| 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 | ||
| 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) | – | – | |||
| 88 | Joachim Singer |  GDR | – | – | – | ||||
| 274 | Boyd Gittins | USA | – | – | – |
| Date | 13 October 1968 — 15:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 4 in each heat advanced to the semi-finals. |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Gerhard Hennige | FRG | 49.5 | 49.57 | ||
| 2 | 5 | Geoff Vanderstock | USA | 50.6 | 50.62 | ||
| 3 | 6 | Vyacheslav Skomorokhov | URS | 50.7 | 50.72 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Víctor Maldonado | VEN | 51.4 | 51.46 | ||
| 5 | 7 | Kiyoo Yui | JPN | 51.5 | 51.56 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Bob McLaren | CAN | 51.8 | 51.84 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Miguel Olivera | CUB | 51.9 | 51.98 | ||
| 8 | 8 | Mohamed Asswai Khalifa | LBA | 54.3 | 54.34 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Juan Carlos Dyrzka | ARG | 49.8 | 49.82 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Roger Johnson | NZL | 51.3 | 51.39 | ||
| 3 | 1 | John Cooper | GBR | 51.4 | 51.43 | ||
| 4 | 4 | Mamadou Sarr | SEN | 51.5 | 51.58 | ||
| 5 | 6 | Wes Brooker | CAN | 51.6 | 51.68 | 3 | |
| 6 | 5 | William Quaye | GHA | 55.6 | 55.54 | 4 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Ron Whitney | USA | 49.0 | 49.06 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Rainer Schubert | FRG | 49.1 | 49.15 | ||
| 3 | 7 | Gary Knoke | AUS | 49.8 | 49.88 | ||
| 4 | 8 | John Sherwood | GBR | 50.2 | 50.31 | ||
| 5 | 6 | Wilhelm Weistand | POL | 50.7 | 50.71 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Wilfried Geeroms | BEL | 51.2 | 51.27 | ||
| 7 | 3 | Juan Santiago Gordón | CHI | 52.4 | 52.43 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Zambrose Abdul Rahman | MAS | 53.2 | 53.23 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Roberto Frinolli | ITA | 49.9 | 49.95 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Dave Hemery | GBR | 50.3 | 50.33 | ||
| 3 | 6 | Robert Poirier | FRA | 50.5 | 50.51 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Jaakko Tuominen | FIN | 50.6 | 50.63 | ||
| 5 | 8 | Kimaru Songok | KEN | 50.6 | 50.66 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Alejandro Sánchez | MEX | 51.6 | 51.62 | ||
| 7 | 7 | Juan García | CUB | 51.8 | 51.87 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Georgios Birmpilis | GRE | 52.6 | 52.62 |
| Date | 14 October 1968 — 15:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 4 in each heat advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time (automatic) | Time (hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 506 | Roberto Frinolli | ITA | 49.14 | 49.2 | ||
| 2 | 16 | Gerhard Hennige | FRG | 49.16 | 49.1 | ||
| 3 | 312 | Geoff Vanderstock | USA | 49.22 | 49.2 | ||
| 4 | 316 | Ron Whitney | USA | 49.29 | 49.2 | ||
| =5 | 422 | John Sherwood | GBR | 49.37 | 49.3 | ||
| =5 | 402 | Dave Hemery | GBR | 49.37 | 49.3 | ||
| 7 | 46 | Rainer Schubert | FRG | 49.38 | 49.3 | ||
| 8 | 828 | Vyacheslav Skomorokhov | URS | 49.61 | 49.6 | ||
| 9 | 108 | Gary Knoke | AUS | 49.61 | 49.6 | ||
| 10 | 99 | Juan Carlos Dyrzka | ARG | 49.86 | 49.8 | ||
| 11 | 341 | Jaakko Tuominen | FIN | 50.82 | 50.8 | ||
| 12 | 395 | John Cooper | GBR | 50.82 | 50.8 | ||
| 13 | 366 | Robert Poirier | FRA | 51.23 | 51.2 | ||
| 14 | 649 | Roger Johnson | NZL | 51.87 | 51.8 | ||
| 15 | 715 | Mamadou Sarr | SEN | 52.20 | 52.1 | ||
| 16 | 844 | Víctor Maldonado | VEN | 52.29 | 52.2 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Roberto Frinolli | ITA | 49.2 | 49.14 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Geoff Vanderstock | USA | 49.2 | 49.22 | ||
| 3 | 7 | John Sherwood | GBR | 49.3 | 49.37 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Rainer Schubert | FRG | 49.3 | 49.38 | ||
| 5 | 6 | Juan Carlos Dyrzka | ARG | 49.8 | 49.86 | ||
| 6 | 3 | Jaakko Tuominen | FIN | 50.8 | 50.82 | ||
| 7 | 1 | John Cooper | GBR | 50.8 | 50.82 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Víctor Maldonado | VEN | 52.2 | 52.29 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Gerhard Hennige | FRG | 49.1 | 49.16 | ||
| 2 | 8 | Ron Whitney | USA | 49.2 | 49.29 | ||
| 3 | 6 | Dave Hemery | GBR | 49.3 | 49.37 | ||
| 4 | 4 | Vyacheslav Skomorokhov | URS | 49.6 | 49.61 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Gary Knoke | AUS | 49.6 | 49.61 | ||
| 6 | 3 | Robert Poirier | FRA | 51.2 | 51.23 | ||
| 7 | 5 | Roger Johnson | NZL | 51.8 | 51.87 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Mamadou Sarr | SEN | 52.1 | 52.20 |
| Date | 15 October 1968 — 17:35 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Dave Hemery | GBR | 48.1 | 48.12 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Gerhard Hennige | FRG | 49.0 | 49.02 | ||
| 3 | 8 | John Sherwood | GBR | 49.0 | 49.03 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Geoff Vanderstock | USA | 49.0 | 49.07 | ||
| 5 | 5 | Vyacheslav Skomorokhov | URS | 49.1 | 49.12 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Ron Whitney | USA | 49.2 | 49.27 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Rainer Schubert | FRG | 49.2 | 49.30 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Roberto Frinolli | ITA | 50.1 | 50.13 |
