It has been 54 years since that afternoon in 1968, when the Estadio Olimpico Universitario hosted the inauguration of the 19th edition of the Summer Olympic Games. The venues that once handed out medals now serve as training and recreation centers. Let's review the history of 5 of these venues and what has become of them after Olympic glory.
In 1968, the Organizing Committee had to build, in record time, complementary buildings so that the competitions could be held in time and form. And although the local government boasted of a "solid macro-economy", the truth is that those Olympic Games are remembered, among other controversies, for their limited budget and the conviction to build facilities that, in the words of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz himself, "would have a permanent social utility and would not serve exclusively as a showcase for a few days".
Olympic Villages
There were two villas that broke construction time records (455 days), under the team of architects headed by Héctor Vázquez: the Miguel Hidalgo Olympic Village and the Narciso Mendoza Olympic Village.
The first, the most important, is located in Tlalpan, between Insurgentes and Periferico, and served as housing for athletes, officials and press. It consists of twenty-nine buildings with a total of 5,044 rooms in 904 apartments. In addition, it was equipped with an amphitheater, tartan tracks, two gymnasiums and training fields. Once the event was over, the apartments were sold as condominium property and are still there today under the name of Unidad Habitacional Villa Olímpica. The sports facilities were opened to the public under the name of Centro Deportivo Villa Olímpica.
The Narciso Mendoza Olympic Village is located in the southeast of Tlalpan, between Acoxpa and Miramontes, and occupied blocks 1 and 3 of the Great Narciso Mendoza Housing Unit. Its 686 houses and 470 apartments housed judges, referees and members of the Cultural Olympiad; at the end of the Olympiad, the properties were put up for sale. Today the village remains there under the name of Unidad Habitacional Narciso Mendoza.
Palacio de los Deportes
A month before the Games began, the Palacio de los Deportes was inaugurated, which the foreign press came to call 'The Palace of a Thousand Suns' because of the spectacular way in which it reflected the sunlight. Under the leadership of architect Félix Candela, and inspired by Pier Luigi Nervi's Sports Palace in Rome, the geodesic dome follows his famous structural solution of concrete shells, based on the paraboloid paradigm. On the outside it is covered with copper, with the intention of covering large surfaces with a light material and free of columns. On the exterior is the sculptural ensemble 'Ursa Major' by Mathias Goeritz.
During the 1968 Olympic Games it hosted basketball competitions and, later, bullfights and trade fairs. It is currently managed by Grupo CIE and very little remains of its sporting origins, as it is mostly used for concerts.
Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome
It was designed by architect Herbert Schurmann and was used for the cycling competitions of the Olympic Games. Its track was covered by a wood brought from Africa called Doussie afzeiba, famous for its weather resistance. Years later it was replaced by concrete. After the Olympic glory it fell into neglect and in 2015 it received a stimulus of $29 million pesos for its recovery.
Today its field is used for some soccer games and the track continues to welcome cycling enthusiasts.
Francisco Márquez Olympic Pool
Also inaugurated a month before the Olympic Games, this is where Mexico's Felipe "El Tibio" Muñoz won the gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke. The pool's design stands out for its concave suspended ceilings, with no columns, allowing the spectator a full field of vision. As part of its 40th anniversary, it received 53 million pesos in support to recover the majesty it had during the Olympics and was reopened in 2019.
Due to its historical character, it is a facility protected by the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) and offers aquatic activities and 20 other disciplines.
Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium
The Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium, together with the Francisco Márquez Olympic Pool, were conceived as a single sports complex in order to reduce costs. The quadrangular structure made of reinforced concrete and tension cables was also completed in record time, taking only 521 days. The Olympic volleyball games were held here and, for 50 years, it was the stage for other sports competitions in basketball, gymnastics, wrestling and even concerts, one of the most famous being the concert given by Soda Stéreo in 1993.
In 2017, the Benito Juárez mayor's office remodeled the building for the Capitanes de la Ciudad de México team of the National Professional Basketball League to make it their home. At the time of its restructuring it was widely praised for retaining the largest number of 1960s elements compared to the other Olympic venues.
