Australia at the 1956 Winter Olympics

Australia at the 1956 Winter Olympics
IOC code	AUS
NOC	Australian Olympic Committee
Website	www.olympics.com.au
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Competitors	8 in 3 sports
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Winter Olympics appearances (overview)
1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026

Australia sent a delegation to compete at the 1956 Winter Olympics from the 26 January to 5 February 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This was the nation's third appearance at the Winter Olympic Games with their last appearance being in 1952.

Australia delegation consisted of eight competitors in three sports. Australia competed in alpine skiing, figure skating and speed skating. Australia best result from the 1960 Games was a seventh-place finish from Colin Hickey in the men's 500 metres and men's 1500 metres speed skating. This performance also was Australia's best result until the 1976 Winter Olympics, where Colin Coates came sixth in men's 10000 metres speed skating.

Background

The Australian Olympic Committee was formed on 1 January 1895 with the nation making their debut at the first Olympics in Athens with Teddy Flack being the first representative of the nation. ^{[1] [2]} This was the nation's third appearance at a Winter Olympics. It was also the 15th overall Olympics that Australia had sent a delegation in. ^[3] The 1956 Winter Olympics was held at Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy and took place from the 26 January to 6 February: a total of 821 athletes competed from 32 nations. ^[4] The Australian delegation consist of eight athletes, five in the alpine skiing, two in the figure skating and one in the speedskating. ^[5]

Alpine skiing

Main article: Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics

^[6]

Men

Athlete	Event	Run 1		Run 2		Final/Total
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Diff	Rank
Bill Day	Downhill	—				4:02.0	+1:09.8	35
	Giant slalom	—				3:56.9	+56.8	61
	Slalom	Did not finish
Tony Aslangul	Giant slalom	—				4:09.0	+1:08.9	69
	Slalom	Did not finish
Frank Prihoda	Giant slalom	—				4:31.2	+1:39.0	80
	Slalom	2:54.3	60	2:43.2	51	5:37.5	+2:22.8	54
James Walker	Giant slalom	—				5:21.0	+2:20.9	84

Women

Athlete	Event	Race 1		Race 2		Total
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Christine Davy	Downhill					2:01.6	39
Christine Davy	Giant slalom					2:17.3	37
Christine Davy	Slalom	1:26.1	32	1:21.5	29	2:47.6	33

Figure skating

Main article: Figure skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics

^[6]

Athlete(s)	Event	CF	FS	TO	Points	Rank
Allan Ganter	Men's	13	13	114	1191.72	13
Charles Keeble		16	14	137	1115.39	16

Speed skating

Main article: Speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics

^[6]

Athlete	Event	Final
		Time	Rank
Colin Hickey	500 m	41.9	7
	1500 m	2:11.8	7
	5000 m	8:10.0	14
	10000 m	17:45.6	27

See also

• Australia at the Winter Olympics

References

1. "Australia". International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 7 September 2020.
2. "Australia at the 1896 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
3. "Australia". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
4. "Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
5. "Australia at the 1956 Winter Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
6. "VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali - Rapporto ufficiale" (PDF). COMITATO OLIMPICO NAZIONALE ITALIANO. LA84 Foundation. 1956. Retrieved November 11, 2013.

External links

• Australia NOC
• Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
• "Australians at the Olympics: A definitive history" by Gary Lester ISBN   0-949853-05-4 (suspected errata listed in Errata/0949853054)
• "2002 Australian Winter Olympic Team Guide" PDF file
• "The Compendium: Official Australian Olympic Statistics 1896-2002" Australian Olympic Committee ISBN   0-7022-3425-7 (Inconsistencies in sources mentioned in Wikibooks:Errata/0702234257)
• "Winter Olympic Representatives 1924 - 2002" Ice Skating Australia