The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956.
The men's field hockey tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the eighth edition of the field hockey event for men at the Summer Olympics. It was contested from 23 November to 6 December, with twelve participating teams. Only men competed in field hockey at these Games.
New Zealand competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. For the first time at the Olympics, God Defend New Zealand was played instead of God Save the King/Queen. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 89 competitors, 82 men and 7 women, who took part in 63 events in 14 sports.
New Zealand competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. 130 competitors, 98 men and 32 women, took part in 76 events in 18 sports. The country recorded 11 medals, including eight golds, resulting in the nation ranking among the top ten in the medal table for the first time.
New Zealand competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 134 athletes and 70 officials. 134 competitors, 92 men and 42 women, took part in 87 events in 17 sports. Ralph Roberts was the team's Chef de Mission.
New Zealand competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 97 athletes and 60 officials. Former Olympic swimmer Dave Gerrard was the team's chef de mission.
New Zealand at the 1968 Summer Olympics was represented by a team of 52 competitors, 47 men and five women, who took part in 26 events across eight sports. Selection of the team for the Games in Mexico City, Mexico, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Commonwealth Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Don Oliver. The New Zealand team finished 27th on the medal table, winning a total of three medals, one of which was gold.
New Zealand at the 1964 Summer Olympics was represented by a team of 64 competitors, 56 men and eight women, who took part in 35 events across 11 sports. Selection of the team for the Games in Tokyo, Japan, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Peter Snell. The New Zealand team finished equal 12th on the medal table, winning a total of five medals, three of which were gold.
New Zealand at the 1960 Summer Olympics was represented by a team of 37 competitors, 33 men and four women, who took part in 28 events across nine sports. Selection of the team for the Games in Rome, Italy, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Les Mills. Harold Austad was the team's Chef de Mission. The New Zealand team finished 14th on the medal table, winning a total of three medals, two of which were gold.
New Zealand at the 1952 Summer Olympics was represented by a team of 14 competitors and three officials. Selection of the team for the Games in Helsinki, Finland, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Harold Cleghorn. The New Zealand team finished equal 24th on the medal table, winning a total of three medals, one of which was gold.
Australia was the host nation for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. However, due to Australian quarantine restrictions the equestrian events were held in Stockholm, Sweden. 294 competitors, 250 men and 44 women, took part in 140 events in 18 sports.
Australia competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 32 competitors, 28 men and 4 women, took part in 26 events in 7 sports. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games. In terms of medals won Berlin 1936 was Australia's poorest result at the Summer Olympics, winning just a single bronze in the Men's triple jump.
New Zealand competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 80 athletes, 71 men and 9 women, and 29 officials. The flag bearer at the opening ceremony was wrestler David Aspin.
New Zealand competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the first time that the nation had competed independently at the Olympic Games. At the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics, New Zealand had competed with Australia in a combined team called Australasia.
New Zealand competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. The team of 21 was New Zealand's largest to date and comprised 11 rowers, six athletes, three boxers, and one cyclist. The officials were manager Philip Rundle of Dunedin, boxing and athletic coach W. J. Heenan, and rowing coach Clarrie Healey.
Poland competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. 64 competitors, 49 men and 15 women, took part in 48 events in 9 sports.
New Zealand first sent an independent team to the Olympics in 1920. Before this, at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics, New Zealand and Australian athletes competed together in a combined Australasia team. New Zealand has also participated in most Winter Olympic Games since 1952, missing only the 1956 and 1964 Games.
New Zealand took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country sent 182 competitors, making this its largest ever delegation to the Olympic Games. It was also one of the most successful, equalling New Zealand's combined medal tally from the previous two Summer games. On 16 August – dubbed "Super Saturday" by journalists – New Zealand had its greatest single day at any Olympics, winning 5 medals: two gold, one silver and two bronze. New Zealand also gained its first Olympic track medal since 1976 when Nick Willis won the silver medal in the men's 1500 metres, becoming the sixth New Zealander to win an Olympic medal in that event. The success at the Olympics has boosted Athletics participation since then.
New Zealand competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twenty-fourth appearance at the Olympics. The New Zealand Olympic Committee sent 184 athletes, 97 men, and 87 women to the Games to compete in 16 sports, the nation's largest ever delegation.
Australasia (1908–1912)
