1956 Summer Olympics

{{Short description|Multi-sport event in Melbourne, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}  {{Infobox Olympic games|1956|Summer|Olympics| | image = 1956 Summer Olympics logo.svg | image_size = 145 | caption = Emblem of the 1956 Summer Olympics | host_city = Melbourne, Australia Stockholm, Sweden | nations = 72 | athletes = 3,314 (2,938 men, 376 women) | events = 151 in 17 sports (23 disciplines) | opening = 22 November 1956{{efn|name=Equestrian|Equestrian events held in Stockholm, Sweden on 11 to 17 June 1956.}} | closing = 8 December 1956{{efn|name=Equestrian}} | opened_by = Philip, Duke of Edinburgh<ref name="Opening and Cauldron">{{cite press release |title=Factsheet – Opening Ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad|url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf|url-status=live |publisher=International Olympic Committee|date=13 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814215458/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Opening_ceremony_of_the_Games_of_the_Olympiad.pdf |archive-date=14 August 2016|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref>{{efn|The Duke of Edinburgh did not regain the title "Prince" until the following year. See List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.}} | closed_by = IOC President Avery Brundage | cauldron = Ron Clarke<ref name="Opening and Cauldron"/> | stadium = Stockholm Olympic Stadium (Equestrian Events) Melbourne Cricket Ground (Other Events) | summer_prev = Helsinki 1952 | summer_next = Rome 1960 | winter_prev = Cortina 1956 | winter_next = Squaw Valley 1960 }} {{1956 Summer Olympics}} 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 Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals at these Games.

These Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America. Melbourne is the most southerly city ever to host the Olympics. Due to the Southern Hemisphere's seasons being different from those in the Northern Hemisphere, the 1956 Games did not take place at the usual time of year, because of the need to hold the events during the warmer weather of the host's spring/summer (which corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere's autumn/winter), resulting in the only summer games ever to be held in November and December. Australia hosted the Games for a second time in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, and will host them again in 2032 in Brisbane, Queensland.

The Olympic equestrian events could not be held in Melbourne due to Australia's strict quarantine regulations,<ref name="AOC Equestrian article">{{cite web |url=https://www.olympics.com.au/news/melbourne-1956-makes-history-as-equestrian-events-take-place-in-sweden/ |title=Melbourne 1956 makes history as equestrian events take place in Sweden |last=Tarbotton |first=David |date=12 November 2016 |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> so they were held in Stockholm five months earlier. This was the second time the Olympics were not held entirely in one country, the first being the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, with some events taking place in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Despite uncertainties and various complications encountered during the preparations, the 1956 Games went ahead in Melbourne as planned and turned out to be a success. Started during the 1956 Games was the "Parade of Athletes" at the closing ceremonies.

Nine teams boycotted the Games for various reasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/melbourne-1956|title = Melbourne 1956 Summer Olympics - Athletes, Medals & Results|date = 24 April 2018}}</ref> Four teams (Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia and Lebanon) boycotted in response to the Suez Crisis,{{efn|name=1956SOG1|Cambodia and Egypt competed in the equestrian events, which took place prior to the Crisis, but boycotted the rest of the Games.}} in which Egypt was invaded by Israel, France and the United Kingdom.<ref name="Boycott">{{cite book|last1 = Kaufman|first1 = Burton I.|last2 = Kaufman|first2 = Diane|title = The A to Z of the Eisenhower Era|publisher = Scarecrow Press|date = 6 October 2009|location = Lanham, Maryland|page = 176|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Z6cdte1qViIC&pg=PA176|isbn = 978-0810870635}}</ref><ref name="history"/> Four teams (the Netherlands, Spain, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) boycotted in response to the Soviet invasion of Hungary,<ref name="history">{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Lesley |date=August 24, 2023 |orig-date=July 26, 2021 |title=6 Times the Olympics Were Boycotted |url=https://www.history.com/news/olympic-boycotts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130221101/https://www.history.com/news/olympic-boycotts |archive-date=Nov 30, 2023 |website=HISTORY}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-22 |title=Hungary Hails Veteran Athletes Who Boycotted The 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games Out Of Solidarity With Hungary |url=https://hungarytoday.hu/hungary-hails-vetera-athletes-boycotted-1956-melbourne-olymipc-games-solidarity-hungary-12488/ |first1=Robert |last1=Velkey |website=Hungary Today |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509075147/https://hungarytoday.hu/hungary-hails-vetera-athletes-boycotted-1956-melbourne-olymipc-games-solidarity-hungary-12488/ |archive-date= May 9, 2023 }}</ref>{{efn|name=1956SOG2|The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland competed in the equestrian events, which took place prior to the Hungarian Revolution and its suppression by the Soviet Union, but boycotted the rest of the Games.}} and the People's Republic of China's boycott was in response to a dispute with the Republic of China over the right to represent China.<ref name="olympics1976">''The Times'', "The Latest Threat to the Olympics - And its all over a name", 10 July 1976</ref><ref name="olympic2004">[http://en.olympic.cn/china_oly/china_olympic/2004-03-30/124550.html Chinese Olympics Committee website]</ref>

One of the most notable events of the games was a controversial water polo match between the Soviet Union and the defending champions, Hungary. The Soviet Union had recently suppressed an anti-authoritarian revolution in Hungary and violence broke out between the teams during the match, resulting in numerous injuries. When Hungary's Ervin Zádor suffered bleeding after being punched by the Soviet Union's Valentin Prokopov, spectators attempted to join the violence, but they were blocked by police. The match was cancelled, with Hungary being declared the winner because they were in the lead 4–0.

