In 1968, the Summer Olympic Games for the first time in their history were held in Mexico, more precisely, in the capital of the state - Mexico City. Prior to that, only the United States hosted the Olympics on the American continent. These competitions went down in history not only because of sports, but also because of the social and political events around the games.
Athletes from 112 countries took part in the Olympic Games in Mexico City. The number of participants has increased significantly due to the proclamation of the independence of many African states.
The first place in the unofficial medal standings was taken by the United States. Traditionally, the team of American athletes turned out to be strong. Both women and men have won several running and jumping medals for their national team. The swimmers of this country also performed well.
The Soviet Union came in second, just a few medals behind. Soviet athletes were leaders in gymnastics, boxing and weightlifting. The men's and women's Soviet volleyball teams also received gold.
The third place, to the surprise of sports experts, was taken by Japan. The economic development of this state after the Second World War had a positive impact on the popularization of sports. The Japanese showed their successes in the marathon, as well as in volleyball - both the women's and men's teams became silver medalists.
The Mexico City Olympic Games have become famous for their many protests. Mexican youth movements have launched street demonstrations demanding the overthrow of the government. They chose the period of the Olympics for this in order to attract the maximum attention of the international community to the policies of the Mexican authorities.
Some athletes have taken part in individual political actions. For example, two American black athletes, right at the award ceremony, staged a protest against discrimination against the black population of the United States. This was a violation of the order of the games, which ended in disqualification for them already at home.
At the same time, the Czechoslovak gymnast Vera Chaslavska also spoke out against the Soviet Union at the award ceremony, in particular, its invasion of Czechoslovakia. This turned out to be the end of her sports career.
