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1956 Athletics Summary in Olympics

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 19 August 2016; Hits: 3250

Info about the Games
*Host City: Melbourne, Australia*	Participants: 720 (573 men and 147 women) from 59 countries
*Date Started: November 23, 1956*	Youngest Participant: USA Meredith Ellis (15 years, 82 days)
*Date Finished: December 1, 1956*	Oldest Participant: USA Leo Sjogren (42 years, 236 days)
*Events: 33*	Most Medals (Athlete): 3 athletes with 3 medals
	Most Medals (Country): USA United States (31 medals)

Venue	Melbourne Cricket Ground	400 m Capacity 104,000

1956	Nov 23-Dec 1	Melbourne,AUS	Melbourne Cricket Ground	59	720	573	147	33	24/9
Year	Dates	City	Venue	Countries	Athletes	Men	Women	Events	(Men/Women)

Athletics at the
1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia

Men's 100 m	Women's 100 m
Men's 200 m	Women's 200 m
Men's 400 m	Women's 80 m Hurdles
Men's 800 m	Women's 4 x 100 m
Men's 1500 m	Women's High Jump
Men's 5000 m	Women's Long Jump
Men's 10000 m	Women's Shot Put
Men's 110 m Hurdles	Women's Discus Throw
Men's 400 m Hurdles	Women's Javelin Throw
Men's 3000 m steeple
Men's 4 x 100 m
Men's 4 x 400 m
Men's Marathon
Men's 20 km Walk
Men's 50 km Walk
Men's High Jump
Men's Pole Vault
Men's Long Jump
Men's Triple Jump
Men's Shot Put
Men's Discus Throw
Men's Hammer Throw
Men's Javelin Throw
Men's Decathlon

Betty Cuthbert wins the women’s 4x100m final at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, beating Great Britain’s Heather Armitage (left)

Overview

The Melbourne Olympics were the first Games held in the Southern Hemisphere and were held at the end of November, and finished in December. Athletics was conducted at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The stars of the Games were both sprinters. [Bobby Joe Morrow] won the 100, 200, and anchored the 4x100 relay for the United States. But receiving most of the acclaim was his female counterpart, [Betty Cuthbert], of the host nation, who duplicated his feat in winning three gold medals. [Vladimir Kuts] of the USSR won the first gold medal for a male athlete from that nation, doubling in the 5 and 10K. On the field [Al Oerter] won the first of four consecutive gold medals in the discus throw. His teammate, [Hal Connolly], won the hammer throw in a highly anticipated battle against Soviet [Mikhail Krivonosov], who placed second. During the 1956 Olympics, Connolly also met Czech discus thrower [Olga Fikotová], and they began a romance that ended with them marrying later in 1957. [Emil Zátopek] served as best man at the wedding in Praha.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 720 participating athletes from 61 countries.

