Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics

Dates 17 – 26 October 1968
Medal Events 29

The 1968 swimming events were held at the Alberca Olímpica Francisco Márquez, or the Francisco Márquez Olympic Swimming Pool. It was built specifically for the 1968 Olympics with a seating capacity of 4,300.

The swimming program for both men and women underwent significant inflation in 1968. The men’s program went from 10 to 15 events, adding the 200 metre freestyle, and in the non-freestyle strokes, there were now two events for each discipline, with 100 and 200 metres for backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, and 200 and 400 metres individual medley. The women’s program went from 8 to 14 events, adding the 200 and 800 metre freestyles, and also expanding to two events in each of the non-freestyle disciplines.

The United States had been dominant in 1964, but went even further in 1968, winning 21 of 29 events, and 52 of 87 medals. Their men won 10 gold medals and 26 of 45 medals, while their women won 11 golds and 26 of 42 medals.

Americans Charlie Hickcox and Debbie Meyer both won three gold medals, while four swimmers won four medals – Hickcox, Sue Pedersen (USA), Mike Wenden (AUS), Jan Henne (USA), and Mark Spitz (USA).

Events

Event Status Date Participants NOCs
100 metres Freestyle, Men Olympic 18 – 19 October 1968 64 35
200 metres Freestyle, Men Olympic 24 October 1968 57 26
400 metres Freestyle, Men Olympic 22 – 23 October 1968 37 20
1,500 metres Freestyle, Men Olympic 25 – 26 October 1968 21 16
4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men Olympic 17 October 1968 69 16
4 x 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men Olympic 21 October 1968 68 16
100 metres Backstroke, Men Olympic 21 – 22 October 1968 37 26
200 metres Backstroke, Men Olympic 25 October 1968 30 21
100 metres Breaststroke, Men Olympic 18 – 19 October 1968 39 24
200 metres Breaststroke, Men Olympic 21 – 22 October 1968 36 23
100 metres Butterfly, Men Olympic 20 – 21 October 1968 47 28
200 metres Butterfly, Men Olympic 24 October 1968 30 19
200 metres Individual Medley, Men Olympic 19 – 20 October 1968 46 27
400 metres Individual Medley, Men Olympic 22 – 23 October 1968 35 22
4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Men Olympic 26 October 1968 80 18
100 metres Freestyle, Women Olympic 18 – 19 October 1968 57 27
200 metres Freestyle, Women Olympic 21 – 22 October 1968 39 23
400 metres Freestyle, Women Olympic 19 – 20 October 1968 30 17
800 metres Freestyle, Women Olympic 22 – 24 October 1968 26 16
4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women Olympic 26 October 1968 63 15
100 metres Backstroke, Women Olympic 22 – 23 October 1968 40 23
200 metres Backstroke, Women Olympic 25 October 1968 30 19
100 metres Breaststroke, Women Olympic 18 – 19 October 1968 33 20
200 metres Breaststroke, Women Olympic 22 – 23 October 1968 31 20
100 metres Butterfly, Women Olympic 20 – 21 October 1968 28 21
200 metres Butterfly, Women Olympic 24 October 1968 21 16
200 metres Individual Medley, Women Olympic 20 October 1968 39 26
400 metres Individual Medley, Women Olympic 24 – 25 October 1968 28 19
4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Women Olympic 17 October 1968 70 16
468 (264/204) 51 (44/40)

Medals

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 metres Freestyle, Men Mike WendenAUS Ken WalshUSA Mark SpitzUSA
200 metres Freestyle, Men Mike WendenAUS Don SchollanderUSA John NelsonUSA
400 metres Freestyle, Men Mike BurtonUSA Ralph HuttonCAN Alain MosconiFRA
1,500 metres Freestyle, Men Mike BurtonUSA John KinsellaUSA Greg BroughAUS
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men United StatesUSA Soviet UnionURS AustraliaAUS
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men United StatesUSA AustraliaAUS Soviet UnionURS
100 metres Backstroke, Men Roland MatthesGDR Charlie HickcoxUSA Ronnie MillsUSA
200 metres Backstroke, Men Roland MatthesGDR Mitch IveyUSA Jack HorsleyUSA
100 metres Breaststroke, Men Don McKenzieUSA Vladimir KosinskyURS Nikolay PankinURS
200 metres Breaststroke, Men Felipe MuñozMEX Vladimir KosinskyURS Brian JobUSA
100 metres Butterfly, Men Doug RussellUSA Mark SpitzUSA Ross WalesUSA
200 metres Butterfly, Men Carl RobieUSA Martyn WoodroffeGBR John FerrisUSA
200 metres Individual Medley, Men Charlie HickcoxUSA Greg BuckinghamUSA John FerrisUSA
400 metres Individual Medley, Men Charlie HickcoxUSA Gary HallUSA Mike HolthausFRG
4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men United StatesUSA East GermanyGDR Soviet UnionURS
100 metres Freestyle, Women Jan HenneUSA Sue PedersenUSA Linda GustavsonUSA
200 metres Freestyle, Women Debbie MeyerUSA Jan HenneUSA Jane BarkmanUSA
400 metres Freestyle, Women Debbie MeyerUSA Linda GustavsonUSA Karen MorasAUS
800 metres Freestyle, Women Debbie MeyerUSA Pam KruseUSA María Teresa RamírezMEX
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women United StatesUSA East GermanyGDR CanadaCAN
100 metres Backstroke, Women Kaye HallUSA Elaine TannerCAN Jane SwagertyUSA
200 metres Backstroke, Women Pokey WatsonUSA Elaine TannerCAN Kaye HallUSA
100 metres Breaststroke, Women Đurđica BjedovYUG Galina ProzumenshchikovaURS Sharon WichmanUSA
200 metres Breaststroke, Women Sharon WichmanUSA Đurđica BjedovYUG Galina ProzumenshchikovaURS
100 metres Butterfly, Women Lyn McClementsAUS Ellie DanielUSA Susan ShieldsUSA
200 metres Butterfly, Women Ada KokNED Helga LindnerGDR Ellie DanielUSA
200 metres Individual Medley, Women Claudia KolbUSA Sue PedersenUSA Jan HenneUSA
400 metres Individual Medley, Women Claudia KolbUSA Lynn VidaliUSA Sabine SteinbachGDR
4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Women United StatesUSA AustraliaAUS West GermanyFRG

Medal table

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
United States USA 21 15 16 52
Australia AUS 3 2 3 8
East Germany GDR 2 3 1 6
Yugoslavia YUG 1 1 0 2
Mexico MEX 1 0 1 2
Netherlands NED 1 0 0 1
Soviet Union URS 0 4 4 8
Canada CAN 0 3 1 4
Great Britain GBR 0 1 0 1
West Germany FRG 0 0 2 2
France FRA 0 0 1 1