| | Event type

400 metres Hurdles, Men

Date	13 – 15 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Ciudad de México
Participants	30 from 24 countries

The world record was 48.8, set by American Geoff Vanderstock in winning the US Olympic Trials. He was favored with Ron Whitney, AAU Champion in 1967-68. In the final, Roberto Frinolli led early as he had in 1964. By the fifth hurdle he led with Soviet Vyacheslav Skomorokhov and Britain’s Dave Hemery. By the 10th hurdle Hemery had opened up almost a full second lead, and won in a world record 48.12. The bronze medal was won by John Sherwood (GBR), whose wife, Sheila Sherwood, had won a long jump silver medal the day before.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	402	Dave Hemery	GBR	50.3 (2 h4)	49.3 (3 h2)	48.1 (1)	Gold	WR
2	16	Gerhard Hennige	FRG	49.5 (1 h1)	49.1 (1 h2)	49.0 (2)	Silver
3	422	John Sherwood	GBR	50.2 (4 h3)	49.3 (3 h1)	49.0 (3)	Bronze
4	312	Geoff Vanderstock	USA	50.6 (2 h1)	49.2 (2 h1)	49.0 (4)
5	828	Vyacheslav Skomorokhov	URS	50.7 (3 h1)	49.6 (4 h2)	49.1 (5)
6	316	Ron Whitney	USA	49.0 (1 h3)	49.2 (2 h2)	49.2 (6)
7	46	Rainer Schubert	FRG	49.1 (2 h3)	49.3 (4 h1)	49.2 (7)
8	506	Roberto Frinolli	ITA	49.9 (1 h4)	49.2 (1 h1)	50.1 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	99	Juan Carlos Dyrzka	ARG	49.8 (1 h2)	49.8 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	108	Gary Knoke	AUS	49.8 (3 h3)	49.6 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	341	Jaakko Tuominen	FIN	50.6 (4 h4)	50.8 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	366	Robert Poirier	FRA	50.5 (3 h4)	51.2 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	395	John Cooper	GBR	51.4 (3 h2)	50.8 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	649	Roger Johnson	NZL	51.3 (2 h2)	51.8 (7 h2)	–
8 h1 r2/3	844	Víctor Maldonado	VEN	51.4 (4 h1)	52.2 (8 h1)	–
8 h2 r2/3	715	Mamadou Sarr	SEN	51.5 (4 h2)	52.1 (8 h2)	–
5 h1 r1/3	560	Kiyoo Yui	JPN	51.5 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	162	Wes Brooker	CAN	51.6 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	685	Wilhelm Weistand	POL	50.7 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	574	Kimaru Songok	KEN	50.6 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	174	Bob McLaren	CAN	51.8 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	382	William Quaye	GHA	55.6 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	133	Wilfried Geeroms	BEL	51.2 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	624	Alejandro Sánchez	MEX	51.6 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	209	Miguel Olivera	CUB	51.9 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	224	Juan Santiago Gordón	CHI	52.4 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	203	Juan García	CUB	51.8 (7 h4)	–	–
8 h1 r1/3	578	Mohamed Asswai Khalifa	LBA	54.3 (8 h1)	–	–
8 h3 r1/3	585	Zambrose Abdul Rahman	MAS	53.2 (8 h3)	–	–
8 h4 r1/3	435	Georgios Birmpilis	GRE	52.6 (8 h4)	–	–
DNS	88	Joachim Singer	GDR	–	–	–
DNS	274	Boyd Gittins	USA	–	–	–

Round One

Date	13 October 1968 — 15:00
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	16	Gerhard Hennige	FRG	49.5	49.57	Q
2	312	Geoff Vanderstock	USA	50.6	50.62	Q
3	828	Vyacheslav Skomorokhov	URS	50.7	50.72	Q
4	844	Víctor Maldonado	VEN	51.4	51.46	Q
5	560	Kiyoo Yui	JPN	51.5	51.56
6	174	Bob McLaren	CAN	51.8	51.84
7	209	Miguel Olivera	CUB	51.9	51.98
8	578	Mohamed Asswai Khalifa	LBA	54.3	54.34

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	99	Juan Carlos Dyrzka	ARG	49.8	49.82	Q
2	649	Roger Johnson	NZL	51.3	51.39	Q
3	395	John Cooper	GBR	51.4	51.43	Q
4	715	Mamadou Sarr	SEN	51.5	51.58	Q
5	162	Wes Brooker	CAN	51.6	51.68		1
6	382	William Quaye	GHA	55.6	55.54		2

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	316	Ron Whitney	USA	49.0	49.06	QOR
2	46	Rainer Schubert	FRG	49.1	49.15	Q
3	108	Gary Knoke	AUS	49.8	49.88	Q
4	422	John Sherwood	GBR	50.2	50.31	Q
5	685	Wilhelm Weistand	POL	50.7	50.71
6	133	Wilfried Geeroms	BEL	51.2	51.27
7	224	Juan Santiago Gordón	CHI	52.4	52.43
8	585	Zambrose Abdul Rahman	MAS	53.2	53.23

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	506	Roberto Frinolli	ITA	49.9	49.95	Q
2	402	Dave Hemery	GBR	50.3	50.33	Q
3	366	Robert Poirier	FRA	50.5	50.51	Q
4	341	Jaakko Tuominen	FIN	50.6	50.63	Q
5	574	Kimaru Songok	KEN	50.6	50.66
6	624	Alejandro Sánchez	MEX	51.6	51.62
7	203	Juan García	CUB	51.8	51.87
8	435	Georgios Birmpilis	GRE	52.6	52.62

Semi-Finals

Date	14 October 1968 — 15:00
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	506	Roberto Frinolli	ITA	49.2	49.14	Q
2	312	Geoff Vanderstock	USA	49.2	49.22	Q
3	422	John Sherwood	GBR	49.3	49.37	Q
4	46	Rainer Schubert	FRG	49.3	49.38	Q
5	99	Juan Carlos Dyrzka	ARG	49.8	49.86
6	341	Jaakko Tuominen	FIN	50.8	50.82
7	395	John Cooper	GBR	50.8	50.82
8	844	Víctor Maldonado	VEN	52.2	52.29

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	16	Gerhard Hennige	FRG	49.1	49.16	Q
2	316	Ron Whitney	USA	49.2	49.29	Q
3	402	Dave Hemery	GBR	49.3	49.37	Q
4	828	Vyacheslav Skomorokhov	URS	49.6	49.61	Q
5	108	Gary Knoke	AUS	49.6	49.61
6	366	Robert Poirier	FRA	51.2	51.23
7	649	Roger Johnson	NZL	51.8	51.87
8	715	Mamadou Sarr	SEN	52.1	52.20

Final

Date	15 October 1968 — 17:35

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	Dave Hemery	GBR	48.1	48.12	WR
2	Gerhard Hennige	FRG	49.0	49.02
3	John Sherwood	GBR	49.0	49.03
4	Geoff Vanderstock	USA	49.0	49.07
5	Vyacheslav Skomorokhov	URS	49.1	49.12
6	Ron Whitney	USA	49.2	49.27
7	Rainer Schubert	FRG	49.2	49.30
8	Roberto Frinolli	ITA	50.1	50.13