1968 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

The Men's 1968 United States Olympic Trials for track and field were a two tiered event. Athletes first met for semi-final Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, from June 29–30. The final trials were held following a training camp at a specially constructed track at Echo Summit, California between September 6–16. This location was called the most bizarre location for an Olympic trials ever, used to mimic the nearly identical high altitude location for the Olympics in Mexico City. After training at Echo Summit, the race walk trials was held at a similar high altitude location of Alamosa, Colorado, 20 kilometers on September 7 and 50 kilometers on September 10. The process was organized by the AAU. The athletes invited to the finals were selected based on the qualification at the semi-Olympic Trials.

1968 United States Olympic Track And Field Trials
DatesSeptember 6–16
Host cityEcho Summit, United States
LevelSenior
TypeOutdoor
1964
1972

The AccuTrak photographic fully automatic timing system was used at this meet, in anticipation of its implementation at the Olympics. Fully automatic timing became mandatory for world records in 1977. Administrators had not yet figured out what to do with the slower automatic times so the world records at this meet were set using hand times.

The Women's Olympic Trials were held separately under less elegant, low altitude conditions at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The pentathlon took place in Columbia, Missouri during the AAU Championships. Both meets took place on August 24 and 25. The tight schedule also made doubling in individual events more difficult. American resident, but Taiwanese citizen Chi Cheng was allowed to participate in the pentathlon, but her dominant performance did not displace the American athletes in the trials.[1]

Men's results

Key:  Athlete without "A" standard, not selected. All events considered to be held at high altitude.

Men track events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 meters
Wind +0.0
Jim Hines10.0 (10.11) Charlie Greene10.1 (10.15) Mel Pender10.1 (10.20)
200 meters
Wind +1.9
John Carlos19.7 (19.92) WR[2] Tommie Smith20.0 (20.18) Larry Questad20.1 (20.28)
400 meters Lee Evans44.0 (44.06) WR[3] Larry James44.1 (44.19) WR Ron Freeman44.6 (44.62)
800 meters Tom Farrell1:46.5 Wade Bell1:47.1 Ron Kutschinski1:47.8
1500 meters Jim Ryun3:49.0 Marty Liquori3:49.5 Tom von Ruden3:49.8
5000 meters Bob Day14:37.4 Jack Bacheler14:37.4 Lou Scott14:53.2
10,000 meters Tracy Smith30:00.4 Van Nelson30:04.0 Tom Laris30:09.8
110 m hurdles
Wind -2.7
Willie Davenport13.5 (13.72) Leon Coleman13.5 (13.77) Ervin Hall13.6 (13.84)
400 m hurdles Geoff Vanderstock48.8 (48.93) WR Boyd Gittins49.1 (49.27) Ron Whitney49.2 (49.36)
3000 m s'chase George Young8:58.0 Bill Reilly8:58.8 Conrad Nightingale9:04.4
20K racewalk Larry Young1:35:56.4 Goetz Klopfer1:37:53.4 Tom Dooley1:38:03
50K racewalk Larry Young4:13:04.4 NR Bill Weigle4:20:09.4 Steve Hayden4:23:22.6
Marathon Kenny Moore2:15:57.8 Frank Shorter2:15:57.8 Jack Bacheler2:20:29.2

Men field events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
High jump Ed Caruthers2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) Reynaldo Brown2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) Dick Fosbury2.21 m (7 ft 3 in)
Pole vault Bob Seagren5.41 m (17 ft 8 34 in) WR John Pennel5.18 m (16 ft 11 34 in) Casey Carrigan5.18 m (16 ft 11 34 in)
Long jump Bob Beamon8.39 m (27 ft 6 14 in)w +3.2 Ralph Boston8.26 m (27 ft 1 in)w +5.0 Charles Mays8.16 m (26 ft 9 14 in)w +4.0
Triple jump Art Walker16.81 m (55 ft 1 34 in) +1.2 NR Dave Smith16.38 m (53 ft 8 34 in) Norm Tate16.14 m (52 ft 11 14 in)
Shot put George Woods20.73 m (68 ft 0 in) Dave Maggard20.53 m (67 ft 4 14 in) Randy Matson20.45 m (67 ft 1 in)
Discus throw Jay Silvester63.25 m (207 ft 6 in) Gary Carlsen62.54 m (205 ft 2 in) Al Oerter62.39 m (204 ft 8 in)
Hammer throw Ed Burke68.96 m (226 ft 2 in) Albert Hall67.18 m (220 ft 4 in) Hal Connolly65.13 m (213 ft 8 in)
Javelin throw Mark Murro82.46 m (270 ft 6 in) Frank Covelli81.66 m (267 ft 10 in) Gary Stenlund81.62 m (267 ft 9 in)
Decathlon Bill Toomey8222 Rick Sloan7800 Tom Waddell7706


Women's results

Women track events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 meters
Wind +1.9
Wyomia Tyus11.3 Margaret Bailes11.3 Barbara Ferrell11.4
200 meters
Wind +0.1
Margaret Bailes23.5 Wyomia Tyus23.7 Barbara Ferrell23.7
400 meters Jarvis Scott53.5 Lois Drinkwater54.0 Esther Stroy54.3
800 meters Madeline Manning2:03.0 Doris Brown2:03.0 Jarvis Scott2:04.5
80 m hurdles
Wind +0.1
Mamie Rallins11.1 Patty van Wolvelaere11.2 Janene Jaton11.2

Women field events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
High jump Sharon Callahan5 ft 714 in (1.7 m) Eleanor Montgomery5 ft 714 in (1.7 m) Estelle Baskerville5 ft 6 in (1.67 m)
Long jump Martha Watson6.42 m (21 ft 34 in) Willye White6.40 m (20 ft 11 34 in) Barbara Emerson5.77 m (18 ft 11 in)
Shot put Maren Seidler15.28 m (50 ft 1 12 in) Lynn Graham14.03 m (46 ft 14 in) Sharon Shepherd13.89 m (45 ft 6 34 in)
Discus throw Olga Connolly53.35 m (175 ft 0 in) Carol Moseke50.72 m (166 ft 4 in) Nancy Norberg46.50 m (152 ft 6 in)
Javelin throw Barbara Friedrich54.08 m (177 ft 5 in) Sherry Calvert48.95 m (160 ft 7 in) RaNae Bair48.16 m (158 ft 0 in)
Pentathlon Chi Cheng  Taiwan
Pat Winslow
4823
4481
Barbara Emerson4327 Janis Glotzer4319

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2019-12-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Note:: Carlos' record was disallowed because of the brush type spikes he was wearing
  3. Note:: Evans' record was disallowed because of the brush type spikes he was wearing
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