Medal summary

Men

Women

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres	Bobby Morrow United States	10.5	Thane Baker United States	10.5	Hector Hogan Australia	10.6
200 metres	Bobby Morrow United States	20.6 (OR)	Andy Stanfield United States	20.7	Thane Baker United States	20.9
400 metres	Charles Jenkins United States	46.7	Karl-Friedrich Haas Germany	46.8	Voitto Hellstén Finland	47.0
400 metres	Charles Jenkins United States	46.7	Karl-Friedrich Haas Germany	46.8	Ardalion Ignatyev Soviet Union	47.0
800 metres	Tom Courtney United States	1:47.7 (OR)	Derek Johnson Great Britain	1:47.8	Audun Boysen Norway	1:48.1
1500 metres	Ron Delany Ireland	3:41.2 (OR)	Klaus Richtzenhain Germany	3:42.0	John Landy Australia	3:42.0
5000 metres	Vladimir Kuts Soviet Union	13:39.6 (OR)	Gordon Pirie Great Britain	13:50.6	Derek Ibbotson Great Britain	13:54.4
10,000 metres	Vladimir Kuts Soviet Union	28:45.6 (OR)	József Kovács Hungary	28:52.4	Allan Lawrence Australia	28:53.6
110 metres hurdles	Lee Calhoun United States	13.5 (OR)	Jack Davis United States	13.5 (OR)	Joel Shankle United States	14.1
400 metres hurdles	Glenn Davis United States	50.1 (=OR)	Eddie Southern United States	50.8	Joshua Culbreath United States	51.6
3000 metres steeplechase	Chris Brasher Great Britain	8:41.2 (OR)	Sándor Rozsnyói Hungary	8:43.6	Ernst Larsen Norway	8:44.0
4 × 100 metres relay	United States (USA) Thane Baker Leamon King Bobby Morrow Ira Murchison	39.5 (WR)	Soviet Union (URS) Leonid Bartenev Yuriy Konovalov Vladimir Sukharev Boris Tokarev	39.8	Germany (EUA) Heinz Fütterer Manfred Germar Lothar Knörzer Leonhard Pohl	40.3
4 × 400 metres relay	United States (USA) Tom Courtney Charles Jenkins Lou Jones Jesse Mashburn	3:04.8	Australia (AUS) Graham Gipson Kevan Gosper Leon Gregory David Lean	3:06.2	Great Britain (GBR) Peter Higgins Derek Johnson John Salisbury Michael Wheeler	3:07.2
Marathon	Alain Mimoun France	2:25:00	Franjo Mihalić Yugoslavia	2:26:32	Veikko Karvonen Finland	2:27:47
20 kilometres walk	Leonid Spirin Soviet Union	1:31:27.4	Antanas Mikenas Soviet Union	1:32:03.0	Bruno Junk Soviet Union	1:32:12.0
50 kilometres walk	Norman Read New Zealand	4:30:42.8	Yevgeniy Maskinskov Soviet Union	4:32:57.0	John Ljunggren Sweden	4:35:02.0
Long jump	Greg Bell United States	7.83 m	John Bennett United States	7.68 m	Jorma Valkama Finland	7.48 m
Triple jump	Adhemar da Silva Brazil	16.35 m (OR)	Vilhjálmur Einarsson Iceland	16.26 m	Vitold Kreer Soviet Union	16.02 m
High jump	Charles Dumas United States	2.12 m (OR)	Chilla Porter Australia	2.10 m	Igor Kashkarov Soviet Union	2.08 m
Pole vault	Bob Richards United States	4.56 m (OR)	Bob Gutowski United States	4.53 m	Georgios Roubanis Greece	4.50 m
Shot put	Parry O'Brien United States	18.57 m (OR)	Bill Nieder United States	18.18 m	Jiří Skobla Czechoslovakia	17.65 m
Discus throw	Al Oerter United States	56.36 m (OR)	Fortune Gordien United States	54.81 m	Desmond Koch United States	54.40 m
Javelin throw	Egil Danielsen Norway	85.71 m (WR)	Janusz Sidło Poland	79.98 m	Viktor Tsybulenko Soviet Union	79.50 m
Hammer throw	Harold Connolly United States	63.19 m (OR)	Mikhail Krivonosov Soviet Union	63.03 m	Anatoli Samotsvetov Soviet Union	62.56 m
Decathlon	Milt Campbell United States	7937 (OR)	Rafer Johnson United States	7587	Vasili Kuznetsov Soviet Union	7465
Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres	Betty Cuthbert Australia	11.5	Christa Stubnick Germany	11.7	Marlene Matthews Australia	11.7
200 metres	Betty Cuthbert Australia	23.4 (=OR)	Christa Stubnick Germany	23.7	Marlene Matthews Australia	23.8
80 metres hurdles	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty Australia	10.7 (OR)	Gisela Köhler Germany	10.9	Norma Thrower Australia	11.0
4 × 100 metres relay	Australia (AUS) Norma Croker Betty Cuthbert Fleur Mellor Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	44.5 (WR)	Great Britain (GBR) Heather Armitage Anne Pashley June Paul Jean Scrivens	44.7	United States (USA) Isabelle Daniels Mae Faggs Margaret Matthews Wilma Rudolph	44.9
Long jump	Elżbieta Krzesińska Poland	6.35 m (=WR)	Willye White United States	6.09 m	Nadezhda Dvalishvili Soviet Union	6.07 m
High jump	Mildred McDaniel United States	1.76 m (WR)	Thelma Hopkins Great Britain	1.67 m	none awarded
High jump	Mildred McDaniel United States	1.76 m (WR)	Mariya Pisareva Soviet Union	1.67 m	none awarded
Shot put	Tamara Tyshkevich Soviet Union	16.59 m (OR)	Galina Zybina Soviet Union	16.53 m	Marianne Werner Germany	15.61 m
Discus throw	Olga Fikotová Czechoslovakia	53.69 m (OR)	Irina Beglyakova Soviet Union	52.54 m	Nina Ponomaryova Soviet Union	52.02 m
Javelin throw	Inese Jaunzeme Soviet Union	53.86 m (OR)	Marlene Ahrens Chile	50.38 m	Nadezhda Konyayeva Soviet Union	50.28 m

