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4 × 400 metres Relay, Men

Date19 – 20 October 1968
StatusOlympic
LocationEstadio Olímpico Universitario, Ciudad de México
Participants65 from 16 countries

Having swept the medals in the 400 metres, the US could only lose by dropping the baton or an injury. In the heats the US equaled the Olympic record with 3:00.71. Aided by altitude the American team was dominant in the final, defeating Kenya by over 30 metres in a mark that shattered the world record of 2:59.6. The mark of 2:56.16 was altitude aided, but would last until it was equaled at the 1988 Olympics by another US relay team and it would not be broken until the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Despite the acclaim given to Bob Beamon’s long jump mark, this was the world record from Ciudad de México that lasted for the longest period of time. The US actually did not lead on the opening leg, as Charles Asati put Kenya four metres ahead of Vince Matthews. But the outcome was settled on the second leg when 400 bronze medalist Ron Freeman ran 43.2, the fastest leg to that time, and still a remarkable time. With Larry James, the 400 silver medalist, and Lee Evans, the gold medalist, running the last two legs, the race was over.

PosNumberCompetitorsNOCR1Final
1United StatesUSA3:00.7 (1 h1)2:56.1 (1)GoldWR
288Vince Matthews 45.0
273Ron Freeman 43.2
280Larry James 43.8
270Lee Evans 44.1
307Tommie Smith DNS
312Geoff Vanderstock DNS
2KenyaKEN3:00.8 (2 h1)2:59.6 (2)Silver
561Charles Asati 44.6
569Munyoro Nyamau 45.2
563Naftali Bon 45.2
571Daniel Rudisha 44.6
566Wilson Kiprugut DNS
3West GermanyFRG3:03.8 (1 h3)3:00.5 (3)Bronze
32Helmar Müller 46.2
16Gerhard Hennige 44.81
22Manfred Kinder 44.7
19Martin Jellinghaus 44.8
24Siegfried König DNS
40Fritz Roderfeld DNS
4PolandPOL3:03.0 (1 h2)3:00.5 (4)
668Stanisław Grędziński 46.8
662Jan Balachowski 44.7
686Jan Werner 44.5
661Andrzej Badeński 44.5
663Edmund Borowski DNS
685Wilhelm Weistand DNS
5Great BritainGBR3:03.6 (2 h2)3:01.2 (5)
434Martin Winbolt-Lewis 46.2
393Colin Campbell 44.9
402Dave Hemery 44.6
422John Sherwood 45.5
397Howard Davies DNS
430Andy Todd DNS
6Trinidad and TobagoTTO3:04.5 (2 h3)3:04.5 (6)
778George Simon 46.1
772Euric Bobb 46.7
773Ben Cayenne 45.9
776Edwin Roberts 45.8
779Lennox Yearwood DNS
7ItalyITA3:04.8 (3 h1)3:04.6 (7)
514Sergio Ottolina 46.4
518Giacomo Puosi 45.8
507Furio Fusi 46.5
496Sergio Bello 45.9
498Bruno Bianchi DNS
506Roberto Frinolli DNS
8FranceFRA3:04.6 (3 h3)3:07.5 (8)
361Jean-Claude Nallet 46.6
350Jacques Carette 45.8
346Gilles Bertould 47.1
347Jean-Pierre Boccardo 48.0
363Christian Nicolau
357Jean-Pierre Dufresne DNS
3 h2 r1/2NigeriaNGR3:05.7 (3 h2)
642Mamman Makama
639David Ejoke
637Musa Dogon Yaro
638Anthony Egwunyenga
635Gladstone Agbamu DNS
636Ajayi Akinkuotu DNS
4 h1 r1/2East GermanyGDR3:06.9 (4 h1)
86Hartmut Schwabe
66Dieter Fromm
78Wolfgang Müller
94Michael Zerbes
60Hermann Burde DNS
76Manfred Matuschewski DNS
4 h2 r1/2SenegalSEN3:06.9 (4 h2)
708Amadou Gakou
710Daour M'baye Guèye
711Papa M'Baye N'Diaye
715Mamadou Sarr
716Barka Sy DNS
4 h3 r1/2CubaCUB3:05.2 (4 h3)
205Carlos Martínez
211Eddy Téllez
209Miguel Olivera
200Rodobaldo Díaz
203Juan García DNS
207Pablo Montes DNS
5 h1 r1/2Dominican RepublicDOM3:19.4 (5 h1)
696Rolando Gómez
697José L'Oficial
699Radhamés Mora
700David Soriano
698Miguel Núñez DNS
702Alberto Torres DNS
5 h3 r1/2VenezuelaVEN3:07.6 (5 h3)
846Víctor Patíñez
840Raúl Dome
844Víctor Maldonado
843José Jacinto Hidalgo
845Lloyd Murad DNS
847Manuel Planchart DNS
6 h3 r1/2MexicoMEX3:08.1 (6 h3)
622Melesio Piña
616Salvador Medina
607Carlos Castro
625Francisco Sardo
603Carlos Bellamy DNS
624Alejandro Sánchez DNS
7 h3 r1/2CanadaCAN3:09.6 (7 h3)
172Ross MacKenzie
173Brian MacLaren
166Bill Crothers
162Wes Brooker
167Don Domansky DNS
174Bob McLaren DNS
DNSMalaysiaMAS
586Victor Asirvatham DNS
588Mani Jegathesan DNS
592Rajalingam Gunaratnam DNS
593Ramasamy Subramaniam DNS
594Tambusamy Krishnan DNS
585Zambrose Abdul Rahman DNS
DNSJamaicaJAM
531Trevor Dyce DNS
532Clifton Forbes DNS
533Mike Fray DNS
536Lennox Miller DNS
537Neville Myton DNS
540Ansel Styles DNS
DNSBelgiumBEL

