# 1968 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

The men's 1968 United States Olympic trials for track and field were a two-tiered event. Athletes first met for semi-final Olympic trials in Los Angeles, from June 29 to 30. The final trials were held following a training camp at a specially constructed track at Echo Summit, California, between September 6–16. This was called the most bizarre location for an Olympic trials ever, selected to mimic the nearly identical high altitude location for the Olympics in Mexico City in October.
An all-weather polyurethane Tartan track, similar to the Olympic venue, was constructed for the men's trials at Echo Summit, west of South Lake Tahoe. Just off U.S. Route 50, it was built in the summer of 1968 in the parking lot of Nebelhorn ski area, at an elevation of 7,377 feet (2,249 m).
After training at Echo Summit, the race walk trials was held at a similar high altitude location of Alamosa, Colorado, 20 kilometers on September 7, and 50 km on September 10. The process was organized by the AAU, and the athletes invited to the finals were selected based on the qualification at the semi-Olympic trials.
The AccuTrak photographic fully automatic timing system was used at this meet, in anticipation of its implementation at the Olympics. Fully automatic timing became mandatory for world records in 1977. Administrators had not yet figured out what to do with the slower automatic times so the world records at this meet were set using hand times.
The women's Olympic trials were held separately under less elegant, low altitude conditions at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The pentathlon took place in Columbia, Missouri during the AAU Championships. Both meets took place on August 24 and 25. The tight schedule also made doubling in individual events more difficult. American resident, but Taiwanese citizen Chi Cheng was allowed to participate in the pentathlon, but her dominant performance did not displace the American athletes in the trials.

## Men's results

Key: ≠ Athlete without "A" standard, not selected. All events considered to be held at high altitude.

### Men track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters Wind +0.0 | Jim Hines | 10.0 (10.11) | Charlie Greene | 10.1 (10.15) | Mel Pender | 10.1 (10.20) |
| 200 meters Wind +1.9 | John Carlos | 19.7 (19.92) WR | Tommie Smith | 20.0 (20.18) | Larry Questad | 20.1 (20.28) |
| 400 meters | Lee Evans | 44.0 (44.06) WR | Larry James | 44.1 (44.19) WR | Ron Freeman | 44.6 (44.62) |
| 800 meters | Tom Farrell | 1:46.5 | Wade Bell | 1:47.1 | Ron Kutschinski | 1:47.8 |
| 1500 meters | Jim Ryun | 3:49.0 | Marty Liquori | 3:49.5 | Tom von Ruden | 3:49.8 |
| 5000 meters | Bob Day | 14:37.4 | Jack Bacheler | 14:37.4 | Lou Scott | 14:53.2 |
| 10,000 meters | Tracy Smith | 30:00.4 | Van Nelson | 30:04.0 | Tom Laris | 30:09.8 |
| 110 m hurdles Wind -2.7 | Willie Davenport | 13.5 (13.72) | Leon Coleman | 13.5 (13.77) | Ervin Hall | 13.6 (13.84) |
| 400 m hurdles | Geoff Vanderstock | 48.8 (48.93) WR | Boyd Gittins | 49.1 (49.27) | Ron Whitney | 49.2 (49.36) |
| 3000 m s'chase | George Young | 8:58.0 | Bill Reilly | 8:58.8 | Conrad Nightingale | 9:04.4 |
| 20K racewalk | Larry Young | 1:35:56.4 | Goetz Klopfer | 1:37:53.4 | Tom Dooley | 1:38:03 |
| 50K racewalk | Larry Young | 4:13:04.4 NR | Bill Weigle | 4:20:09.4 | Steve Hayden | 4:23:22.6 |
| Marathon | Kenny Moore | 2:15:57.8 | Frank Shorter | 2:15:57.8 | Jack Bacheler | 2:20:29.2 |

### Men field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High jump | Ed Caruthers | 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) | Reynaldo Brown | 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) | Dick Fosbury | 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in) |
| Pole vault | Bob Seagren | 5.41 m (17 ft 8+3⁄4 in) WR | John Pennel | 5.18 m (16 ft 11+3⁄4 in) | Casey Carrigan | 5.18 m (16 ft 11+3⁄4 in) |
| Long jump | Bob Beamon | 8.39 m (27 ft 6+1⁄4 in)w +3.2 | Ralph Boston | 8.26 m (27 ft 1 in)w +5.0 | Charles Mays | 8.16 m (26 ft 9+1⁄4 in)w +4.0 |
| Triple jump | Art Walker | 16.81 m (55 ft 1+3⁄4 in) +1.2 NR | Dave Smith | 16.38 m (53 ft 8+3⁄4 in) | Norm Tate | 16.14 m (52 ft 11+1⁄4 in) |
| Shot put | George Woods | 20.73 m (68 ft 0 in) | Dave Maggard | 20.53 m (67 ft 4+1⁄4 in) | Randy Matson | 20.45 m (67 ft 1 in) |
| Discus throw | Jay Silvester | 63.25 m (207 ft 6 in) | Gary Carlsen | 62.54 m (205 ft 2 in) | Al Oerter | 62.39 m (204 ft 8 in) |
| Hammer throw | Ed Burke | 68.96 m (226 ft 2 in) | Albert Hall | 67.18 m (220 ft 4 in) | Hal Connolly | 65.13 m (213 ft 8 in) |
| Javelin throw | Mark Murro | 82.46 m (270 ft 6 in) | Frank Covelli | 81.66 m (267 ft 10 in) | Gary Stenlund | 81.62 m (267 ft 9 in) |
| Decathlon | Bill Toomey | 8222 | Rick Sloan | 7800 | Tom Waddell | 7706 |

## Women's results
### Women track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters Wind +1.9 | Wyomia Tyus | 11.3 | Margaret Bailes | 11.3 | Barbara Ferrell | 11.4 |
| 200 meters Wind +0.1 | Margaret Bailes | 23.5 | Wyomia Tyus | 23.7 | Barbara Ferrell | 23.7 |
| 400 meters | Jarvis Scott | 53.5 | Lois Drinkwater | 54.0 | Esther Stroy | 54.3 |
| 800 meters | Madeline Manning | 2:03.0 | Doris Brown | 2:03.0 | Jarvis Scott | 2:04.5 |
| 80 m hurdles Wind +0.1 | Mamie Rallins | 11.1 | Patty van Wolvelaere | 11.2 | Janene Jaton | 11.2 |

### Women field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High jump | Sharon Callahan | 5 ft 71⁄4 in (1.7 m) | Eleanor Montgomery | 5 ft 71⁄4 in (1.7 m) | Estelle Baskerville | 5 ft 6 in (1.67 m) |
| Long jump | Martha Watson | 6.42 m (21 ft 3⁄4 in) | Willye White | 6.40 m (20 ft 11+3⁄4 in) | Barbara Emerson | 5.77 m (18 ft 11 in) |
| Shot put | Maren Seidler | 15.28 m (50 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | Lynn Graham | 14.03 m (46 ft 1⁄4 in) | Sharon Shepherd | 13.89 m (45 ft 6+3⁄4 in) |
| Discus throw | Olga Connolly | 53.35 m (175 ft 0 in) | Carol Moseke | 50.72 m (166 ft 4 in) | Nancy Norberg | 46.50 m (152 ft 6 in) |
| Javelin throw | Barbara Friedrich | 54.08 m (177 ft 5 in) | Sherry Calvert | 48.95 m (160 ft 7 in) | RaNae Bair | 48.16 m (158 ft 0 in) |
| Pentathlon | Chi Cheng Taiwan Pat Winslow | 4823 4481 | Barbara Emerson | 4327 | Janis Glotzer | 4319 |