Two relatively inexperienced biathletes dominated the individual event. Magnar Solberg was one of only two men to shoot clear, and had the second fastest ski time, more than two minutes faster than the third best time. Aleksandr Tikhonov skied a minute faster than Solberg, but took two minutes in penalties, and ended up with silver, nearly four minutes ahead of their closest pursuer. Vladimir Gundartsev took bronze for the Soviet union, two minutes in penalties complementing the fifth-fastest ski time. Defending world champion Viktor Mamatov, and world silver medalist Stanisław Szczepaniak each took just one minute in penalties, but their ski times left them on the outside of the medals, Szczepaniak in 4th and Mamatov in 7th.[1]
Rank | Bib | Name | Country | Ski Time | Penalties | Result | Deficit | {{gold1}} | 3 | Magnar Solberg | {{flagIOC|NOR|1968 Winter}} | 1:13:45.9 | 0 (0+0+0+0) | 1:13:45.9 | +00:00.0|–}} |
{{silver2}} | 1 | Aleksandr Tikhonov | {{flagIOC|URS|1968 Winter}} | 1:12:40.4 | 2 (1+1+0+0) | 1:14:40.4 | +00:54.5|+54.5}} |
{{bronze3}} | 31 | Vladimir Gundartsev | {{flagIOC|URS|1968 Winter}} | 1:16:27.4 | 2 (0+0+1+1) | 1:18:27.4 | +04:41.5|+4:41.5}} |
04|4}} | 2 | Stanisław Szczepaniak | {{flagIOC|POL|1968 Winter}} | 1:17:56.8 | 1 (0+0+1+0) | 1:18:56.8 | +05:10.9|+5:10.9}} |
05|5}} | 25 | Arve Kinnari | {{flagIOC|FIN|1968 Winter}} | 1:17:47.9 | 2 (0+0+1+1) | 1:19:47.9 | +06:02.0|+6:02.0}} |
06|6}} | 16 | Nikolay Puzanov | {{flagIOC|URS|1968 Winter}} | 1:17:14.5 | 3 (0+1+1+1) | 1:20:14.5 | +06:28.6|+6:28.6}} |
07|7}} | 58 | Viktor Mamatov | {{flagIOC|URS|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:20.8 | 1 (1+0+0+0) | 1:20:20.8 | +06:34.9|+6:34.9}} |
08|8}} | 17 | Stanisław Łukaszczyk | {{flagIOC|POL|1968 Winter}} | 1:16:28.1 | 4 (2+1+1+0) | 1:20:28.1 | +06:42.2|+6:42.2}} |
09|9}} | 38 | Kalevi Vähäkylä | {{flagIOC|FIN|1968 Winter}} | 1:17:56.5 | 3 (0+2+0+1) | 1:20:56.5 | +07:10.6|+7:10.6}} |
10 | 8 | Horst Koschka | {{flagIOC|GDR|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:37.7 | 3 (1+1+1+0) | 1:21:37.7 | +07:51.8|+7:51.8}} |
11 | 42 | Jon Istad | {{flagIOC|NOR|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:43.1 | 2 (0+1+1+0) | 1:21:43.1 | +07:57.2|+7:57.2}} |
12 | 5 | Theo Merkel | {{flagIOC|FRG|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:10.5 | 4 (3+0+1+0) | 1:22:10.5 | +08:24.6|+8:24.6}} |
13 | 57 | Ola Wærhaug | {{flagIOC|NOR|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:12.9 | 3 (0+2+1+0) | 1:22:12.9 | +08:27.0|+8:27.0}} |
14 | 11 | Constantin Carabela | {{flagIOC|ROU|1968 Winter}} | 1:22:52.2 | 0 (0+0+0+0) | 1:22:52.2 | +09:06.3|+9:06.3}} |
15 | 40 | Pavel Ploc | {{flagIOC|TCH|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:05.0 | 5 (1+0+0+4) | 1:23:05.0 | +09:19.1|+9:19.1}} |
