The event was wo by Randy Matson of the United States, the nation's sixth consecutive and 14th overall victory in the men's shot put.

His teammate George Woods took silver, making 1968 the sixth straight Games the Americans had finished one-two.

Matson was the seventh man to win two medals in the event (adding to his 1964 silver); Woods would become the eighth in 1972.

Eduard Gushchin took bronze, the Soviet Union's first men's shot put medal.

The United States appeared for the 16th time, the only nation to have competed in all Olympic shot put competitions to date.