Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 meters event at the 1968 Summer Olympics was held in Mexico City, Mexico. The final was won by Tommie Smith in a time of 19.83, a new world record. However, the race is perhaps best known for what happened during the medal ceremony – the Black Power salute of Smith and bronze medallist John Carlos. The background, consequences and legacy of the salute carried forward into subsequent Olympics and is perhaps the single most memorable event from these Olympics.
The event started on 15 October and finished on 16 October.
Results
Heats
;Heat one| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Carlos | 20:54 | Q | |
| 2 | Andrés Calonge | 20:81 | Q | |
| 3 | Mani Jegathesan | 20:92 | Q, NR | |
| 4 | Livio Berruti | 21:06 | Q | |
| 5 | Valentin Maslakov | 21:07 | Q | |
| 6 | Norman Chihota | 21:28 | ||
| 7 | Canagasabai Kunalan | 21:39 | ||
| 8 | Hadley Hinds | 22:35 |
;Heat two
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Tommie Smith | 20:37 | OR | |
| 2 | Charles Asati | 20:66 | Q | |
| 3 | Jochen Eigenherr | 20:69 | Q | |
| 4 | Edwin Roberts | 20:69 | Q | |
| 5 | David Ejoke | 21:09 | Q | |
| 6 | Edwin Johnson | 21:22 | Q | |
| 7 | Kun Min-mu | 22:44 |
;Heat three
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Larry Questad | 20:75 | Q | |
| 2 | Julius Sang | 20:90 | Q | |
| 3 | Edward Romanowski | 20:95 | Q | |
| 4 | Miguel Angel González | 21:31 | Q | |
| 5 | Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa | 21:53 | ||
| 6 | Norris Stubbs | 21:64 | ||
| 7 | Morgan Gesmalla | 22:70 |
;Heat four
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mike Fray | 20:62 | Q | |
| 2 | Winston Short | 21:00 | Q | |
| 3 | Hansruedi Wiedmer | 21:06 | Q | |
| 4 | Bernard Nottage | 21:31 | Q | |
| 5 | Philippe Housiaux | 21:41 | ||
| 6 | Porfirio Veras | 21:53 | ||
| 7 | Juan Argüello | 22:80 |
;Heat five
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Iván Moreno | 20:93 | Q | |
| 2 | Jacques Carette | 20:97 | Q | |
| 3 | James Addy | 21:00 | Q | |
| 4 | Fernando Acevedo | 21:02 | Q | |
| 5 | Harry Jerome | 21:22 | Q | |
| 6 | William Dralu | 21:38 | ||
| 7 | Colin Thurton | 22:14 |
;Heat six
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Peter Norman | 20:17 | OR | |
| 2 | Roger Bambuck | 20:61 | Q | |
| 3 | Dick Steane | 20:66 | Q | |
| 4 | Rajalingam Gunaratnam | 21:58 | Q | |
| 5 | Alberto Torres | 21:99 | ||
| 6 | José Astacio | 23:13 | ||
| Juan Franceschi | DNF |
;Heat seven
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Greg Lewis | 20:71 | Q | |
| 2 | Ralph Banthorpe | 20:73 | Q | |
| 3 | Nikolay Ivanov | 20:78 | Q | |
| 4 | Pedro Grajales | 21:07 | Q | |
| 5 | Gert Metz | 21:24 | ||
| 6 | Carl Plaskett | 21:29 | ||
| 7 | Cristóbal Corrales | 23:93 |
Quarterfinals
;Heat one| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Carlos | 20:69 | Q | |
| 2 | Greg Lewis | 20:81 | Q | |
| 3 | Dick Steane | 20:81 | Q | |
| 4 | Mani Jegathesan | 21:01 | Q | |
| 5 | Julius Sang | 21:04 | ||
| 6 | Jacques Carette | 21:15 | ||
| 7 | Edwin Johnson | 21:41 | ||
| 8 | Harry Jerome | 21:43 |
;Heat two
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Peter Norman | 20:44 | Q | |
| 2 | Jochen Eigenherr | 20:53 | Q | |
| 3 | Fernando Acevedo | 20:78 | Q | |
| 4 | Iván Moreno | 20:83 | Q | |
| 5 | Charles Asati | 20:84 | ||
| 6 | Livio Berruti | 21:01 | ||
| 7 | Winston Short | 21:51 | ||
| 8 | Rajalingam Gunaratnam | 21:52 |
;Heat three
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Tommie Smith | 20:28 | OR | |
| 2 | Edwin Roberts | 20:50 | Q | |
| 3 | Edward Romanowski | 20:85 | Q | |
| 4 | Nikolay Ivanov | 20:90 | Q | |
| 5 | David Ejoke | 20:99 | ||
| 6 | Andrés Calonge | 21:03 | ||
| 7 | Hansruedi Wiedmer | 21:42 | ||
| 8 | Miguel Angel González | 21:57 |
;Heat four
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mike Fray | 20:39 | Q | |
| 2 | Larry Questad | 20:54 | Q | |
| 3 | Roger Bambuck | 20:63 | Q | |
| 4 | Ralph Banthorpe | 20:83 | Q | |
| 5 | James Addy | 20:90 | ||
| 6 | Valentin Maslakov | 20:96 | ||
| 7 | Pedro Grajales | 21:05 | ||
| 8 | Bernard Nottage | 21:53 |
Semifinals
;Heat one| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | John Carlos | 20:12 | OR | |
| 2 | Peter Norman | 20:22 | Q | |
| 3 | Mike Fray | 20:46 | Q | |
| 4 | Roger Bambuck | 20:47 | Q | |
| 5 | Iván Moreno | 20:84 | ||
| 6 | Dick Steane | 20:85 | ||
| 7 | Nikolay Ivanov | 20:89 | ||
| 8 | Fernando Acevedo | 20:91 |
;Heat two
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Tommie Smith | 20:14 | OR | |
| 2 | Edwin Roberts | 20:44 | Q | |
| 3 | Larry Questad | 20:48 | Q | |
| 4 | Jochen Eigenherr | 20:49 | Q | |
| 5 | Greg Lewis | 20:53 | ||
| 6 | Edward Romanowski | 20:80 | ||
| 7 | Ralph Banthorpe | 20:88 | ||
| 8 | Mani Jegathesan | 21:05 |
Final
| Rank | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
| Tommie Smith | 19:83 | WR | ||
| Peter Norman | 20:06 | NR | ||
| John Carlos | 20:10 | |||
| 4 | Edwin Roberts | 20:34 | ||
| 5 | Roger Bambuck | 20:51 | ||
| 6 | Larry Questad | 20:62 | ||
| 7 | Mike Fray | 20:63 | ||
| 8 | Jochen Eigenherr | 20:66 |