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1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - Men's 4 x 100 m

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 09 June 2016; Hits: 605

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia

Format: Top three in each heat advanced to the final.

Date Started: November 30, 1956

Format: Top three in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Date Finished: December 1, 1956

(Competitors: 72; Countries: 18; Finalists: 24/6)

Venue(s): Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria

Overview by IAAF

The USA were fastest in the first two rounds with times of 40.5 (40.52) and 40.3 (40.34), though the USSR was only 0.02 slower in winning the second semi-final. Ira Murchison gave the USA a slight lead on the opening leg in the final. This was extended to 4m by Leamon King’s electrifying leg, but the lead was dissipated by more than 2m because of a poor handover caused by Baker underestimating King’s speed. Baker gained a little on Konovalov, and gave Morrow a 2m advantage over Sukharev at the changeover. Morrow, carrying a thigh injury, gained no more than a metre as the USA finished with a world record of 39.5 (39.60). The USSR set a European record of 39.8 (39.83), Germany overhauled Italy to take the bronze medal.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

Led by Bobby Joe Morrow, who had won the 100 and 200, the US was expected to win, and posted the fastest times in the first round and semi-final. The first two US runners, Ira Murchison and Leamon King, opened a big lead on the Soviets but a poor handoff to Thane Baker allowed them to draw almost even. Baker ran a good curve, however, and Morrow received the stick slightly ahead. He had a thigh injury and was not as strong as he had been in the individual events but held on to win the gold for the US. The USSR finished second in a new European record.

			Results

*4 x 100 m*	Men		Final	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	39,60		Ira Murchison 10.8, Leamon King 9.2, Thane Baker 9.7, Bobby Morrow 9.8	United States	USA	WR	39.5 h
2	39,93		Leonid Bartenyev/UKR, Boris Tokarev/RUS, Yuriy Konovalov/KGZ, Vladimir Sukharev/KGZ	Soviet Union	URS		39.8 h
3	40,34		Lothar Knörzer, Leo Pohl, Heinz Fütterer, Manfred Germar (all FRG)	Germany	GER		40.3 h
4	40,43		Franco Galbiati, Giovanni Ghiselli, Luigi Gnocchi, Vincenzo Lombardo	Italy	ITA		40.3 h
5	40,74		Kenneth Box, Roy Sandstrom, David Segal, Brian Shenton	Great Britain	GBR		40.6 h
6	40,75		Marian Foik, Janusz Jarzembowski, Edward Schmidt, Zenon Baranowski	Poland	POL		40.6 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Semi-Finals Heat One	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,34	Q	Ira Murchison, Leamon King, Thane Baker, Bobby Morrow	United States	USA		40.3 h
2	41,12	Q	Marian Foik, Janusz Jarzembowski, Edward Schmidt, Zenon Baranowski	Poland	POL		41.0 h
3	41,14	Q	Franco Galbiati, Giovanni Ghiselli, Luigi Gnocchi, Vincenzo Lombardo	Italy	ITA		41.1 h
4	41,37		René Bonino, Alain David, Jocelyn Delecourt, Constantin Lissenko	France	FRA		41.3 h
5	41,51		György Csanyi, Béla Goldoványi, Sandor Jakabfy, Geza Varasdi	Hungary	HUN		41.5 h
6	43,87		Ary Facanha de Sa, Jorge Machado João Pires Sobrinho, José Telles da Conceição	Brazil	BRA		43.8 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Semi-Finals Heat Two	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,36	Q	Leonid Bartenyev/UKR, Boris Tokarev/RUS, Yuriy Konovalov/KGZ, Vladimir Sukharev/KGZ	Soviet Union	URS		40.3 h
2	40,64	Q	Lothar Knörzer, Leo Pohl, Heinz Fütterer, Manfred Germar (all FRG)	Germany	GER		40.5 h
3	40,68	Q	Kenneth Box, Roy Sandstrom, David Segal, Brian Shenton	Great Britain	GBR		40.6 h
4	40,72		Gavin Carragher, Hector Hogan, Raymond Land, Edward McGlynn	Australia	AUS		40.8 h
5	40,78		Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Raziq	Pakistan	PAK		40.8 h
6	41,57		Kanji Akagi, Akira Kiyofuji, Masaji Tajima, Kyohei Ushio	Japan	JPN		41.3 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Round One Heat One	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,53	Q	Ira Murchison, Leamon King, Thane Baker, Bobby Morrow	United States	USA		40.5 h
2	41,30	Q	Kenneth Box, Roy Sandstrom, David Segal, Brian Shenton	Great Britain	GBR		41.2 h
3	41,42	Q	Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Raziq	Pakistan	PAK		41.3 h
4	42,10		Alfonso Bruno, Clive Bonas, Rafael Romero, Apolinar Solorzano	Venezuela	VEN		42.0 h
5	44,96		George Johnson, Edward Martins Emmanuel Gbecy Putu, James Roberts	Liberia	LBR		44.7 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Round One Heat Two	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,72	Q	Gavin Carragher, Hector Hogan, Raymond Land, Edward McGlynn	Australia	AUS		40.6 h
2	40,99	Q	René Bonino, Alain David, Jocelyn Delecourt, Constantin Lissenko	France	FRA		40.8 h
3	41,00	Q	Lothar Knörzer, Leo Pohl, Heinz Fütterer, Manfred Germar (all FRG)	Germany	GER		40.8 h
4	44,37		Montri Srinaka, Phaibulya Vacharabhan, Vanchak Voradilok, Snay Wongchaoom	Thailand	THA		44.2 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Round One Heat Three	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,77	Q	Leonid Bartenyev/UKR, Boris Tokarev/RUS, Yuriy Konovalov/KGZ, Vladimir Sukharev/KGZ	Soviet Union	URS		40.7 h
2	41,07	Q	Franco Galbiati, Giovanni Ghiselli, Luigi Gnocchi, Vincenzo Lombardo	Italy	ITA		40.9 h
3	41.70	Q	Ary Facanha de Sa, Jorge Machado João Pires Sobrinho, José Telles da Conceição	Brazil	BRA		41.6 h
4	41,75		Joseph Foreman, Richard Harding, Stanley Levenson, John Parrington	Canada	CAN		41.7 h
5	44,47		Haile Bekele, Abebe Hailou, Beyene Legesse, Robba Nigouse	Ethiopia	ETH		44.3 h
*4 x 100 m*	Men		Round One Heat Four	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	40,97	Q	Marian Foik, Janusz Jarzembowski, Edward Schmidt, Zenon Baranowski	Poland	POL		40.9 h
2	41,45	Q	György Csanyi, Béla Goldoványi, Sandor Jakabfy, Geza Varasdi	Hungary	HUN		41.5 h
3	42.30	Q	Kanji Akagi, Akira Kiyofuji, Masaji Tajima, Kyohei Ushio	Japan	JPN		42.2 h
AC	DQ		Edward Alabi Ajado, Abdul Karim Amu, Titus Abimbola Erinle, Rafio Adio Oluwa	Nigeria	NGR		[47.3] / [47.39]