Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 metres hurdles

The men's 110 metres hurdles competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico was held at the University Olympic Stadium on October 16–17.[1] Thirty-three athletes from 24 nations competed.[2] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Willie Davenport of the United States, the nation's eighth of nine consecutive victories and the 14th overall gold medal in the event for the Americans. Eddy Ottoz's bronze was Italy's first medal in the event.

Men's 110 metres hurdles
at the Games of the XIX Olympiad
Willie Davenport, Ervin Hall and Eddy Ottoz
VenueEstadio Olímpico Universitario
DateOctober 16–17
Competitors33 from 24 nations
Winning time13.3
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Willie Davenport
 United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ervin Hall
 United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Eddy Ottoz
 Italy
← 1964
1972 →
Official Video Highlights @6:20

Background

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This was the 16th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Three finalists from 1964 returned: fourth-place finisher Eddy Ottoz of Italy, sixth-place finisher Marcel Duriez of France, and seventh-place finisher Giovanni Cornacchia, also of Italy. The American team, including Willie Davenport (whose injury in Tokyo had ended a streak of four consecutive podium sweeps), Ervin Hall, and Leon Coleman, was again favored.[2]

The Dominican Republic, Madagascar, and the Virgin Islands each made their first appearance in the event; West Germany made its first appearance as a separate nation. The United States made its 16th appearance, the only nation to have competed in the 110 metres hurdles in each Games to that point.

Competition format

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The men's 110m hurdles competition consisted of heats (Round 1), semifinals and a final. The three fastest competitors from each race in the heats qualified for the semifinals along with the fastest overall competitor not already qualified. The four fastest runners from each of the two semifinal races advanced to the final.

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1968 Summer Olympics.

World record   Martin Lauer (FRG) 13.2 Zürich, Switzerland 7 July 1959
Olympic record   Lee Calhoun (USA) 13.5 Melbourne, Australia 28 November 1956

Eddy Ottoz matched the Olympic record in the third heat. He did it again in the first semifinal, but came in second in that race—Ervin Hall set a new Olympic record at 13.3 seconds. Willie Davenport matched Hall's new record to win the final; all three men came in under the old record in winning their medals. Ottoz's final time was a national record for Italy.

Nation Athlete Round Time
  Italy Eddy Ottoz Final 13.4

Schedule

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All times are Central Standard Time (UTC-6)

Date Time Round
Wednesday, 16 October 1968 10:00 Round 1
Thursday, 17 October 1968 15:00
17:00
Semifinals
Final

Results

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Round 1

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Heat 1

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 6 Ervin Hall   United States 13.7 13.75 Q
2 7 Pierre Schoebel   France 13.8 13.83 Q
3 3 Daniel Riedo   Switzerland 14.0 14.10 Q
4 5 Giovanni Cornacchia   Italy 14.1 14.13
5 2 Franklin Blyden   Virgin Islands 14.7 14.74
6 4 Kimaru Songok   Kenya 14.7 14.76
1 Bernard Kender   Chad DNS
Wind: +0.0 m/s

Heat 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 7 Willie Davenport   United States 13.6 13.65 Q
2 5 Hinrich John   West Germany 13.8 13.87 Q
3 4 Arnaldo Bristol   Puerto Rico 13.9 13.92 Q
4 1 Oleg Stepanenko   Soviet Union 13.9 13.95 q
5 3 Hernando Arrechea   Colombia 14.0 14.09
6 6 Ahmed Ishtiaq Mubarak   Malaysia 14.3 14.36
7 2 Su Po-tai   Taiwan 15.0 15.11
Wind: +1.0 m/s

Heat 3

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 4 Eddy Ottoz   Italy 13.5 13.61 Q, =OR
2 7 Werner Trzmiel   West Germany 13.8 13.87 Q
3 6 Juan Morales   Cuba 13.9 13.94 Q
4 3 Gary Knoke   Australia 14.1 14.14
5 5 Stuart Storey   Great Britain 14.1 14.20
6 2 Simbara Maki   Ivory Coast 14.3 14.32
7 1 Fernand Tovondray   Madagascar 14.9 15.00
Wind: +1.7 m/s

Heat 4

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 7 Leon Coleman   United States 13.7 13.77 Q
2 6 Bo Forssander   Sweden 13.9 14.00 Q
3 2 Kjellfred Weum   Norway 14.0 14.08 Q
4 5 Mike Parker   Great Britain 14.1 14.16
5 3 Patricio Saavedra   Chile 14.4 14.47
6 1 Rogelio Onofre   Philippines 15.0 15.01
4 Werner Kuhn   Switzerland DNS
Wind: +0.3 m/s

Heat 5

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 2 Viktor Balikhin   Soviet Union 13.8 13.82 Q
2 6 Marcel Duriez   France 13.9 14.00 Q
3 5 Sergio Liani   Italy 13.9 14.01 Q
4 4 Alan Pascoe   Great Britain 13.9 14.01
5 1 Lubomír Nádeníček   Czechoslovakia 14.1 14.18
6 7 Alfredo Deza   Peru 14.3 14.38
7 3 Radhamés Mora   Dominican Republic 16.8 16.85
Wind: +0.0 m/s

Semifinals

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Semifinal 1

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Last meters of the first semi-final. Eddy Ottoz, number 515, finishes second; the other racers, from the left, Juan Morales, Pierre Schoebel, Daniel Riedo, Hinrich John, Bo Forssander and the winner, Ervin Hall.
Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 4 Ervin Hall   United States 13.3 13.38 Q, OR
2 8 Eddy Ottoz   Italy 13.5 13.53 Q
3 2 Bo Forssander   Sweden 13.7 13.75 Q
4 6 Pierre Schoebel   France 13.7 13.78 Q
5 1 Hinrich John   West Germany 13.8 13.87
6 3 Daniel Riedo   Switzerland 14.0 14.07
7 5 Juan Morales   Cuba 14.0 14.08
8 7 Viktor Balikhin   Soviet Union 14.1 14.13
Wind: +1.8 m/s

Semifinal 2

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
1 5 Willie Davenport   United States 13.5 13.53 Q
2 6 Leon Coleman   United States 13.5 13.54 Q
3 1 Werner Trzmiel   West Germany 13.5 13.60 Q
4 4 Marcel Duriez   France 13.7 13.73 Q
5 8 Oleg Stepanenko   Soviet Union 13.8 13.83
6 3 Kjellfred Weum   Norway 14.0 14.04
7 2 Sergio Liani   Italy 14.0 14.09
8 7 Arnaldo Bristol   Puerto Rico 14.1 14.13
Wind: +0.0 m/s

Final

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Rank Lane Athlete Nation Time (hand) Time (auto) Notes
  4 Willie Davenport   United States 13.3 13.33 =OR
  6 Ervin Hall   United States 13.4 13.42
  3 Eddy Ottoz   Italy 13.4 13.46 NR
4 7 Leon Coleman   United States 13.6 13.67
5 1 Werner Trzmiel   West Germany 13.6 13.68
6 2 Bo Forssander   Sweden 13.7 13.73
7 8 Marcel Duriez   France 13.7 13.77
8 5 Pierre Schoebel   France 14.0 14.02
Wind: +0.0 m/s

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games: Men's 110 metres Hurdles". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b "110 metres Hurdles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
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