Round One

Date19 October 1968 — 16:40
FormatTop two in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat #1

PosLaneCompetitorsNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1United StatesUSA3:00.73:00.71Q=OR
Lead-Off288Vince Matthews
2nd Leg273Ron Freeman
3rd Leg280Larry James
Anchor270Lee Evans
2KenyaKEN3:00.83:00.84Q
Lead-Off571Daniel Rudisha
2nd Leg569Munyoro Nyamau
3rd Leg563Naftali Bon
Anchor561Charles Asati
3ItalyITA3:04.83:04.93q
Lead-Off514Sergio Ottolina
2nd Leg518Giacomo Puosi
3rd Leg507Furio Fusi
Anchor496Sergio Bello
4East GermanyGDR3:06.93:07.00
Lead-Off86Hartmut Schwabe
2nd Leg66Dieter Fromm
3rd Leg78Wolfgang Müller
Anchor94Michael Zerbes
5Dominican RepublicDOM3:19.43:19.42
Lead-Off696Rolando Gómez
2nd Leg697José L'Oficial
3rd Leg699Radhamés Mora
Anchor700David Soriano

Heat #2

PosLaneCompetitorsNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1PolandPOL3:03.03:03.02Q
Lead-Off668Stanisław Grędziński
2nd Leg662Jan Balachowski
3rd Leg686Jan Werner
Anchor661Andrzej Badeński
2Great BritainGBR3:03.63:03.67Q
Lead-Off434Martin Winbolt-Lewis
2nd Leg393Colin Campbell
3rd Leg402Dave Hemery
Anchor422John Sherwood
3NigeriaNGR3:05.73:05.78
Lead-Off642Mamman Makama
2nd Leg639David Ejoke
3rd Leg637Musa Dogon Yaro
Anchor638Anthony Egwunyenga
4SenegalSEN3:06.93:06.94
Lead-Off708Amadou Gakou
2nd Leg710Daour M'baye Guèye
3rd Leg711Papa M'Baye N'Diaye
Anchor715Mamadou Sarr

