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| Event type

1,500 metres, Men

Date18 – 20 October 1968
StatusOlympic
LocationEstadio Olímpico Universitario, Ciudad de México
Participants54 from 37 countries

Going into 1968 the heavy favorite was considered to be the American Jim Ryun. Ryun had run at the 1964 Olympics while only a high schooler, but since the Tokyo Olympics, he had broken the mile world record, running 3:51.3 on 17 July 1966 at Berkeley, California. Then at the 1967 AAU Meet, he bettered that with 3:51.1. In July 1967 a dual meet between the USA and the British Commonwealth was planned in Los Angeles. Running for the Commonwealth team was Kenya’s Kip Keino, who was felt to be the best miler in the world, after Ryun. At that event, Ryun and Keino raced over 1,500 metres and Ryun shattered the field and world record with 3:33.1, Keino over four seconds behind. Ryun was felt to be unstoppable.

But the Olympics were in 1968, not 1966 or 1967, and they were held at the altitude of Mexico City. Further, early in 1968, Ryun fell ill with a mild case of mononucleosis which affected his training. He trained in Flagstaff, Arizona to try to acclimatize to altitude but his weakness from the mono made that difficult. Still he made the US Olympic team, and he had been so dominant in 1966-67 that he was considered a slight favorite for the 1,500. Ryun and Keino both passed thru to the final, but another important runner was also there, Keino’s Kenyan teammate, Ben Jipcho. Not considered a medal contender, Jipcho and Keino planned a strategic race trying to weaken Ryun’s deadly kick. Jipcho passed 400 metres in a suicidal 56.0 with Keino on his shoulder in 56.6. Ryun ran in third but was well back and the pace was felt to be far too fast for the 2,200 metre altitude. But Keino pushed on, taking the lead at 800 in 1:55.3. Ryun was 30 metres back. Keino ran his third lap in 58.1, passing 1,200 in 2:53.4, faster than world record pace. Nobody could keep up that pace, it was felt, but Ryun and the field were now so far behind that the race was over. Keino held on to win in an Olympic record 3:34.91, considered unreachable in that thin air. Ryun did win the silver medal, 25 metres back.

