15 october 1968 & esther stroy competes in mexico olympics

#OTD 15 October 1968 Esther Stroy, 15 years old, competed in the 400 meters at the Mexico Olympics. She placed fifth in the semifinals, narrowly missing a spot in the finals. She was just one second off the winning time of 53.3. She had been nursing a hamstring injury since the summer.

Listen to Esther Stroy discuss competing at the 1968 Olympics and more:

Your comments are welcome below. Did you know that Esther Stroy competed in the Olympics? Did you see her on television? Did you participate in the parades that were held once she returned to DC? What do you remember about the Olympics? Did you attend the Olympic games? Do you have photographs of Stroy at the Olympics? You may comment privately here.

Photo source: Courtesy Albuquerque Journal. 1 October 1968. Retrieved from Newspapers.com. Barry Aguilar, photographer. “Two Youngest.” Photo and story about Esther Stroy (and Cathy Hamblin), the two youngest athletes on the Women’s Olympic track team. The photo was taken at the Albuquerque airport. Stroy had just finished the Olympic Trials and was en route to Denver, the departure city for the Mexico Olympics.

Audio source: HJ Starks Center, Scroll down to Esther Stroy (Harper) entry