With the conclusion of NBC’s Winter Olympics, the network debuted a trailer for its upcoming documentary on the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City and the tumultuous social and political backdrop of the world at that time.
Narrated by Serena Williams (a four-time Olympic gold medalist), 1968 will look at the Mexico City Olympics, highlighted by the iconic raised-fist salute of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. That gesture resulted in Smith and Carlos being dismissed from the U.S. Olympic team and sent home.
But the country was racially and politically charged 40 years ago. Streets of several American cities were filled with protests and riots. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. America’s involvement in the Vietnam War resulted in numerous casualties.
Take a look at the trailer:
As NBC’s official release for the film indicates, 1968 will also cover Czechoslovakian Vera Caslavska and her protest of the Soviet invasion of her country. A gymnast who was deprived of two outright gold medals, Caslavska protested by looking down and turning away as the Soviet national anthem played during those medal ceremonies. She faced heavy criticism in the years following the Mexico City Games.
Among those interviewed for the documentary are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who protested the 1968 Olympics, and George Foreman, who won a gold medal at those Games.
Running 90 minutes, 1968 will premiere on NBC Sunday, Feb. 25 at 4:10 p.m. ET. The film will also air on NBCSN as part of a three-hour documentary block beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET. Additionally, 1968 will be available for streaming on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.