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	16	10	5	31
2	Soviet Union	5	7	10	22
3	Australia	4	2	6	12
4	Great Britain	1	4	2	7
5	Poland	1	1	0	2
6	Norway	1	0	2	3
7	Czechoslovakia	1	0	1	2
8	Brazil	1	0	0	1
	France	1	0	0	1
	Ireland	1	0	0	1
	New Zealand	1	0	0	1
12	Germany	0	5	2	7
13	Hungary	0	2	0	2
14	Chile	0	1	0	1
	Iceland	0	1	0	1
	Yugoslavia	0	1	0	1
17	Finland	0	0	3	3
18	Greece	0	0	1	1
18	Sweden	0	0	1	1

Participating Nations

Argentina (ARG)	2
Australia (AUS)	76
Austria (AUT)	3
Bahamas (BAH)	1
Belgium (BEL)	6
Brazil (BRA)	6
Canada (CAN)	18
Chile (CHI)	6
Chinese Taipei (TPE)	4
Colombia (COL)	4
Cuba (CUB)	2
Czechoslovakia (TCH)	16
Denmark (DEN)	2
Ethiopia (ETH)	8
Fiji (FIJ)	1
Finland (FIN)	19
France (FRA)	29
Great Britain (GBR)	55
Greece (GRE)	6
Guyana (GUY)	2
Hungary (HUN)	19
Iceland (ISL)	2
India (IND)	8
Indonesia (INA)	3
Iran (IRI)	2
Ireland (IRL)	3
Israel (ISR)	1
Italy (ITA)	21
Jamaica (JAM)	6
Japan (JPN)	20
Kenya (KEN)	8

No. of nations	59
Liberia (LBR)	4
Luxembourg (LUX)	3
Malaya (MAL)	7
Mexico (MEX)	1
Myanmar (MYA)	1
New Zealand (NZL)	9
Nigeria (NGR)	10
North Borneo (NBO)	2
Norway (NOR)	5
Pakistan (PAK)	17
Philippines (PHI)	4
Poland (POL)	23
Puerto Rico (PUR)	7
Romania (ROU)	5
Singapore (SIN)	4
South Africa (RSA)	9
South Korea (KOR)	7
Soviet Union (URS)	75
Sri Lanka (SRI)	1
Sweden (SWE)	17
Thailand (THA)	8
Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)	3
Uganda (UGA)	3
United Team of Germany (EUA)	43
United States (USA)	81
Uruguay (URU)	1
Venezuela (VEN)	4
Yugoslavia (YUG)	7

