1968 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 100 m (women)

sport	athletics
discipline	100 meter run
gender	Women
Attendees	42 athletes from 22 countries
Competition location	Estadio Olímpico Universitario
Competition phase	October 14, 1968 (heats / quarter-finals) October 15, 1968 (semi-finals / finals)
Medalists Wyomia Tyus ( USA )   Barbara Ferrell ( USA )   Irena Szewińska ( POL )

The women's 100-meter run at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City was held on October 14th and 15th, 1968 at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario . 42 athletes took part.

The American Wyomia Tyus became Olympic champion . She won in a new world record time ahead of her teammate Barbara Ferrell and the Polish Irena Szewińska , who had competed in competitions under her maiden name Irena Kirszenstein until 1967.

Karin Reichert , Renate Meyer and Halina Herrmann started for the Federal Republic of Germany - officially Germany . Herrmann, who had participated as Halina Górecka for Poland in 1960 and 1964 , was eliminated in the preliminary round. Meyer and Reichert failed in the quarterfinals.
Runners from the GDR - officially East Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein did not take part.

Existing records

World record	11.1 s	Irena Kirszenstein ( Poland )	Prague , Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic )	July 9, 1965
		Wyomia Tyus ( USA )	Kiev , Soviet Union (now Ukraine )	July 31, 1965
		Barbara Ferrell ( USA )	Santa Barbara , USA	2nd July 1967
		Lyudmila Samotjossowa ( Soviet Union )	Leninakan , Soviet Union (now Gyumri , Armenia )	15th August 1968
Olympic record	11.2 s	Wyomia Tyus ( USA )	Tokyo quarterfinals , Japan	October 15, 1964

Conducting the competition

The athletes started a total of six heats on October 14th. The five best running teams made it to the quarterfinals on the same day. There the first four qualified for the semi-finals on October 15th. From this, the four best runners reached the final, which took place on the same day.

Time schedule

October 14, 10:00 a.m .: Preliminary
October 14, 3:30 p.m .: Quarter-finals
October 15, 3:00 p.m .: Semi-finals
October 15, 5:50 p.m .: Final

Note: All times are Mexico City local time ( UTC −6)

The qualified athletes are highlighted in light blue.

Preliminary round

Date: October 14, 1968, from 10 a.m.

Forward 1

Wind: 0.0 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Wyomia Tyus	United States	11.2 s	11.21 s	ORe
2	Val Peat	Great Britain	11.5 s	11.52 s
3	Violeta Quesada	Cuba	11.6 s	11.67 s
4th	Marijana Lubej	Yugoslavia	11.6 s	11.68 s
5	Debbie Miller	Canada	11.7 s	11.71 s
6th	Sylviane Telliez	France	12.0 s	12.10 s
7th	Esperanza Girón	Mexico	12.2 s	12.30 s

Forward 2

Wind: +1.3 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Margaret Bailes	United States	11.2 s	11.30 s	ORe
2	Irene Piotrowski	Canada	11.3 s	11.40 s
3	Miguelina Cobián	Cuba	11.4 s	11.48 s
4th	Pam Kilborn	Australia	11.6 s	11.62 s
5	Gabrielle Meyer	France	11.6 s	11.65 s
6th	Alicia Kaufmanas	Argentina	11.8 s	11.90 s
7th	Carmen Smith	Jamaica	11.9 s	11.94 s

Forward 3

Wind: +0.1 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Dianne Burge	Australia	11.5 s	11.53 s
2	Fulgencia Romay	Cuba	11.5 s	11.53 s
3	Lyudmila Samotyosova	Soviet Union	11.5 s	11.57 s
4th	Anita Neil	Great Britain	11.6 s	11.70 s
5	Oyeronke Akindele	Nigeria	11.6 s	11.70 s
6th	Vilma Charlton	Jamaica	11.7 s	11.71 s
7th	Ulla-Britt Wieslander	Sweden	11.8 s	11.86 s

Forward 4

Wind: 0.0 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Irena Szewińska	Poland	11.3 s	11.32 s
2	Raelene Boyle	Australia	11.4 s	11.44 s
3	Chi Cheng	Taiwan	11.4 s	11.45 s
4th	Della Pascoe	Great Britain	11.7 s	11.78 s
5	Karin Reichert	BR Germany	11.9 s	11.95 s
6th	Maria Kiss	Hungary	12.0 s	12.10 s
DNF	Lydia Stephens	Kenya

Forward 5

The Dutch Truus Hennipman qualified for the quarter-finals and was eliminated there.

