The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City’s thin, high-altitude air was a dream for sprinters and jumpers. But even by the standards of a track and field competition that delivered multiple world records, long jumper Bob Beamon’s incredible feat was otherworldly. In a matter of a few days, the men’s 100m, 200m and 400m world records were shattered by American athletes in Mexico City.
Jim Hines set a new mark of 9.95 seconds for the 100m, Tommie Smith destroyed the 20-second barrier in the 200m, lowering the world record to 19.83 seconds, and Lee Evans shattered the one-lap record, running 43.
86 seconds. The high jump world record (2.24m) also fell to the inventor of the Fosbury flop, Dick Fosbury, while the triple jump record was increased to an impressive 17.
39m by Russian Viktor Saneyev. Brutal regime While the athletic feats were a treat for sports lovers everywhere, the 1968 Games were marred by controversy because of Mexico’s brutal ruling regime. Just 10 days before the opening ceremony, government forces massacred more than 250 students and wounded at least 1,000 more as they protested against the regime in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City.
There were calls for the Games to be called off, or at the very least postponed, but the International Olympic Committee dismissed the incident. The committee claimed that Mexico’s internal strife was not “directed at the Olympic Games” and therefore the event would proceed as schedul.