These are the official results of the men's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. The event was held on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 October 1968. There were a total number of 19 nations competing. The race was won by the United States in world record time.

During the heats, Jamaica had equalled the world record 38.6 (38.65) and improved upon it in the semi-finals 38.3 (38.39).

The random seeding of the final had semifinal 1 winner, with the fastest time, Jamaica in lane 5, but semifinal 2 winner Cuba in lane one and semifinal 2 runner up United States in lane 2, both regarded as inferior lanes. While Charles Greene got a quick start, USA struggled with poor handoffs so East Germany in lane 4 was the clear leader on the backstretch, with Jamaica and Cuba the closest competitors and Mel Pender racing to catch up. Through the turn Ronnie Ray Smith continued to chase Pablo Montes. East Germany still had the lead going into the final handoff, USA still behind Cuba but with a smooth handoff and France in competitive position. The East Germans took three attempts to finally make a handoff, losing ground. Once with baton in hand Jim Hines was clearly faster than Enrique Figuerola, catching him halfway down the straightaway and on to a two-metre victory. Lennox Miller equally outran Harald Eggers, but Roger Bambuck was able to hold off Miller and dive for the bronze medal for France.

The USA's time was a Fully automatic timing world record that was faster than the hand timed mark from before the Olympics. Miller had been the anchor of that previous record as well as the two Jamaican records earlier in the competition, though the 1967 USC record was never accepted as a world record by the IAAF because Miller was from a different country from his teammates (who included Earl McCullouch and O. J. Simpson).

Medalists

Charles GreeneMel PenderRonnie Ray SmithJim Hines Hermes RamírezJuan MoralesPablo MontesEnrique Figuerola Gérard FenouilJocelyn DelecourClaude PiquemalRoger Bambuck

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

World record 38.4yA Earl McCullouch Fred Kuller O. J. Simpson Lennox MillerProvo (USA)17 June 1967 Olympic record 39.0 Paul Drayton Gerry Ashworth Richard Stebbins Bob HayesTokyo (JPN)21 October 1964

Results Heats Held on Saturday 19 October 1968

Heat 1 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)1.• Hermes Ramírez• Juan Morales• Pablo Montes• Enrique Figuerola 38.738.762.• Charlie Greene• Mel Pender• Ronnie Ray Smith• Jim Hines 38.838.863.• Raymond Fabien• Winston Short• Carl Archer• Edwin Roberts 38.938.974.• Jerry Wisdom• Tom Robinson• Bernard Nottage• Edwin Johnson 39.439.455.• Timon Oyebami• Robert Ojo• Benedict Majekodunmi• Kola Abdulai 39.439.476.• Edward Owusu• Mike Ahey• William Quaye• James Addy 39.839.877.• Luis Soriano• Alberto Torres• Rafael Domínguez• Porfirio Veras 41.441.48 –DNS–

Heat 2 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)1.• Errol Stewart• Mike Fray• Clifton Forbes• Lennox Miller 38.638.652.• Gérard Fenouil• Jocelyn Delecour• Claude Piquemal• Roger Bambuck 39.039.033.• Karl-Peter Schmidtke• Gert Metz• Gerhard Wucherer• Jochen Eigenherr 39.139.164.• Joseph Speake• Ron Jones• Ralph Banthorpe• Barrie Kelly 39.339.335.• Atta Kouakou• Kouami N'Dri• Boy Akba Diby• Gaoussou Koné 39.639.686.• Naoki Abe• Hiroomi Yamada• Shinji Ogura• Hideo Iijima 40.040.027.• Félix Bécquer• Enrique Labadie• Galdino Flores• Miguel Angel González 40.040.09

Heat 3 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)1.• Heinz Erbstößer• Hartmut Schelter• Peter Haase• Harald Eggers 38.938.932.• Oleksiy Khlopotnov• Yevgeny Sinyayev• Nikolay Ivanov• Vladislav Sapeya 39.039.033.• Wieslaw Maniak• Edward Romanowski• Zenon Nowosz• Marian Dudziak 40.240.274.• Mani Jegathesan• Tambusamy Krishnan• Rajalingam Gunaratnam• Ooi Hock Lim 40.640.695.• Sergio Ottolina• Ennio Preatoni• Angelo Sguazzero• Livio Berruti 41.541.59 –DNS– –DNS– –DNS–

Semifinals Held on Saturday 19 October 1968

Heat 1 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)1.• Errol Stewart• Michael Fray• Clifton Forbes• Lennox Miller 38.3(WR)38.392.• Heinz Erbstösser• Hartmut Schelter• Peter Haase• Harald Eggers 38.738.723.• Karl-Peter Schmidtke• Gert Metz• Gerhard Wucherer• Joachim Eigenherr 38.938.934.• Wieslaw Maniak• Edward Romanowski• Zenon Nowosz• Marian Dudziak 38.938.995.• Joseph Speake• Ron Jones• Ralph Banthorpe• Barrie Kelly 39.439.466.• Raymond Fabien• Winston Short• Carl Archer• Edwin Roberts 39.539.527.• Atta Kouaukou• Kouami N'Dri• Boy Diby• Gaoussou Kone 39.639.698.• Mani Jegathesan• Tambusamy Krishnan• Rajalingam Gunaratnam• Ooi Hock Lim 40.840.89

Heat 2 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)1.• Hermes Ramírez• Juan Morales• Pablo Montes• Enrique Figuerola38.638.642.• Charles Greene• Mel Pender• Ronnie Ray Smith• Jim Hines38.638.693.• Gérard Fenouil• Jocelyn Delecour• Claude Piquemal• Roger Bambuck38.838.834.• Sergio Ottolina• Ennio Preatoni• Angelo Sguazzero• Livio Berruti 39.439.465.• Edward Owusu• Michael Ahey• William Quaye• James Addy 39.939.96—• Gerald Wisdom• Thomas Robinson• Bernard Nottage• Edwin Johnson DQ–—• Timon Oyebami• Robert Ojo• Benedict Majekodunmi• Kola Abdulai DQ–—• Aleksey Khlopotnov• Eugeny Siniaev• Nikolay Ivanov• Vladislav Sapeia DQ–

Final Held on Sunday 20 October 1968 RANKNATIONATHLETESTIME (HAND)TIME (AUTOMATIC)• Charles Greene• Mel Pender• Ronnie Ray Smith• Jim Hines38.2(WR)38.24• Hermes Ramírez• Juan Morales• Pablo Montes• Enrique Figuerola38.338.40• Gérard Fenouil• Jocelyn Delecour• Claude Piquemal• Roger Bambuck38.438.434.• Errol Stewart• Michael Fray• Clifton Forbes• Lennox Miller 38.438.475.• Heinz Erbstösser• Hartmut Schelter• Peter Haase• Harald Eggers 38.638.666.• Karl-Peter Schmidtke• Gert Metz• Gerhard Wucherer• Joachim Eigenherr 38.738.767.• Sergio Ottolina• Ennio Preatoni• Angelo Sguazzero• Livio Berruti 39.239.228.• Wieslaw Maniak• Edward Romanowski• Zenon Nowosz• Marian Dudziak 39.239.22

References

External links Official Report Results