de SoteloEthiopiaKipchoge KeinoSouth AfricaJohn VorsterAfrican AmericanTlatelolco massacrelabor unionsNational Autonomous University of MexicoPlaza de las Tres CulturasTlatelolcotankettes1968 Olympics Black Power saluteraised a black-gloved fistThe Star Spangled BannerOlympic Project for Human RightsInternational Olympic Committee1972 games2000 Summer Olympicspallbearersbalance beam eventNatalia KuchinskayaSoviet UnionCzechoslovakiangymnast