MEXICO 1968 - MEXICO 2008

Mexican rowing championships remember 1968 Olympics

03/11/2008

Mexico City has recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games and last week the Mexican National Rowing Championships paid tribute to these

At the Championships the 1968 Olympic Games were remembered with a photographic exhibition. A men’s eight was also formed with some of the athletes that competed for Mexico at the Games. Some of these rowers are still active rowing competitors today.

It took just four months to dig and fill the artificial lake that became the Olympic rowing regatta course. Situated at Xochimilco, the six lane course was just 20km from Mexico City and was filled with pure water from two artesian wells.

Notable in the results was FISA’s president Denis Oswald competing at his first (of three) Olympic Games. Oswald finished third in the coxed four event. The Netherlands won gold for the first and only time in the single with Jan Wienese writing himself into rowing history.

Women did not compete in rowing at the Olympics until 1976.

The regatta course at Xochimilco has been used consistently over the last 40 years with local rowing teams from Mexico City as well as canoe/kayaking teams training and competing there practically every day of the year. Apart from regularly hosting the Mexican National Championships, the venue has hosted large events such as the Pan-American Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games as well as international canoeing events.

Local rowing expert Santiago Fuentes says that over the last 40 years the venue has been well used. “We have had visits from some national teams from Europe and the USA who have chosen Mexico City not only for high altitude training purposes but also because of the excellent water conditions.”

But Fuentes comments that the venue is in need of some repair. Some structural changes have meant the course has tilted resulting in a lower water depth at the start zone and a deeper level at the finish.

Link to video of the 1968 Rowing Regatta Venue

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