Athletics at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:

Men's Shot Put

Athletics at the 1968 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games / Next Summer Games

Host City: Ciudad de México, Mexico
Date Started: October 13, 1968
Date Finished: October 14, 1968

Gold: Randy Matson

Silver: George Woods

Bronze: Eduard Gushchin

Event Notes

Qualifying Round: Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 18.90 metres advanced to the final.

Summary

By 1968 the mantle of best shot putter in the world had fallen to the shoulders of the 1964 silver medalist, Randy Matson. Matson had set five world records since 1965. The most important came on 8 May 1965 in the Southwest Conference Meet, when he threw 20.95 (68-8¾) and followed that with 21.52. The second record was 70-7¼, the first throw ever over 70 feet. But in April 1967 he improved that by nearly a full foot, throwing 21.78 (71-5½). Matson opened with 20.54 (67-4¾) in Mexico and that settled the gold medal – it would be his best put of the competition. In fact all the top four had their best throws in round one – George Woods (USA) with 20.12 (66-0¼), Eduard Gushchin (URS) with 20.09 (65-11), and Dieter Hoffmann (GDR) with 20.00 (65-7½).

Results
Glossary / CSV / PRE / Hide Final Standings / Summary below

Athlete Age Country Phase Unit Finish Distance Round Summary Medal

Randy Matson 23 United States Final Standings 1 Gold

George Woods 25 United States Final Standings 2 Silver

Eduard Gushchin 28 Soviet Union Final Standings 3 Bronze

Dieter Hoffmann 26 East Germany Final Standings 4

Dave Maggard 28 United States Final Standings 5

Władysław Komar 28 Poland Final Standings 6

Uwe Grabe 25 East Germany Final Standings 7

Heinfried Birlenbach 27 West Germany Final Standings 8

Pierre Colnard 39 France Final Standings 9

Jeff Teale 28 Great Britain Final Standings 10

Les Mills 33 New Zealand Final Standings 11

Traugott Glöckler 24 West Germany Final Standings 12

Vilmos Varjú 31 Hungary Final Standings 13 QR

Arnjolt Beer 22 France Final Standings 14 QR

Edy Hubacher 28 Switzerland Final Standings 15 QR

Guðmundur Hermannsson 43 Iceland Final Standings 16 QR

Georgios Lemonis 25 Greece Final Standings 17 QR

Rolando Mendoza 29 Nicaragua Final Standings 18 QR

Mauricio Jubis 22 El Salvador Final Standings 19 QR

Athlete Age Country Phase Unit Finish Distance Round Summary Medal

Randy Matson 23 United States Final Round 1 20.54 (20.54, 20.09, 18.67, 20.15, 20.02, 20.18)

George Woods 25 United States Final Round 2 20.12 (20.12, f, f, p, 19.19, f)

Eduard Gushchin 28 Soviet Union Final Round 3 20.09 (20.09, 19.45, 19.69, f, f, 19.41)

Dieter Hoffmann 26 East Germany Final Round 4 20.00 (20.00, 19.33, 19.75, 19.68, 19.85, 19.86)

Dave Maggard 28 United States Final Round 5 19.43 (19.43, 19.33, 18.46, 18.90, 19.15, f)

Władysław Komar 28 Poland Final Round 6 19.28 (18.66, 19.28, 18.54, f, f, 19.21)

Uwe Grabe 25 East Germany Final Round 7 19.03 (18.20, 18.74, 19.03, 17.43, 17.66, 18.34)

Heinfried Birlenbach 27 West Germany Final Round 8 18.80 (18.80, 18.48, f, 18.13, 18.67, f)

Pierre Colnard 39 France Final Round 9 18.79 (18.62, f, 18.79)

Jeff Teale 28 Great Britain Final Round 10 18.65 (18.65, 18.57, 18.60)

Les Mills 33 New Zealand Final Round 11 18.18 (18.18, 18.01, 17.95)

Traugott Glöckler 24 West Germany Final Round 12 18.14 (f, 17.20, 18.14)

Athlete Age Country Phase Unit Finish Distance Round Summary Medal

Randy Matson 23 United States Qualifying Round 1 20.68 QU/OR (20.68, p, p)

Eduard Gushchin 28 Soviet Union Qualifying Round 2 19.88 QU (19.88, p, p)

George Woods 25 United States Qualifying Round 3 19.79 QU (19.79, p, p)

Dieter Hoffmann 26 East Germany Qualifying Round 4 19.75 QU (18.30, 19.75, p)

Pierre Colnard 39 France Qualifying Round 5 19.57 QU (19.57, p, p)

Heinfried Birlenbach 27 West Germany Qualifying Round 6 19.43 QU (19.43, p, p)

Dave Maggard 28 United States Qualifying Round 7 19.26 QU (18.73, 19.26, p)

Uwe Grabe 25 East Germany Qualifying Round 8 19.15 QU (18.08, 18.59, 19.15)

Władysław Komar 28 Poland Qualifying Round 9 19.09 QU (19.09, p, p)

Traugott Glöckler 24 West Germany Qualifying Round 10 19.08 QU (18.89, 19.08, p)

Les Mills 33 New Zealand Qualifying Round 11 19.00 QU (18.56, 19.00, p)

Jeff Teale 28 Great Britain Qualifying Round 12 18.87 QC (18.76, f, 18.87)

Vilmos Varjú 31 Hungary Qualifying Round 13 18.86 (18.69, f, 18.86)

Arnjolt Beer 22 France Qualifying Round 14 18.72 (18.72, f, f)

Edy Hubacher 28 Switzerland Qualifying Round 15 18.54 (18.54, 18.38, f)

Guðmundur Hermannsson 43 Iceland Qualifying Round 16 17.35 (16.24, 16.77, 17.35)

Georgios Lemonis 25 Greece Qualifying Round 17 16.43 (16.43, f, f)

Rolando Mendoza 29 Nicaragua Qualifying Round 18 13.33 (11.39, 13.33, 13.32)

Mauricio Jubis 22 El Salvador Qualifying Round 19 12.92 (12.04, 12.46, 12.92)

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