Wind: 0.0 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Eva Glesková	Czechoslovakia	11.6 s	11.62 s
2	Renate Meyer	BR Germany	11.7 s	11.71 s
3	Lyudmila Golomassova	Soviet Union	11.7 s	11.74 s
4th	Truus Hennipman	Netherlands	11.7 s	11.76 s
5	Stephanie Berto	Canada	11.8 s	11.81 s
6th	Margit Nemesházi	Hungary	11.9 s	12.00 s
7th	Josefa Vicent	Uruguay	12.5 s	12.53 s

Forward 6

Wind: 0.0 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Barbara Ferrell	United States	11.2 s	11.28 s	ORe
2	Lyudmila Maslakova	Soviet Union	11.5 s	11.54 s
3	Wilma van Gool	Netherlands	11.5 s	11.60 s
4th	Olajumoke Bodunrin	Nigeria	11.6 s	11.71 s
5	Györgyi Balogh	Hungary	11.8 s	11.80 s
6th	Halina Herrmann	BR Germany	11.8 s	11.88 s
7th	Cecilia Sosa	El Salvador	13.7 s	13.76 s

Quarter finals

Date: October 14, 1968, from 3:30 p.m.

Two athletes qualified for this round did not start: the Canadian Stephanie Berto and the Nigerian Olajumoke Bodunrin.

Run 1

Wind: +0.6 m / s

The official result list initially showed a tail wind of 6.0 m / s. It was only after a long discussion that a journalist inquired about it that there had been an oversight. The actual value was 0.6 m / s, so that all performances could be included in the leaderboards and Barbara Ferrell's winning time meant the setting of the world record and, at the same time, a new Olympic record . However, this error was never corrected in the official report.

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Barbara Ferrell	United States	11.1 s	11.12 s	WRe / OR
2	Eva Glesková	Czechoslovakia	11.2 s	11.29 s
3	Della Pascoe	Great Britain	11.3 s	11.36 s
4th	Miguelina Cobián	Cuba	11.4 s	11.41 s
5	Lyudmila Maslakova	Soviet Union	11.4 s	11.43 s
6th	Pam Kilborn	Australia	11.4 s	11.50 s
7th	Truus Hennipman	Netherlands	11.5 s	11.59 s
8th	Karin Reichert	BR Germany	11.6 s	11.70 s

Run 2

Wind: +2.7 m / s

The world record of the winner Wyomia Tyus from the USA could not be recognized because the tail wind was too strong. The other times achieved in this run were therefore not on the best list either.

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Wyomia Tyus	United States	11.0 s	11.08 s
2	Chi Cheng	Taiwan	11.3 s	11.31 s
3	Wilma van Gool	Netherlands	11.4 s	11.45 s
4th	Lyudmila Golomassova	Soviet Union	11.5 s	11.54 s
5	Marijana Lubej	Yugoslavia	11.6 s	11.61 s
6th	Anita Neil	Great Britain	11.6 s	11.61 s
7th	Debbie Miller	Canada	11.6 s	11.64 s

Run 3

Wind: +0.8 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Raelene Boyle	Australia	11.2 s	11.29 s
2	Margaret Bailes	United States	11.3 s	11.34 s
3	Val Peat	Great Britain	11.3 s	11.39 s
4th	Lyudmila Samotyosova	Soviet Union	11.4 s	11.45 s
5	Violeta Quesada	Cuba	11.6 s	11.65 s
6th	Renate Meyer	BR Germany	11.6 s	11.67 s
7th	Oyeronke Akindele	Nigeria	11.7 s	11.75 s

Run 4

Wind: +1.8 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Irena Szewińska	Poland	11.1 s	11.20 s	WRe / ORe
2	Dianne Burge	Australia	11.3 s	11.33 s
3	Irene Piotrowski	Canada	11.3 s	11.41 s
4th	Fulgencia Romay	Cuba	11.4 s	11.47 s
5	Gabrielle Meyer	France	11.6 s	11.69 s
6th	Györgyi Balogh	Hungary	11.7 s	11.78 s

Semifinals

Date: October 15, 1968, from 3 p.m.