PLACING TABLES
Melbourne 1956
Overall	Gold	Silver	Bronze	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	Medals	Points
USA	16	10	5	8	1	2	1+1=	1	31	282.5
URS1	5	6+1=	9+1=	6	6	5	2	2	22	223
AUS	4	2	6	1	2	4	2+1=	2	12	114.5
GER	-	5	2	5	2	3	1	1	7	92
GBR	1	3+1=	2	1	6	2	1	5	7	89.5
HUN	-	2	-	2	2	1	2	-	2	39
POL	1	1	-	1	1	4	-	-	2	36
SWE	-	-	1	3	2	1	-	1	1	33
TCH/CZE	1	-	1	1	1	2	1	1+1=	2	32.5
ITA	-	-	-	2	2	2	-	-	0	24
FIN	-	-	2+1=	-	-	-	2	-	3	21.5
NOR	1	-	2	-	-	-	-	1	3	21
NZL	1	-	-	-	1	-	3	-	1	18
YUG2	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	2	1	16
FRA	1	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	1	14
BRA	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	11
RSA	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1=	0	8.5
IRL	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	8
TRI	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	0	8
CAN	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	0	8
CHI	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
ISL	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
GRE	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	7
JPN	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1	0	7
KOR	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	0	5
NGR	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
ROU	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
ARG	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	0	3
AUT	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
BEL	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
KEN	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
DEN	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
TPE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
Totals	33	32+2=	31+2=	32	33	32	21+2=	20+2=	100	1152
1. Breakdown of USSR placings with relay points divided by four:
RUS	2	3.25+1=	6+1=	3.5	5	3	1	2	13.25	137.25
UKR	2	0.25	1	0.25	1	1	1	-	3.25	34
EST	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	1	11
BLR	-	1	-	0.25	-	1	-	-	1	11.25
LAT	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	8
LTU	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
GEO	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	6
AZE	-	0.25	-	1	-	-	-	-	0.25	6.75
KGZ	-	0.25	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.25	1.75
Totals	5	6+1=	9+1=	6	6	5	2	2	22	223
2. Breakdown of Yugoslavian placings:
SRB	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
SLO	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	0	5
CRO	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	0	3
BIH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
Totals	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	2	1	16

Men	Gold	Silver	Bronze	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	Medals	Points
USA	15	9	4	6	1	1	1+1=	-	28	247.5
URS1	3	4	6+1=	3	4	4	2	2	14	142.5
GBR	1	2	2	1	5	1	1	5	5	69
GER	-	2	1	4	2	1	1	1	3	54
AUS	-	2	3	-	2	2	2+1=	1	5	52.5
HUN	-	2	-	2	2	1	1	-	2	37
POL	-	1	-	1	1	3	-	-	1	25
SWE	-	-	1	2	1	1	-	1	1	24
FIN	-	-	2+1=	-	-	-	2	-	3	21.5
NOR	1	-	2	-	-	-	-	1	3	21
TCH/CZE	-	-	1	-	1	2	-	-	1	16
ITA	-	-	-	2	-	2	-	-	0	16
YUG2	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	1	1	15
BRA	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	11
FRA	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	10
NZL	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	10
IRL	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	8
TRI	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	0	8
CAN	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	0	8
RSA	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	-	0	8
ISL	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
GRE	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	7
JPN	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1	0	7
KOR	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	0	5
NGR	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
BEL	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
KEN	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
DEN	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
TPE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
Totals	24	24	23+2=	23	24	23	16+2=	16	73	840
1. Breakdown of USSR placings with relay points divided by four:
RUS	1	14.25+1=	2	4	2	1	2	7.25	82.25
UKR	2	-	1.25	-	-	1	1	-	3.25	28.75
EST	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	1	11
BLR	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	10
LTU	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
AZE	-	0.25	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.25	1.75
KGZ	-	0.25	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.25	1.75
Totals	3	4	6+1=	3	4	4	2	2	14	142.5
2. Breakdown of Yugoslavian placings:
SRB	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
SLO	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
CRO	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	0	3
BIH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
Totals	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	1	1	15


Women	Gold	Silver	Bronze	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	Medals	Points
URS1	2	2+1=	3	3	2	1	-	-	8	80.5
AUS	4	-	3	1	-	2	-	1	7	62
GER	-	3	1	1	-	2	-	-	4	38
USA	1	1	1	2	-	1	-	1	3	35
GBR	-	1+1=	-	-	1	1	-	-	2	20.5
TCH	CZE1	-	-	1	-	-	1	1+1=	1	16.5
POL	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	11
SWE	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	0	9
ITA	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	0	8
NZL	-	-	-	-	1	-	2	-	0	8
CHI	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	7
FRA	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
ROU	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	0	4
ARG	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	0	3
AUT	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
HUN	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	0	2
YUGSLO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1
RSA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1=	0	0.5
Totals	9	8+2=	8	9	9	9	5	4+2=	27	312
1. Breakdown of USSR placings with relay points divided by four:
RUS	1	2+1=	2	1.5	1	1	-	-	6	55
LAT	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	8
GEO	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	6
UKR	-	-	-	-	1.25	-	-	-	0	5.25
AZE	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	0	5
BLR	-	-	-	0.25	-	-	-	-	0	1.25
Totals	2	2+1=	3	3	2	1	-	-	8	80.5

