Mark Spitz National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles. During those years, he set 35 world records, but two were in trials and unofficial. He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1969, 1971, and 1972 by "Swimming World Magazine". He was the third athlete to win nine Olympic gold medals. Spitz was born in 1950 in Modesto, California, the first of three children of Lenore Sylvia (Smith) and Arnold Spitz. His family is Jewish; his father's family was from Hungary and his mother's, originally surnamed "Sklotkovick", were from Russia. When Spitz was two years old, his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii,
Soviet Union at the 1968 Summer Olympics Soviet Union at the 1968 Summer Olympics The Soviet Union (USSR) competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. 312 competitors, 246 men and 66 women, took part in 164 events in 18 sports. The USSR finished second in the final medal rankings, with 29 gold and 91 total medals. Fifteen cyclists represented the Soviet Union in 1968. 20 fencers, 15 men and 5 women, represented the Soviet Union in 1968. Three male pentathletes represented the Soviet Union in 1968. They won a team silver and Pavel Lednyov won an individual bronze. The Soviet Union had 27 male rowers