Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw
The men's discus throw competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico took place on October 14–15. Twenty-seven athletes from 19 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Al Oerter of the United States, the nation's fifth consecutive and 12th overall victory in the men's discus throw. Oerter finished his run of four victories in the event, the first person to win four consecutive gold medals in any individual Olympic event (Carl Lewis in the long jump and Michael Phelps in the 200 metre individual medley swimming did so later; Paul Elvstrøm had won previously four individual gold medals in sailing but had been forced to switch events when the programme changed, and Kaori Icho would later win four individual gold medals in wrestling but changed weight classes during her run). For the first time during Oerter's reign, he was the only American on the podium as Lothar Milde of East Germany (the first men's discus throw medal for any German athlete) and Ludvík Daněk of Czechoslovakia took the other two medals. Daněk was the seventh man to win at least