November 23	10h00	Men's High jump qualifying trials
	10h00	Women's Discus throw qualifying trials
	14h30	Men's 400 m hurdles round 1
	14h30	Men's High jump Final
	15h10	Men's 100 m round 1
	16h10	Women's Discus throw Final
	16h15	Men's 800 m round 1
	17h05	Men's 800 m round 2
	17h40	Men's 400 m hurdles round 2
	18h00	Men's 10,000 m Final

November 24	10h00	Men's Hammer throw qualifying trials
		Men's Long jump qualifying trials
		Men's Pole Vault qualifying trials
	13h30	Men's 50 km walk
	14h30	Men's 400 m hurdles Semifinals
	14h30	Men's Hammer throw Final
	14h45	Women's 100 m round 1
	15h45	Men's 100 m Semifinals
	15h50	Men's Long jump Final
	16h00	Men's 800 m Semifinals
	16h40	Women's 100 m Semifinals
	17h10	Men's 400 m hurdles Final
	17h30	Men's 100 m Final

November 26	10h00	Men's Javelin throw qualifying trials
	13h30	Men's Pole Vault Final
	14h30	Men's 200 m round 1
	15h25	Men's Javelin throw Final
	15h30	Men's 800 m Final
	15h50	Men's 5,000 m round 1
	17h20	Women's 100 m Final
	17h40	Men's 200 m round 2

November 27	10h00	Men's Discus throw qualifying trials
		Men's Hop, step and jump qualifying trials
		Women's Long jump qualifying trials
	14h30	Men's Hop, step and jump Final
	14h30	Women's 80 m hurdles round 1
	15h00	Men's 200 m Semifinals
	15h20	Men's 110 m hurdles round 1
	15h25	Men's Discus throw Final
	16h00	Men's 3,000 m steeplechase round 1
	16h05	Women's Long jump Final
	17h00	Men's 200 m Final
	17h20	Women's 80 m hurdles Semifinals

November 28	10h00	Men's Shot put qualifying trials
	10h00	Women's Javelin throw qualifying trials
	14h30	Men's 110 m hurdles Semifinals
	14h30	Men's Shot put Final
	14h50	Men's 20 km walk
	15h00	Men's 400 m round 1
	15h30	Women's Javelin throw Final
	16h05	Men's 110 m hurdles Final
	16h45	Men's 5,000 m Final
	17h15	Women's 80 m hurdles Final
	17h35	Men's 400 m round 2

November 29	10h00	Men's Decathlon 100 m
	11h00	Men's Decathlon long jump
	14h15	Men's Decathlon shot put
	15h00	Men's 400 m Semifinals
	15h20	Women's 200 m round 1
	16h00	Men's 3,000 m steeplechase Final
	16h00	Men's Decathlon high jump
	16h30	Men's 1,500 m round 1
	17h30	Men's 400 m Final
	17h50	Women's 200 m Semifinals
	18h30	Men's Decathlon 400 m

November 30	09h00	Men's Decathlon 110 m hurdles
	10h00	Men's Decathlon discus throw
	10h00	Women's Shot put qualifying trials
	13h15	Men's Decathlon pole vault
	15h00	Women's Shot put Final
	15h30	Men's 4 x 100 m relay round 1
	16h15	Men's Decathlon javelin throw
	16h35	Men's 4 x 400 m relay round 1
	17h15	Women's 200 m Final
	18h30	Men's Decathlon 1,500 m

December 1^st	10h00	Women's High jump qualifying trials
	15h15	Men's Marathon
	15h30	Women's 4 x 100 m relay round 1
	15h50	Men's 4 x 100 m relay Semifinals
	15h50	Women's High jump Final
	16h15	Men's 1,500 m Final
	16h35	Men's 4 x 100 m relay Final
	16h50	Women's 4 x 100 m relay Final
	17h10	Men's 4 x 400 m relay Final