At the 1968 Grenoble Games, sex tests for women were introduced. French hero Jean-Claude Killy swept the men’s Alpine events, but only after the greatest controversy in the history of the Winter Olympics. Killy’s rival, Karl Schranz, claimed that a mysterious man in black crossed his path during the slalom race, causing him to skid to a halt. Given a restart, Schranz beat Killy’s time. However, a Jury of Appeal disqualified Schranz and gave the victory to Killy. There was also controversy in women’s luge when the three East German entrants, who had finished first, second and fourth, were disqualified for heating their runners. Toini Gustafsson starred in women’s cross-country skiing, winning both individual races and earning a silver medal in the relay. Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov, an elegant married couple, successfully defended their pairs figure skating title. Eugenio Monti piloted his two-man and four-man bobsleighs to gold medals.
As a competition, the Olympic contest was straightforward for Peggy Fleming (USA-figure skating). She built up a huge lead after the compulsory figures and easily won the first-place votes of all nine judges. She was the only American winner of the Games.
The International Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission worked in two different areas- the femininity test and doping controls. It was the first time this had taken place during the Olympic Games.