PosNumberCompetitorNOCR1SFFinal
1565Kip KeinoKEN3:46.9 (1 h1)3:51.4 (2 h2)3:34.9 (1)GoldOR
2300Jim RyunUSA3:45.7 (1 h4)3:51.2 (1 h2)3:37.8 (2)Silver
351Bodo TümmlerFRG3:51.5 (2 h1)3:53.6 (1 h1)3:39.0 (3)Bronze
436Harald NorpothFRG3:46.9 (3 h3)3:54.3 (5 h1)3:42.5 (4)
5433John WhettonGBR3:53.0 (3 h5)3:52.0 (3 h2)3:43.8 (5)
6349Jacky BoxbergerFRA3:47.5 (5 h3)3:53.9 (2 h1)3:46.6 (6)
7684Henryk SzordykowskiPOL3:59.3 (3 h2)3:54.2 (4 h1)3:46.6 (7)
8221Josef OdložilTCH3:47.4 (4 h3)3:52.5 (5 h2)3:48.6 (8)
9314Tom Von RudenUSA3:59.1 (1 h2)3:54.1 (3 h1)3:49.2 (9)
10564Ben JipchoKEN3:46.4 (1 h3)3:54.6 (6 h1)3:51.2 (10)
11132André DehertogheBEL3:59.3 (2 h2)3:52.5 (6 h2)3:53.6 (11)
12285Marty LiquoriUSA3:52.7 (1 h5)3:52.1 (4 h2)4:18.2 (12)
7 h1 r2/3495Franco AreseITA3:51.8 (5 h1)3:54.8 (7 h1)
7 h2 r2/3821Oleg RaykoURS3:46.8 (2 h3)3:52.7 (7 h2)
8 h1 r2/3646Arne KvalheimNOR3:47.4 (4 h4)3:55.3 (8 h1)
8 h2 r2/3213Ahmed IssaCHA3:53.1 (4 h5)3:53.2 (8 h2)
9 h1 r2/3390John BoulterGBR3:51.6 (3 h1)3:56.1 (9 h1)
9 h2 r2/3745Hansrüedi KnillSUI3:52.8 (2 h5)3:53.6 (9 h2)
10 h1 r2/3142Edgard SalvéBEL3:47.1 (3 h4)3:58.1 (10 h1)
10 h2 r2/3177Norm TreriseCAN3:47.6 (5 h4)3:57.2 (10 h2)
11 h1 r2/3836Mikhail ZhelobovskyURS3:53.2 (5 h5)3:59.0 (11 h1)
11 h2 r2/3362Claude NicolasFRA3:59.3 (4 h2)4:04.4 (11 h2)
12 h1 r2/3600Hamadi HaddouMAR3:47.0 (2 h4)4:01.6 (12 h1)
12 h2 r2/325Arnd KrügerFRG3:59.3 (5 h2)4:05.3 (12 h2)
AC h2 r2/3225Jorge GrosserCHI3:51.7 (4 h1)– (DNF h2)
6 h1 r1/3160Dave BaileyCAN3:52.1 (6 h1)
6 h2 r1/3505Renzo FinelliITA3:59.5 (6 h2)
6 h3 r1/3618José NeriMEX3:47.5 (6 h3)
6 h4 r1/3503Gianni Del BuonoITA3:48.4 (6 h4)
6 h5 r1/3325Matias HabtemichaelETH3:53.2 (6 h5)
7 h1 r1/3460Róbert HontiHUN3:54.9 (7 h1)
7 h2 r1/3723Ove BergSWE4:00.4 (7 h2)
7 h3 r1/3246Jorge GonzálezESP3:50.4 (7 h3)
7 h4 r1/3115Peter WatsonAUS3:55.4 (7 h4)
7 h5 r1/3728Anders GärderudSWE3:54.2 (7 h5)
8 h1 r1/3118Rudolf KlabanAUT3:59.1 (8 h1)
8 h2 r1/3229Tom HansenDEN4:01.4 (8 h2)
8 h3 r1/3442Ioannis VirvilisGRE3:55.5 (8 h3)
8 h4 r1/3387Maurice BennGBR3:56.4 (8 h4)
8 h5 r1/3530Byron DyceJAM3:54.6 (8 h5)1
9 h1 r1/3448Julio QuevedoGUA4:03.1 (9 h1)
9 h2 r1/3593Ramasamy SubramaniamMAS4:06.4 (9 h2)
9 h3 r1/3580Xaver Frick, Jr.LIE4:15.3 (9 h3)
9 h4 r1/3342Pekka VasalaFIN4:08.5 (9 h4)
9 h5 r1/3673Jerzy MaluśkiPOL3:54.8 (9 h5)
10 h1 r1/3713Édouard SagnaSEN4:04.1 (10 h1)
10 h2 r1/3698Miguel NúñezDOM4:23.6 (10 h2)
10 h3 r1/3238Manfredo KoeningsbergESA4:32.5 (10 h3)
10 h4 r1/3692Willie RíosPUR4:14.4 (10 h4)
10 h5 r1/3487Frank MurphyIRL3:54.8 (10 h5)
11 h1 r1/3859Emilio BarahonaHON4:56.0 (11 h1)
11 h4 r1/3148Jeff PayneBER4:18.9 (11 h4)
11 h5 r1/3143Rudi SimonBEL4:06.9 (11 h5)
12 h5 r1/3861Arturo CórdobaHON5:18.9 (12 h5)
DNS154Blagoi KostovBUL– (DNS h2)
DNS373Jean WadouxFRA– (DNS h3)
DNS98Guillermo CuelloARG– (DNS h4)
DNS244Alberto EstebanESP
DNS779Lennox YearwoodTTO

Round One

Date18 October 1968 — 11:00
FormatTop five in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1565Kip KeinoKEN3:46.93:46.96Q
251Bodo TümmlerFRG3:51.53:51.59Q
3390John BoulterGBR3:51.63:51.63Q
4225Jorge GrosserCHI3:51.73:51.79Q
5495Franco AreseITA3:51.83:51.86Q
6160Dave BaileyCAN3:52.13:52.11
7460Róbert HontiHUN3:54.93:54.95
8118Rudolf KlabanAUT3:59.13:59.11
9448Julio QuevedoGUA4:03.14:03.13
10713Édouard SagnaSEN4:04.14:04.12
11859Emilio BarahonaHON4:56.04:56.08

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mFranco Arese 1:06.0
800 mKip Keino 2:07.6
1200 mKip Keino 3:04.4

Heat #2

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1314Tom Von RudenUSA3:59.13:59.15Q
2132André DehertogheBEL3:59.33:59.33Q
3684Henryk SzordykowskiPOL3:59.33:59.34Q
4362Claude NicolasFRA3:59.33:59.35Q
525Arnd KrügerFRG3:59.33:59.40Q
6505Renzo FinelliITA3:59.53:59.51
7723Ove BergSWE4:00.44:00.42
8229Tom HansenDEN4:01.44:01.47
9593Ramasamy SubramaniamMAS4:06.44:06.49
10698Miguel NúñezDOM4:23.64:23.67
DNS154Blagoi KostovBUL

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mHenryk Szordykowski 1:06.5
800 mHenryk Szordykowski 2:18.2
1200 mHenryk Szordykowski 3:20.3

Heat #3

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1564Ben JipchoKEN3:46.43:46.51Q
2821Oleg RaykoURS3:46.83:46.84Q
336Harald NorpothFRG3:46.93:47.00Q
4221Josef OdložilTCH3:47.43:47.49Q
5349Jacky BoxbergerFRA3:47.53:47.55Q
6618José NeriMEX3:47.53:47.88
7246Jorge GonzálezESP3:50.43:50.49
8442Ioannis VirvilisGRE3:55.53:55.57
9580Xaver Frick, Jr.LIE4:15.34:15.38
10238Manfredo KoeningsbergESA4:32.54:32.58
DNS373Jean WadouxFRA

