1956 Summer Olympics

The Games of the XVI Olympiad were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. Therefore, these events were held in Stockholm, Sweden, marking the first, and so far only time, that events of the same Olympics were held in different countries. Melbourne had been elected as the host city over rival bids from Buenos Aires, Mexico and six American cities April 28 1949 on the 43rd IOC session.

Games of the XVI Olympiad
Nations participating67
Athletes participating3,184 (2,813 men, 371 women)
Events145 in 17 sports
Opening ceremoniesNovember 22, 1956
June 10, 1956
Closing ceremoniesDecember 8, 1956
June 17, 1956
Officially opened byPrince Philip
Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden
Athlete's OathJohn Landy
Henri Saint Cyr
Judge's Oath-
Olympic TorchRon Clarke
Hans Wikne
StadiumMelbourne Cricket Ground
Contents

Highlights

  • Because Melbourne is situated in the southern hemisphere, the Olympics were held later in the year than those held in the northern hemisphere.
  • Two international events lead to nations boycotting the Olympics. The first is the British and French involvement in the Suez Crisis, which leads to the absence of Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq. The Soviet handling of the Hungarian revolution leads to the absence of Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Hungary and the Soviet Union were themselves present, which among others led to a hotly contested and violent water polo encounter between the nations. In total, 45 Hungarians defected to the West after the Olympics. A third boycott came from the People's Republic of China, which protested against presence of the Republic of China (under the name Formosa).
  • After being banned from the Olympics in 1948, a team of only West German athletes took part in 1952. This year, athletes from both East and West Germany would compete in a combined team. This remarkable combination would disappear at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
  • Home-runner Betty Cuthbert becomes the "Golden Girl" by winning three track gold medals. Her performance is equalled by sprinter Bobby Joe Morrow.
  • Another Australian, Murray Rose, also wins three gold medals in the swimming pool.
  • Soviet runner Vladimir Kuts wins both the 5000 and 10000 m.
  • Inspired by Australian teenager John Wing, an Olympic tradition begins when athletes of different nations are allowed to parade together at the closing ceremony, instead of with their national teams, as a symbol of world unity... : "During the Games there will be only one nation. War, politics and nationalities will be forgotten. What more could anybody want if the world could be made one nation." - Extract from a letter by John Ian Wing to the Olympic organisers, 1956.
  • Is nicknamed "the Friendly Games."

Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

Medal count

Top medal-collecting nations:
(for the full table, see 1956 Summer Olympics medal count)

(Host nation in bold.)

1956 Summer Olympics medal count
Pos Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Missing image
Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png


USSR
37 29 32 98
2 United States 32 25 17 74
3 Australia 13 8 14 35
4 Hungary 9 10 7 26
5 Template:ITA 8 8 9 25
6 Sweden 8 5 6 19
7 Missing image
Unified_German_Olympic_Flag.png


United Team of Germany
6 13 7 26
8 Great Britain 6 7 11 24
9 Romania 5 3 5 13
10 Missing image
Japan_flag_large.png


Japan
4 10 5 19

See also

External links


Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
1896 | 1900 | 1904 | 1906¹ | 1908 | 1912 | (1916)² | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | (1940)² | (1944)² | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020
Winter Olympic Games
1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | (1940)² | (1944)² | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018
¹Not currently recognised as official by the IOC.     ²Cancelled due to war.
de:Olympische Sommerspiele 1956

et:1956. aasta suveolümpiamängud fr:Jeux Olympiques d'été de 1956 it:XVI Olimpiade ja:メルボルンオリンピック (1956年) nl:Olympische Zomerspelen 1956 no:Sommer-OL 1956 pt:Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 1956 fi:1956 kesäolympialaiset sv:Olympiska sommarspelen 1956

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