Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:

The 200 metre individual medley was new to the Olympic Program in 1968. At Tokyo, Claudia Kolb had won a surprise silver medal in the 200 metre breaststroke, even though she was only 14-years-old. In the ensuing four years she had become the world’s best all-around swimmer, setting six world records in the 200 IM and four in the 400. At the 1967 Pan American Games she won three individual gold medals, in both individual medleys and the 200 butterfly. In Mexico City she was entered only in her two best events, the IMs, and she came through, easily winning two gold medals. In the 200 she won by 4+ seconds over teammate Sue Pedersen and led an American sweep as Jan Henne came home in third. The race for bronze was very close as Henne trailed East German Sabine Steinbach for most of the race but outtouched her, both recording the same time.