16 | 6 | Roger Bean | {{flagIOC|GBR|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:07.5 | 5 (2+3+0+0) | 1:24:07.5 | +10:21.6 |
17 | 10 | Lars-Göran Arwidson | {{flagIOC|SWE|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:08.9 | 6 (0+3+0+3) | 1:24:08.9 | +10:23.0 |
18 | 19 | Dieter Speer | {{flagIOC|GDR|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:13.3 | 6 (2+2+1+1) | 1:24:13.3 | +10:27.4 |
19 | 24 | Olle Petrusson | {{flagIOC|SWE|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:31.2 | 6 (3+0+2+1) | 1:24:31.2 | +10:45.3 |
20 | 41 | Holmfrid Olsson | {{flagIOC|SWE|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:01.8 | 6 (2+2+2+0) | 1:25:01.8 | +11:15.9 |
21 | 53 | Hansjörg Knauthe | {{flagIOC|GDR|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:04.9 | 2 (1+1+0+0) | 1:25:04.9 | +11:19.0 |
22 | 26 | Vilmoş Gheorghe | {{flagIOC|ROU|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:07.3 | 6 (3+0+3+0) | 1:26:07.3 | +12:21.4 |
23 | 50 | Gheorghe Cimpoia | {{flagIOC|ROU|1968 Winter}} | 1:25:36.5 | 1 (0+0+1+0) | 1:26:36.5 | +12:50.6 |
24 | 44 | Heinz Kluge | {{flagIOC|GDR|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:55.2 | 7 (0+1+1+5) | 1:26:55.2 | +13:09.3 |
25 | 14 | Yrjö Salpakari | {{flagIOC|FIN|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:11.6 | 7 (2+1+2+2) | 1:27:11.6 | +13:25.7 |
26 | 28 | Ragnar Tveiten | {{flagIOC|NOR|1968 Winter}} | 1:16:17.4 | 11 (4+0+2+5) | 1:27:17.4 | +13:31.5 |
27 | 29 | Ralph Wakley | {{flagIOC|USA|1968 Winter}} | 1:22:32.9 | 5 (1+1+3+0) | 1:27:32.9 | +13:47.0 |
28 | 27 | Miki Shibuya | {{flagIOC|JPN|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:37.1 | 6 (1+1+4+0) | 1:27:37.1 | +13:51.2 |
29 | 39 | Nicolae Bărbăşescu | {{flagIOC|ROU|1968 Winter}} | 1:24:05.3 | 4 (2+0+0+2) | 1:28:05.3 | +14:19.4 |
30 | 60 | Nore Westin | {{flagIOC|SWE|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:09.4 | 7 (1+2+2+2) | 1:28:09.4 | +14:23.5 |
31 | 54 | Mauno Luukkonen | {{flagIOC|FIN|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:15.8 | 9 (4+2+3+0) | 1:28:15.8 | +14:29.9 |
32 | 35 | Gerhard Gehring | {{flagIOC|FRG|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:26.8 | 8 (2+1+2+3) | 1:28:26.8 | +14:40.9 |
33 | 9 | Isao Ono | {{flagIOC|JPN|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:47.8 | 8 (2+0+1+5) | 1:28:47.8 | +15:01.9 |
34 | 46 | Shozo Okuyama | {{flagIOC|JPN|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:51.0 | 7 (3+0+2+2) | 1:28:51.0 | +15:05.1 |
35 | 30 | Jean-Claude Viry | {{flagIOC|FRA|1968 Winter}} | 1:19:16.2 | 10 (2+4+1+3) | 1:29:16.2 | +15:30.3 |
36 | 34 | Frederick Andrew | {{flagIOC|GBR|1968 Winter}} | 1:22:21.3 | 7 (1+0+2+4) | 1:29:21.3 | +15:35.4 |
37 | 4 | Bill Spencer | {{flagIOC|USA|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:17.7 | 10 (2+3+1+4) | 1:30:17.7 | +16:31.8 |
38 | 32 | Bayanjavyn Damdinjav | {{flagIOC|MGL|1968 Winter}} | 1:24:30.7 | 6 (1+3+1+1) | 1:30:30.7 | +16:44.8 |