Heat #3

PosLaneCompetitorsNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)
1West GermanyFRG3:03.83:03.90Q
Lead-Off32Helmar Müller
2nd Leg16Gerhard Hennige 2
3rd Leg22Manfred Kinder
Anchor19Martin Jellinghaus
2Trinidad and TobagoTTO3:04.53:04.55Q
Lead-Off778George Simon
2nd Leg772Euric Bobb
3rd Leg773Ben Cayenne
Anchor776Edwin Roberts
3FranceFRA3:04.63:04.69q
Lead-Off361Jean-Claude Nallet
2nd Leg350Jacques Carette
3rd Leg346Gilles Bertould
Anchor363Christian Nicolau
4CubaCUB3:05.23:05.28
Lead-Off205Carlos Martínez
2nd Leg211Eddy Téllez
3rd Leg209Miguel Olivera
Anchor200Rodobaldo Díaz
5VenezuelaVEN3:07.63:07.65
Lead-Off846Víctor Patíñez
2nd Leg840Raúl Dome
3rd Leg844Víctor Maldonado
Anchor843José Jacinto Hidalgo
6MexicoMEX3:08.13:08.19
Lead-Off622Melesio Piña
2nd Leg616Salvador Medina
3rd Leg607Carlos Castro
Anchor625Francisco Sardo
7CanadaCAN3:09.63:09.70
Lead-Off172Ross MacKenzie
2nd Leg173Brian MacLaren
3rd Leg166Bill Crothers
Anchor162Wes Brooker

Final

Date20 October 1968 — 16:50
PosCompetitorsNOCTime (Hand)Time (Automatic)Exchange
1United StatesUSA2:56.12:56.16– (–)WR
Lead-OffVince Matthews 45.045.0 (2)
2nd LegRon Freeman 43.21:28.2 (1)
3rd LegLarry James 43.82:12.0 (1)
AnchorLee Evans 44.12:56.1 (1)
2KenyaKEN2:59.62:59.64– (–)
Lead-OffDaniel Rudisha 44.644.6 (1)
2nd LegMunyoro Nyamau 45.21:29.8 (2)
3rd LegNaftali Bon 45.22:15.0 (2)
AnchorCharles Asati 44.62:59.6 (2)
3West GermanyFRG3:00.53:00.57– (–)
Lead-OffHelmar Müller 46.246.2 (=4)
2nd LegGerhard Hennige 44.81:31.0 (3)3
3rd LegManfred Kinder 44.72:15.7 (=3)
AnchorMartin Jellinghaus 44.83:00.5 (=3)
4PolandPOL3:00.53:00.58– (–)
Lead-OffStanisław Grędziński 46.846.8 (8)
2nd LegJan Balachowski 44.71:31.5 (5)
3rd LegJan Werner 44.52:16.0 (5)
AnchorAndrzej Badeński 44.53:00.5 (=3)
5Great BritainGBR3:01.23:01.21– (–)
Lead-OffMartin Winbolt-Lewis 46.246.2 (=4)
2nd LegColin Campbell 44.91:31.1 (4)
3rd LegDave Hemery 44.62:15.7 (=3)
AnchorJohn Sherwood 45.53:01.2 (5)
6Trinidad and TobagoTTO3:04.53:04.54– (–)
Lead-OffGeorge Simon 46.146.1 (3)
2nd LegEuric Bobb 46.71:32.8 (8)
3rd LegBen Cayenne 45.92:18.7 (=6)
AnchorEdwin Roberts 45.83:04.5 (6)
7ItalyITA3:04.63:04.64– (–)
Lead-OffSergio Ottolina 46.446.4 (6)
2nd LegGiacomo Puosi 45.81:32.2 (6)
3rd LegFurio Fusi 46.52:18.7 (=6)
AnchorSergio Bello 45.93:04.6 (7)
8FranceFRA3:07.53:07.51– (–)
Lead-OffJean-Claude Nallet 46.646.6 (7)
2nd LegJacques Carette 45.81:32.4 (7)
3rd LegGilles Bertould 47.12:19.5 (8)
AnchorJean-Pierre Boccardo 48.03:07.5 (8)