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mJacky Boxberger 1:00.4
800 mBen Jipcho 2:04.7
1200 mOleg Rayko 3:06.1

Heat #4

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1300Jim RyunUSA3:45.73:45.80Q
2600Hamadi HaddouMAR3:47.03:47.01Q
3142Edgard SalvéBEL3:47.13:47.17Q
4646Arne KvalheimNOR3:47.43:47.50Q
5177Norm TreriseCAN3:47.63:47.67Q
6503Gianni Del BuonoITA3:48.43:48.41
7115Peter WatsonAUS3:55.43:55.41
8387Maurice BennGBR3:56.43:56.43
9342Pekka VasalaFIN4:08.54:08.51
10692Willie RíosPUR4:14.44:14.47
11148Jeff PayneBER4:18.94:18.92
DNS98Guillermo CuelloARG

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mGianni Del Buono 1:01.3
800 mGianni Del Buono 2:02.1
1200 mArne Kvalheim 3:04.3

Heat #5

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1285Marty LiquoriUSA3:52.73:52.78Q
2745Hansrüedi KnillSUI3:52.83:52.87Q
3433John WhettonGBR3:53.03:53.04Q
4213Ahmed IssaCHA3:53.13:53.13Q
5836Mikhail ZhelobovskyURS3:53.23:53.23Q
6325Matias HabtemichaelETH3:53.23:53.27
7728Anders GärderudSWE3:54.23:54.28
8530Byron DyceJAM3:54.63:54.652
9673Jerzy MaluśkiPOL3:54.83:54.83
10487Frank MurphyIRL3:54.83:54.85
11143Rudi SimonBEL4:06.94:06.97
12861Arturo CórdobaHON5:18.95:18.92

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mMatias Habtemichael 1:04.9
800 mMatias Habtemichael 2:11.7
1200 mFrank Murphy 3:11.6

Semi-Finals

Date19 October 1968 — 17:20
FormatTop six in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
151Bodo TümmlerFRG3:53.63:53.66Q
2349Jacky BoxbergerFRA3:53.93:54.00Q
3314Tom Von RudenUSA3:54.13:54.12Q
4684Henryk SzordykowskiPOL3:54.23:54.24Q
536Harald NorpothFRG3:54.33:54.34Q
6564Ben JipchoKEN3:54.63:54.69Q
7495Franco AreseITA3:54.83:54.85
8646Arne KvalheimNOR3:55.33:55.32
9390John BoulterGBR3:56.13:56.13
10142Edgard SalvéBEL3:58.13:58.16
11836Mikhail ZhelobovskyURS3:59.03:59.08
12600Hamadi HaddouMAR4:01.64:01.70

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mMikhail Zhelobovsky 1:07.6
800 mMikhail Zhelobovsky 2:14.9
1200 mBen Jipcho 3:14.6

Heat #2

PosLaneCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1300Jim RyunUSA3:51.23:51.25Q
2565Kip KeinoKEN3:51.43:51.50Q
3433John WhettonGBR3:52.03:52.05Q
4285Marty LiquoriUSA3:52.13:52.17Q
5221Josef OdložilTCH3:52.53:52.53Q
6132André DehertogheBEL3:52.53:52.57Q
7821Oleg RaykoURS3:52.73:52.73
8213Ahmed IssaCHA3:53.23:53.26
9745Hansrüedi KnillSUI3:53.63:53.65
10177Norm TreriseCAN3:57.23:57.30
11362Claude NicolasFRA4:04.44:04.47
1225Arnd KrügerFRG4:05.34:05.40
DNF225Jorge GrosserCHI

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mJosef Odložil 1:08.0
800 mKip Keino 2:12.7
1200 mKip Keino 3:11.9

Final

Date20 October 1968 — 15:30
PosCompetitorNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1Kip KeinoKEN3:34.93:34.91OR
2Jim RyunUSA3:37.83:37.89
3Bodo TümmlerFRG3:39.03:39.08
4Harald NorpothFRG3:42.53:42.57
5John WhettonGBR3:43.83:43.90
6Jacky BoxbergerFRA3:46.63:46.65
7Henryk SzordykowskiPOL3:46.63:46.69
8Josef OdložilTCH3:48.63:48.69
9Tom Von RudenUSA3:49.23:49.27
10Ben JipchoKEN3:51.23:51.22
11André DehertogheBEL3:53.63:53.63
12Marty LiquoriUSA4:18.24:18.22

Split Times

TimeAthlete(s)NOCResultNotes
400 mBen Jipcho 56.0
800 mKip Keino 1:55.3
1200 mKip Keino 2:53.4