1968年墨西哥城奥运会的开幕典礼比1964年东京奥运会更为壮观。4万个彩球飘浮天空，1万只鸽子迎风飞翔，礼炮声、号角声、乐曲声响彻云霄。其中最具特色的是一条塑胶跑道，这在奥运会史上还是第一次出现。本届奥运会为了增加观众欣赏的兴趣，第一次使用彩色电视技术，向全世界转播。
KEY FACTS
Opening date: 12 October 1968
Closing date: 27 October 1968
The Host City: Mexico (MEX)
Sports: 20
MEXICO 1968 Games of the XIX Olympiad
The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics was a controversial one because of the city's high altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than at sea level. Sure enough, the rarefied air proved disastrous to many athletes competing in endurance events. On the other hand, the high altitude led to world records in all of the men's races that were 400m or shorter, including both relays, and in the 400m hurdles, in the long jump and triple jump as well.
Bob Beamon's spectacular long jump of 8.90m would last as a world record for 22 years. The Mexico City Olympics, the first Summer Games to include sex testing for women, were blessed with many outstanding heroines. Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. Eulalia Rolinska of Poland, Gladys de Seminario of Peru and Nuria Ortiz of Mexico were the first women to compete in shooting.
Wyomia Tyus of the United States became the first repeat winner of the 100m dash. The most popular female athlete of the 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska, the Czech gymnast. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia two months before the Olympics, Caslavska went into hiding for three weeks.
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Do You Know? “最高”的奥运会是怎么回事？
It was the first times the Games had taken place in Latin America at such a high altitude above sea level (2300m). The altitude was an advantage in the events which needed a brief but intense effort (running up to 800m, jumping, throwing, weightlifting, etc.) but a handicap for efforts lasting longer than two minutes (long-distance and middle-distance running, swimming, cycling, etc.)
奥运会有史以来第一次在海拔高度为2300米的拉丁美洲国家墨西哥举行。海拔高有利有弊，比如田径赛上的成绩普遍较好；而一些耐力项目，如中长跑或游泳等的成绩远不如以前。
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