Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics

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Swimming
at the Games of the XVI Olympiad
Venue Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre
Dates29 November – 7 December 1956
No. of events13
Competitors235 from 33 nations
  1952
1960  

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women. There was a total of 235 participants from 33 countries competing. [1] [2] For the first time, the butterfly stroke was contested as a separate event. Australia dominated the medal standings with a total of 8 out of a possible 13 gold medals, eventually finishing with 14 medals overall.

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)84214
2US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)24511
3Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan  (JPN)1405
4Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)1012
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany  (EUA)1012
6Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary  (HUN)0112
7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)0022
8Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa  (RSA)0011
Totals (8 entries)13131339

Medalists

Men's events

GamesGoldSilverBronze
100 m freestyle
details
Jon Henricks
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
55.4 (WR) John Devitt
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
55.8 Gary Chapman
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
56.7
400 m freestyle
details
Murray Rose
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
4:27.3 (WR) Tsuyoshi Yamanaka
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
4:30.4 George Breen
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
4:32.5
1500 m freestyle
details
Murray Rose
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
17:58.9 Tsuyoshi Yamanaka
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
18:00.3 George Breen
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
18:08.2
100 m backstroke
details
David Theile
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:02.2 (WR) John Monckton
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:03.2 Frank McKinney
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:04.5
200 m breaststroke
details
Masaru Furukawa
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:34.7 Masahiro Yoshimura
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:36.7 Kharis Yunichev
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
2:36.8
200 m butterfly
details
William Yorzyk
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
2:19.3 Takashi Ishimoto
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:23.8 György Tumpek
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
2:23.9
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay
details
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Kevin O'Halloran
John Devitt
Murray Rose
Jon Henricks
8:23.6 (WR)US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Dick Hanley
George Breen
Bill Woolsey
Ford Konno
8:31.5Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)
Vitaly Sorokin
Vladimir Struzhanov
Gennady Nikolayev
Boris Nikitin
8:34.7

Women's events

GamesGoldSilverBronze
100 m freestyle
details
Dawn Fraser
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:02.0 (WR) Lorraine Crapp
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:02.3 Faith Leech
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
1:05.1
400 m freestyle
details
Lorraine Crapp
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
4:54.6 (OR) Dawn Fraser
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
5:02.5 Sylvia Ruuska
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
5:07.1
100 m backstroke
details
Judy Grinham
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
1:12.9 (WR) Carin Cone
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:12.9 (WR) Margaret Edwards
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
1:13.1
200 m breaststroke
details
Ursula Happe
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
2:53.1 (OR) Éva Székely
Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957).svg  Hungary
2:54.8 Eva-Maria Elsen
Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany
2:55.1
100 m butterfly
details
Shelley Mann
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:11.0 (OR) Nancy Ramey
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:11.9 Mary Sears
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:14.4
4 × 100 metre freestyle relay
details
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Dawn Fraser
Faith Leech
Sandra Morgan
Lorraine Crapp
4:17.1 (WR)US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Sylvia Ruuska
Shelley Mann
Nancy Simons
Joan Rosazza
4:19.2Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa  (RSA)
Natalie Myburgh
Susan Roberts
Moira Abernethy
Jeanette Myburgh
4:25.7

Participating nations

235 swimmers from 33 nations competed. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Swimming at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. "Olympedia – Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 17 December 2023.