Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics

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Athletics
at the Games of the XVI Olympiad
2017 AFL Grand Final panorama during national anthem.jpg
Host stadium (shown in 2017)
Dates23 November – 1 December
No. of events33
Competitors720 from 61 nations
  1952
1960  

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

EventGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Bobby Morrow
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
10.5 Thane Baker
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
10.5 Hector Hogan
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
10.6
200 metres
details
Bobby Morrow
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
20.6
(OR)
Andy Stanfield
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
20.7 Thane Baker
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
20.9
400 metres
details
Charles Jenkins
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
46.7 Karl-Friedrich Haas
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
46.8 Voitto Hellsten
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
47.0
Ardalion Ignatyev
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
47.0
800 metres
details
Tom Courtney
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:47.7
(OR)
Derek Johnson
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
1:47.8 Audun Boysen
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
1:48.1
1500 metres
details
Ron Delany
Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Ireland
3:41.2
(OR)
Klaus Richtzenhain
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
3:42.0 John Landy
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
3:42.0
5000 metres
details
Vladimir Kuts
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
13:39.6
(OR)
Gordon Pirie
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
13:50.6 Derek Ibbotson
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
13:54.4
10,000 metres
details
Vladimir Kuts
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
28:45.6
(OR)
József Kovács
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
28:52.4 Al Lawrence
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
28:53.6
110 metres hurdles
details
Lee Calhoun
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
13.5
(OR)
Jack Davis
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
13.5
(OR)
Joel Shankle
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
14.1
400 metres hurdles
details
Glenn Davis
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
50.1
(=OR)
Eddie Southern
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
50.8 Josh Culbreath
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
51.6
3000 metres steeplechase
details
Chris Brasher
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
8:41.2
(OR)
Sándor Rozsnyói
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
8:43.6 Ernst Larsen
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
8:44.0
4 × 100 metres relay
details
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Ira Murchison
Leamon King
Thane Baker
Bobby Morrow
39.5
(WR)
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)
Leonid Bartenyev
Boris Tokarev
Yuriy Konovalov
Vladimir Sukharev
39.8Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany  (EUA)
Lothar Knörzer
Leonhard Pohl
Heinz Fütterer
Manfred Germar
40.3
4 × 400 metres relay
details
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Lou Jones
Jesse Mashburn
Charles Jenkins
Tom Courtney
3:04.8Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Leon Gregory
David Lean
Graham Gipson
Kevan Gosper
3:06.2Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
John Salisbury
Michael Wheeler
Peter Higgins
Derek Johnson
3:07.2
Marathon
details
Alain Mimoun
Flag of France.svg  France
2:25:00 Franjo Mihalić
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia
2:26:32 Veikko Karvonen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:27:47
20 kilometres walk
details
Leonid Spirin
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1:31:27.4
(OR)
Antanas Mikėnas
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1:32:03.0 Bruno Junk
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1:32:12.0
50 kilometres walk
details
Norman Read
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
4:30:42.8 Yevgeny Maskinskov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
4:32:57.0 John Ljunggren
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
4:35:02.0
High jump
details
Charles Dumas
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
2.12 m
(OR)
Chilla Porter
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
2.10 m Igor Kashkarov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
2.08 m
Pole vault
details
Bob Richards
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
4.56 m
(OR)
Bob Gutowski
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
4.53 m Georgios Roubanis
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece
4.50 m
Long jump
details
Greg Bell
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7.83 m
(OR)
John Bennett
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7.68 m Jorma Valkama
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
7.48 m
Triple jump
details
Adhemar da Silva
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil
16.35 m
(OR)
Vilhjálmur Einarsson
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
16.26 m Vitold Kreyer
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
16.02 m
Shot put
details
Parry O'Brien
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
18.57 m
(OR)
Bill Nieder
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
18.18 m Jiří Skobla
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
17.65 m
Discus throw
details
Al Oerter
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
56.36 m
(OR)
Fortune Gordien
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
54.81 m Des Koch
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
54.40 m
Hammer throw
details
Hal Connolly
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
63.19 m
(OR)
Mikhail Krivonosov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
63.03 m Anatoliy Samotsvetov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
62.56 m
Javelin throw
details
Egil Danielsen
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
85.71 m
(WR)
Janusz Sidło
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland
79.98 m Viktor Tsybulenko
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
79.50 m
Decathlon
details
Milt Campbell
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7937
(OR)
Rafer Johnson
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
7587 Vasili Kuznetsov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
7465

Women

EventGoldSilverBronze
100 metres
details
Betty Cuthbert
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
11.5 Christa Stubnick
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
11.7 Marlene Mathews
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
11.7
200 metres
details
Betty Cuthbert
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
23.4
(=OR)
Christa Stubnick
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
23.7 Marlene Mathews
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
23.8
80 metres hurdles
details
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
10.7
(OR)
Gisela Köhler
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
10.9 Norma Thrower
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
11.0
4 × 100 metres relay
details
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty
Norma Croker
Fleur Mellor
Betty Cuthbert
44.5
(WR)
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
Anne Pashley
Jean Scrivens
June Paul
Heather Armitage
44.7US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Mae Faggs
Margaret Matthews
Wilma Rudolph
Isabelle Daniels
44.9
High jump
details
Mildred McDaniel
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1.76 m
(WR)
Thelma Hopkins
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
Mariya Pisareva
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1.67 mnone awarded
Long jump
details
Elżbieta Krzesińska
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland
6.35 m
(=WR)
Willye White
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
6.09 m Nadezhda Dvalishvili
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
6.07 m
Shot put
details
Tamara Tyshkevich
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
16.59 m
(OR)
Galina Zybina
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
16.53 m Marianne Werner
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
15.61 m
Discus throw
details
Olga Fikotová
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
53.69 m
(OR)
Irina Beglyakova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
52.54 m Nina Ponomaryova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
52.02 m
Javelin throw
details
Inese Jaunzeme
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
53.86 m
(OR)
Marlene Ahrens
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
50.38 m Nadezhda Konyayeva
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
50.28 m

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1610531
2Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 571022
3Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 42612
4Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1427
5Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland 1102
6Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1023
7Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1012
8Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil 1001
Flag of France.svg  France 1001
Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Ireland 1001
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 1001
12Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany 0527
13Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary 0202
14Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 0101
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 0101
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia 0101
17Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 0033
18Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece 0011
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 0011
Totals (19 entries)333433100

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