The Rank Outsider

The vote to decide which city would host the summer Olympics in 1968 was made at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Baden-Baden from 16 to 20 October 1963. As the final stages of lobbying took place, speculation in the Mexican newspapers reached fever pitch. Some sounded a note of caution, reflecting that Mexico City had reached this stage on two previous occasions only to return empty-handed. Furthermore, concerns over the high altitude and Mexico’s ability to afford the games counted heavily against its chances of success. [ ¹ ] Trying to second-guess which way members might vote became an integral part of the frenzied excitement. Colonial allegiances swayed African delegates towards Lyon but, surely, as one of the Spanish-speaking candidates, Mexico City could expect its fair share of support from Latin America. Striking an optimistic note, El Nacional noted that the Mexican bidding team was becoming increasingly confident that its lobbying was having an effect. Indeed, the paper took heart from a story that the wives of IOC delegates were said to favour Mexico City: ‘It is rumoured by one wife that she and the other wives do not kiss their husbands goodnight without whispering the name “Mexico” in their ears.’ [ ² ] With such support, how could Mexico lose? Yet when the IOC announced the results of the first round of voting it still took the world by surprise: Buenos Aires 2, Lyon 12, Detroit 14 and Mexico City 30. Such was the margin of Mexico City’s victory that a second round was not needed. Not only would the 1968 games be coming to Latin America for the first time but it would also be hosted by the first underdeveloped country in modern Olympic history. As IOC president Avery Brundage reflected several weeks later, ‘I must say that there are many who are still stunned … at the success of Mexico’. [ ³ ]