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Athletics at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:

Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase



Host City: Ciudad de México, Mexico
Venue(s): University Olympic Stadium, Ciudad de México
Date Started: October 14, 1968
Date Finished: October 16, 1968

Gold: KEN Amos Biwott
Silver: KEN Benjamin Kogo
Bronze: USA George Young


Viktor Kudinsky (URS) had won the 1966 European Championships and was favored but also highly considered was American George Young, who was entered in the unusual combination of the steeplechase and marathon. Track & Field News noted that Kenya's Amos Biwott could be "a possible surprise". Biwott amazed the crowd with his technique over the water jump. Apparently almost afraid of the water, he leapt over the jump using long jump-type technique, completely clearing the water. His barrier technique was also unique and he jumped with both feet together rather than in a hurdling technique. Kenya's Benjamin Kogo led the final thru the kilometer but at the bell he was leading with Young. Young went to the lead with 300 to go, but Biwott ran down everybody in the final straight to win the gold medal. This began the Kenyan dominance of the steeplechase event.

Final Standings

Rank Athlete Age Team NOC Medal
1 Amos Biwott 21 Kenya KEN Gold
2 Benjamin Kogo Kenya KEN Silver
3 George Young 31 United States USA Bronze
4 Kerry O'Brien 22 Australia AUS
5 Aleksandr Morozov 28 Soviet Union URS
6 Mikhail Zhelev 25 Bulgaria BUL
7 Gaston Roelants 31 Belgium BEL
8 Arne Risa 24 Norway NOR
9 Jean-Paul Villain 21 France FRA
10 Bengt Persson 28 Sweden SWE
11 Javier Álvarez 24 Spain ESP
AC Viktor Kudynskiy 25 Soviet Union URS
5 h1 r1/2 John Jackson 27 Great Britain GBR
5 h2 r1/2 Willi Wagner 27 West Germany FRG
5 h3 r1/2 Bill Reilly 25 United States USA
6 h1 r1/2 Conrad Nightingale 23 United States USA
6 h2 r1/2 Labidi Ayachi 30 Tunisia TUN
6 h3 r1/2 Peter Welsh 25 New Zealand NZL
7 h1 r1/2 Tadesse Wolde-Medhin 32 Ethiopia ETH
7 h2 r1/2 Nobuyoshi Miura 24 Japan JPN
7 h3 r1/2 Gareth Bryan-Jones 25 Great Britain GBR
8 h1 r1/2 Manuel de Oliveira 27 Portugal POR
8 h2 r1/2 Maurice Herriott 29 Great Britain GBR
8 h3 r1/2 Jan-Erik Karlsson 29 Sweden SWE
9 h1 r1/2 Klaus-Ludwig Brosius 24 West Germany FRG
9 h2 r1/2 Albertino Etchechury 32 Uruguay URU
9 h3 r1/2 Taketsugu Saruwatari 25 Japan JPN
10 h1 r1/2 János Szabó 23 Hungary HUN
10 h2 r1/2 Eddy Van Butsele 21 Belgium BEL
10 h3 r1/2 Heinz-Gerd Mölders 26 West Germany FRG
11 h1 r1/2 Pedro Miranda 20 Mexico MEX
11 h2 r1/2 Jan Cych 24 Poland POL
11 h3 r1/2 Umberto Risi 27 Italy ITA
12 h1 r1/2 Domingo Amaizón 32 Argentina ARG
12 h2 r1/2 Hans Menet 28 Switzerland SUI
12 h3 r1/2 Julio Quevedo 28 Guatemala GUA
13 h2 r1/2 Efraín Cordero 30 El Salvador ESA
AC h3 r1/2 Guy Texereau 33 France FRA
AC h2 r1/2 Mariano Haro 28 Spain ESP