Run 1

Wind: −0.2 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Irena Szewińska	Poland	11.3 s	11.30 s
2	Barbara Ferrell	United States	11.3 s	11.37 s
3	Dianne Burge	Australia	11.4 s	11.46 s
4th	Chi Cheng	Taiwan	11.4 s	11.49 s
5	Fulgencia Romay	Cuba	11.5 s	11.52 s
6th	Irene Piotrowski	Canada	11.5 s	11.55 s
7th	Della Pascoe	Great Britain	11.6 s	11.68 s
8th	Lyudmila Golomassova	Soviet Union	11.7 s	11.71 s

Run 2

Failed in the semi-finals: the Dutch Wilma van Gool

Wind: 0.0 m / s

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Wyomia Tyus	United States	11.3 s	11.35 s
2	Raelene Boyle	Australia	11.4 s	11.41 s
3	Margaret Bailes	United States	11.5 s	11.53 s
4th	Miguelina Cobián	Cuba	11.6 s	11.63 s
5	Lyudmila Samotyosova	Soviet Union	11.6 s	11.67 s
6th	Eva Glesková	Czechoslovakia	11.7 s	11.80 s
7th	Wilma van Gool	Netherlands	11.8 s	11.81 s
8th	Val Peat	Great Britain	11.8 s	11.81 s

final

space	Surname	nation	Official time hand-stopped	Unofficial time electronically	annotation
1	Wyomia Tyus	United States	11.0 s	11.08 s	WR
2	Barbara Ferrell	United States	11.1 s	11.15 s
3	Irena Szewińska	Poland	11.1 s	11.19 s
4th	Raelene Boyle	Australia	11.1 s	11.20 s
5	Margaret Bailes	United States	11.3 s	11.37 s
6th	Dianne Burge	Australia	11.4 s	11.44 s
7th	Chi Cheng	Taiwan	11.5 s	11.53 s
8th	Miguelina Cobián	Cuba	11.6 s	11.61 s

Date: October 15, 1968, 5:50 p.m.

Wind: +1.2 m / s

There was no definite favorite in the final. In the preliminary round, the existing Olympic record was set three times: by the American Olympic champion from 1964 , Wyomia Tyus, and her compatriots Margaret Bailes and Barbara Ferrell. In the first quarter-finals, Ferrell had improved this record by a tenth of a second and at the same time set the existing world record , which Poland's Irena Szewińska had also achieved in the fourth quarter-finals. Tyus had run even faster in her quarter-finals, but her time could not be recognized as a world record because of a strong tailwind.

In the finals, the runners found excellent conditions, and the tailwind support was also within the permissible range. So there was a high-class race with Wyomia Tyus as the winner and new world record holder. She was the first woman to repeat her Olympic victory in this discipline. Behind her there were three athletes who were one-tenth of a second behind who took the next places at the same time: Barbara Ferrell won the silver and Irena Szewińska the bronze medal. Australian Raelene Boyle took fourth place just a hundredth of a second behind.

Wyomia Tyus took the third consecutive US victory in the women's 100-meter race .

literature

• Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 2: 1948–1968, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 1st edition 1969, p. 379f

Video

• Wyomia Tyus Retains Olympic 100m Title - First Ever | Mexico 1968 Olympics , published July 2, 2013 on youtube.com, accessed November 10, 2017

Web links

• SportsReference 100 m , accessed November 10, 2017
• Official report - summary p. 50f., English / French. (PDF), accessed on November 10, 2017
• Official report of the Olympic Games 1968 p. 534, English / French. (PDF), accessed on November 10, 2017

Individual evidence

1. ↑ IAAF world records. 100 m women on rekorde-im-sport.de, accessed on November 10, 2017
2. ↑ Official report of the 1968 Olympic Games ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. P. 10, English / French (PDF), accessed on November 10, 2017 
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. P. 534, engl./frz. (PDF), accessed on November 10, 2017 
4. ^ Ekkehard zur Megede , The History of Olympic Athletics, Volume 2: 1948–1968, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 1st edition 1969, p. 380
5. ↑ SportsReference , accessed November 10, 2017