The decision to host the XIX Summer Olympic Games in Mexico was made by the International Olympic Committee at its 60th session in Baden-Baden, in October 1963. There were four applicants. In addition to Mexico City, Detroit, Lyon and Buenos Aires claimed the title of the capital of the XIX Olympiad. The Mexican capital received 30 votes.
At the XIX Olympiad, much was the first time. For the first time, the Games were held in Latin America. For the first time, a high-altitude region was selected. Long before the start of the competition, "sports scouts" from different countries went to Mexico, primarily coaches and doctors, who wanted to see how unusual conditions would affect the health of athletes and the results of the competition. Mexico City is located at an altitude of 2240 m above sea level, and this could not but affect the balance of power.
Despite heated debate, a record number of Olympians have arrived in Mexico City. 5531 athletes took part in the competition. 112 countries sent their delegations. Some countries formed Olympic teams for the first time. Among the debutants were not only African and Asian countries, but also Mexico's neighboring Nicaragua, El Salvador and Paraguay. By 1968, the development of telecommunications had already reached a serious level, and residents of all continents could watch the competition at the same time. This also became a kind of record.
The Olympics opened on October 12, 1968. The opening day was not chosen by chance. It was on this day, in 1492, that Christopher Columbus arrived on the Latin American continent. The Olympic flame was lit by a woman - Enrichetta Basilio Sotelo. And this was also an innovation. A few days before the ceremony, a demonstration of student organizations took place in Mexico City, wishing to influence the policy of the authorities. However, political events did not affect the results.
At the XIX Summer Olympics, a huge number of the highest achievements were established. 78 Olympic records were registered, with 28 of them being higher than the world ones. Athletes presented the most pleasant surprises to their fans. They set 30 Olympic records, 14 of which were better than the highest world achievements. The result in the 400m hurdles improved immediately by a second. Six pole vaulters overcame a height of 17m. Swimmers and weightlifters also showed excellent results. The former set 23 Olympic records, the latter - 18. Shooters and cyclists achieved excellent results.
In total, 110 sets of medals in 22 sports were played in Mexico City. In the unofficial team event, the US team won with 107 medals, of which 45 were of the highest standard. The Soviet team also performed successfully, in its piggy bank there were 91 awards, including 29 gold ones. Japanese athletes took the third place with 25 awards.
