Swimming at the 1968 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Ciudad de México, Mexico
Venue(s): Francisco Márquez Olympic Swimming Pool, Ciudad de México
Date Started: October 22, 1968
Date Finished: October 23, 1968
| Gold: | Kaye Hall |
| Silver: | Elaine Tanner |
| Bronze: | Jane Swagerty |
The favorite was Canada’s Elaine Tanner, the 1967 Pan American Games champion who had set two world records in the event in 1967. But missing was the current world record holder, Karen Muir of South Africa, who could not compete because her nation was banned from the Olympics because of its policy of apartheid in sport (and elsewhere), and would remain banned until 1992. America’s Kaye Hall, second at the 1967 Pan Ams, was expected to contend and medal. In the semi-finals Tanner bested Hall and posted the fastest qualifier. In the final, Hall made the turn first in 30.9, with Tanner on her shoulder, and America’s Jane Swagerty in third. And that is how they would finish, as Tanner could not catch Hall, who won an upset gold medal.
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | Medal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaye Hall | 17 | United States | USA | Gold | WR |
| 2 | Elaine Tanner | 17 | Canada | CAN | Silver | |
| 3 | Jane Swagerty | 17 | United States | USA | Bronze | |
| 4 | Kendis Moore | 19 | United States | USA | ||
| 5 | Andrea Gyarmati | 14 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 6 | Lynne Watson | 15 | Australia | AUS | ||
| 7 | Sylvie Canet | 15 | France | FRA | ||
| 8 | Glenda Stirling | 16 | New Zealand | NZL | ||
| 4 h1 r2/3 | Yukiko Goushi | 17 | Japan | JPN | ||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | Bénédicte Duprez | 17 | France | FRA | ||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | Zdenka Gašparač | 19 | Yugoslavia | YUG | ||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | Cobie Buter | 22 | Netherlands | NED | ||
| 7 h1 r2/3 | María Corominas | 16 | Spain | ESP | ||
| 7 h2 r2/3 | Kiki Caron | 20 | France | FRA | ||
| 8 h1 r2/3 | Tina Lek'veishvili | 14 | Soviet Union | URS | ||
| 8 h2 r2/3 | Ulla Patrikka | 22 | Finland | FIN | ||
| 2 h4 r1/3 | Tatyana Savelyeva | 21 | Soviet Union | URS | ||
| 3 h4 r1/3 | Anca Andreiu | 17 | Romania | ROU | ||
| 3 h6 r1/3 | Mária Balla-Lantos | 23 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | Bep Weeteling | 21 | Netherlands | NED | ||
| 4 h2 r1/3 | Yvette Hafner | 20 | Austria | AUT | ||
| 4 h4 r1/3 | Dianna Rickard | 15 | Australia | AUS | ||
| 4 h5 r1/3 | Patricia Sentous | 18 | Argentina | ARG | ||
| 4 h6 r1/3 | Coby Sikkens | 22 | Netherlands | NED | ||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | Jacqueline Brown | 15 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 5 h2 r1/3 | Adriana Comolli | 16 | Argentina | ARG | ||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | Angelika Kraus | 18 | West Germany | FRG | ||
| 5 h4 r1/3 | Anne Walton | 16 | Canada | CAN | ||
| 5 h5 r1/3 | Pru Chapman | 18 | New Zealand | NZL | ||
| 5 h6 r1/3 | Wendy Burrell | 16 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | Lidia Ramírez | 20 | Mexico | MEX | ||
| 6 h2 r1/3 | Doris Meister | 16 | West Germany | FRG | ||
| 6 h3 r1/3 | Felicia Ospitaletche | 14 | Uruguay | URU | ||
| 6 h4 r1/3 | María Procopio | 17 | Argentina | ARG | ||
| 6 h5 r1/3 | Carmen Ferracuti | 16 | El Salvador | ESA | ||
| 6 h6 r1/3 | Francine Dauven | 19 | Belgium | BEL | ||
| 7 h2 r1/3 | Rosa Hasbún | 16 | El Salvador | ESA | ||
| 7 h3 r1/3 | Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Lien | 17 | South Vietnam | VNM | ||
| 7 h4 r1/3 | Shen Bao-Ni | 14 | Chinese Taipei | TPE | ||
| 7 h6 r1/3 | Judit Bárányi | 14 | Hungary | HUN |