39 | 23 | Xaver Kraus | {{flagIOC|FRG|1968 Winter}} | 1:18:40.2 | 12 (4+3+2+3) | 1:30:40.2 | +16:54.3 |
40 | 37 | Paul Ernst | {{flagIOC|AUT|1968 Winter}} | 1:25:47.9 | 6 (1+4+1+0) | 1:31:47.9 | +18:02.0 |
41 | 49 | Herbert Hindelang | {{flagIOC|FRG|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:48.5 | 10 (3+5+1+1) | 1:31:48.5 | +18:02.6 |
42 | 13 | Aimé Gruet-Masson | {{flagIOC|FRA|1968 Winter}} | 1:20:50.4 | 11 (3+4+3+1) | 1:31:50.4 | +18:04.5 |
43 | 51 | Hajime Yoshimura | {{flagIOC|JPN|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:05.5 | 9 (3+3+2+1) | 1:32:05.5 | +18:19.6 |
44 | 18 | Alan Notley | {{flagIOC|GBR|1968 Winter}} | 1:25:23.1 | 7 (7+0+0+0) | 1:32:23.1 | +18:37.2 |
45 | 48 | Edward Williams | {{flagIOC|USA|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:24.5 | 9 (2+5+0+2) | 1:32:24.5 | +18:38.6 |
46 | 7 | Esko Karu | {{flagIOC|CAN|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:42.9 | 11 (1+3+2+5) | 1:32:42.9 | +18:57.0 |
47 | 55 | Horst Schneider | {{flagIOC|AUT|1968 Winter}} | 1:24:49.6 | 9 (3+2+1+3) | 1:33:49.6 | +20:03.7 |
48 | 47 | Józef Stopka | {{flagIOC|POL|1968 Winter}} | 1:22:17.7 | 12 (4+4+3+1) | 1:34:17.7 | +20:31.8 |
49 | 33 | Jonathan Chaffee | {{flagIOC|USA|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:21.1 | 11 (3+2+4+2) | 1:34:21.1 | +20:35.2 |
50 | 20 | Adolf Scherwitzl | {{flagIOC|AUT|1968 Winter}} | 1:30:21.7 | 4 (2+0+1+1) | 1:34:21.7 | +20:35.8 |
51 | 43 | George Ede | {{flagIOC|CAN|1968 Winter}} | 1:26:41.8 | 8 (2+2+4+0) | 1:34:41.8 | +20:55.9 |
52 | 21 | Bizyaagiin Dashgai | {{flagIOC|MGL|1968 Winter}} | 1:26:55.8 | 8 (5+2+1+0) | 1:34:55.8 | +21:09.9 |
53 | 52 | James Boyde | {{flagIOC|CAN|1968 Winter}} | 1:27:02.0 | 8 (3+2+2+1) | 1:35:02.0 | +21:16.1 |
54 | 15 | George Rattai | {{flagIOC|CAN|1968 Winter}} | 1:24:03.0 | 11 (1+5+2+3) | 1:35:03.0 | +21:17.1 |
55 | 22 | Ladislav Žižka | {{flagIOC|TCH|1968 Winter}} | 1:21:45.3 | 14 (7+5+0+2) | 1:35:45.3 | +21:59.4 |
56 | 12 | Franz Vetter | {{flagIOC|AUT|1968 Winter}} | 1:16:25.0 | 20 (5+5+5+5) | 1:36:25.0 | +22:39.1 |
57 | 59 | Louis Romand | {{flagIOC|FRA|1968 Winter}} | 1:25:55.2 | 12 (4+2+3+3) | 1:37:55.2 | +24:09.3 |
58 | 36 | Guy Duraffourg | {{flagIOC|FRA|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:51.4 | 18 (5+7+4+2) | 1:41:51.4 | +28:05.5 |
59 | 56 | Marcus Halliday | {{flagIOC|GBR|1968 Winter}} | 1:23:40.5 | 19 (5+1+7+6) | 1:42:40.5 | +28:54.6 |
60|–}} | 45 | Józef Gąsienica Sobczak | {{flagIOC|POL|1968 Winter}} | DNF |
1. ^1 2 {{cite web| title = Rapport Officiel Xes Jeux Olympiques D'Hiver 1968 Grenoble| url = http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1968/or1968.pdf| publisher = LA84 Foundation| work = Comité d'organisation des Xemes jeux olympiques d'hiver| year = 1968| accessdate = September 20, 2013}}