Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 257 competitors, 213 men and 44 women, took part in 127 events in 18 sports. In 1952, they achieved their only gold medal during the last event of the last day of competition in Helsinki. Along with 1904 and 1996, this is Great Britain's lowest gold medal count.
Water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics program since the second games, in 1900. A women's water polo tournament was introduced for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Hungary has been the most successful country in men's tournament, while the United States is the only team to win multiple times at the women's tournament since its introduction. Italy is the first and only country to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments.
Donald James Thompson MBE was an English racewalker. He was the only British man to win a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, in the 50 km walk. He also won a bronze medal at the 1962 European Championships, also for the 50 km walk.
Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. British athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games. 189 competitors, 163 men and 26 women, took part in 108 events in 17 sports.
Emmanuel McDonald Bailey was a British and Trinidadian athlete, who was born in Williamsville, Trinidad and Tobago. Bailey won a bronze medal in the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games. He competed for Great Britain in the men's 100 metres at the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, where he finished sixth and last in the final, and the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki where he won the bronze medal.
Donald Robert Laz was an American pole vaulter. He won a silver medal at the 1952 Olympics and a bronze at the 1955 Pan American Games. Domestically he held the NCAA title in 1951 and shared the AAU title in 1953. After retiring from competitions he worked as an architect in Champaign, Illinois, and retired after suffering a stroke.
Christopher Paul MacDonald is a New Zealand sprint canoeist who competed from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. He is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most successful international athletes and holds innumerable international speed records in canoeing.
Edgar Richard Burgess FZS was an English rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Donald Richard Bertoia is a retired middle distance runner from Canada, who represented his native country in the men's 800 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. A resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, he claimed the gold medal in the same event and a bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 1963 Pan American Games in Brazil.
Alan Newton is a retired track cyclist from Great Britain. Born in Stockport, Cheshire, Newton began cycling in 1946, with the Manchester Wheelers' Club. He represented his native country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 4,000 metres team pursuit, alongside Donald Burgess, George Newberry, and Ronald Stretton. He also competed at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships where they finished 4th.
George Albert Newberry was a track cyclist from Great Britain.
Ronald Charles "Ron" Stretton was a track cyclist from Great Britain, who represented his native country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 4,000 metres team pursuit, alongside Donald Burgess, George Newberry, and Alan Newton. He was born in Epsom, Surrey and died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Donald Alan Symon is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Donald John Arnold was a Canadian competition rower and Olympic champion. He was born in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Donald Dinnie McCorkindale was a South African boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. He fought as Don McCorkindale.
Thomas William Burgess was the second person to successfully complete a swim of the English Channel after Matthew Webb. He performed the feat on 6 September 1911, on his 16th attempt. British by nationality, Burgess spent most of his life in France, and won a bronze medal with the French water polo team at the 1900 Olympics.
Eric Albert Jespersen is a Canadian sailor.
Christopher Roger Bartley is a British rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics.
Donald Alan Pettie was a Canadian sprinter. He competed in the 4 ×100 metres relay and in the 200 metres at the 1948 Summer Olympics and placed fifth in the relay. In 1949 he won the national title over 100 and 200 metres. At the 1950 British Empire Games he won a bronze medal in the 100 yards and placed fifth in the 220 yards and the 4×400 yards relay. He retired from competitions in 1950 and until 1992 worked in the oil industry. In 2009 he was named a Drake Relay Athlete of the Century.
Donald Robertson Thomson MacMillan was an Australian middle-distance runner. He competed in the 800 metres at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics, but failed to reach the finals. In 1952, he placed ninth in the final of the 1500 m event. At the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, MacMillan finished seventh over 1 mile in 1950, and won a bronze medal in the 4×440 yd relay in 1954.