==Host city selection== Melbourne was selected as the host city over bids from Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montreal, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and San Francisco at the 43rd IOC Session in Rome, Italy on 28 April 1949. Mexico City, Montreal and Los Angeles would eventually be selected to host the 1968, 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html |title=Ioc Vote History |publisher=Aldaver.com |access-date=24 August 2012 |archive-date=25 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525070757/http://www.aldaver.com/votes.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> respectively.

{|class="wikitable" |+ 1956 Summer Olympics bidding results<ref name=votes>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml |title=Past Olympic host city election results |publisher=GamesBids |access-date=17 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124022022/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> |- ! rowspan=2 | City ! rowspan=2 | Country ! colspan=4 style="background:silver;"| Round |- ! style="background:silver;"| 1 ! style="background:silver;"| 2 ! style="background:silver;"| 3 ! style="background:silver;"| 4 |- | Melbourne || {{flag|Australia}} || style="text-align:center;"|'''14''' || style="text-align:center;"|'''18''' || style="text-align:center;"|'''19''' || style="text-align:center;"|'''21''' |- | Buenos Aires || {{flag|Argentina}} || style="text-align:center;"|9 || style="text-align:center;"|12 || style="text-align:center;"|13 || style="text-align:center;"|20 |- | Los Angeles || rowspan=2|{{flag|United States|1912}} || style="text-align:center;"|5 || style="text-align:center;"|4 || style="text-align:center;"|5 || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Detroit || style="text-align:center;"|2 || style="text-align:center;"|4 || style="text-align:center;"|4 || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Mexico City || {{flag|Mexico|1934}} || style="text-align:center;"|9 || style="text-align:center;"|3 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Chicago || rowspan=4|{{flag|United States|1912}} || style="text-align:center;"|1 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Minneapolis || style="text-align:center;"|1 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Philadelphia || style="text-align:center;"|1 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | San Francisco || style="text-align:center;"|0 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |- | Montreal || {{flag|Canada|1921}} || style="text-align:center;"|0 || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— || style="text-align:center;"|— |}

==Prelude== Many members of the IOC were skeptical about Melbourne as an appropriate site. Its location in the Southern Hemisphere was a major concern since the reversal of seasons would mean the Games must be held during the northern winter. The November–December schedule was thought likely to inconvenience athletes from the Northern Hemisphere, who were accustomed to resting during their winter. {{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

Notwithstanding these concerns, the field of candidates eventually narrowed to two Southern Hemisphere cities, these being Melbourne and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Melbourne was selected, in 1949, to host the 1956 Olympics by a one-vote margin. The first sign of trouble was the revelation that Australian equine quarantine would prevent the country from hosting the equestrian events.<ref name="AOC Equestrian article" /> Stockholm was selected as the alternative site, so equestrian competition began on 10 June, five and a half months before the rest of the Olympic Games were to open.

The above problems of the Melbourne Games were compounded by bickering over financing among Australian politicians. Eventually, in March 1953, the State Government accepted a £2 million loan from the Commonwealth Government to build the Olympic Village, which would accommodate up to 6,000 people, in Heidelberg West. After the Olympics, the houses in the village were handed back to the Housing Commission for general public housing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/publications/research-papers/download/36-research-papers/13610-2016-3-olympics-hn |title=The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne |last=Reeves |first=Debra |website=Parliament of Victoria |access-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802102535/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/publications/research-papers/download/36-research-papers/13610-2016-3-olympics-hn|archive-date=2 August 2021}}</ref>

At one point, IOC President Avery Brundage suggested that Rome, which was to host the 1960 Games, was so far ahead of Melbourne in preparations that it might be ready as a replacement site in 1956. Constructing of the sporting venues was given priority over the athlete's village.<ref name="tmf"/> The village was designed as a whole new suburb with semi-detached houses and flats, the first village that both sexes could cohabitate the same buildings instead of gender designated sections.<ref name="tmf"/>

As late as April 1955, Brundage, who was presiding over the Olympics for the first time, was still doubtful about Melbourne and was not satisfied by an inspection trip to the city. Construction was well under way by then, thanks to a $4.5 million federal loan to Victoria, but it was behind schedule. He still held out the possibility that Rome might have to step in.

By the beginning of 1956, though, it was obvious that Melbourne would be ready for the Olympics.<ref>{{cite book | author=Wendy Lewis, Simon Balderstone and John Bowan | title=Events That Shaped Australia | pages=212–217 |publisher=New Holland | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-74110-492-9 }}</ref>

==Participation and boycotts== thumb|350px|Countries that boycotted the 1956 Games are shaded blue Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia and Lebanon announced that they would not participate in the Olympics in response to the Suez Crisis when Egypt was invaded by Israel, the United Kingdom, and France.

The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Liechtenstein boycotted the event in protest of the Soviet Union's crushing of the Hungarian Revolution.

The People's Republic of China chose to boycott the event because the Taiwan had been allowed to compete.

Athletes from both East and West Germany competed together as a combined team (a display of unity that was repeated in 1960 and 1964, but was then discontinued).

Although the number of countries participating (67) was almost the same as in 1952 (69), the number of athletes competing dropped sharply, from 4,925 to 3,342. (This figure does not include the 158 athletes from 29 countries who took part in the Stockholm equestrian competition.)

==Events== Once underway, the Games progressed smoothly, and came to be known as the "Friendly Games".<ref name="tmf">{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Cade |date=28 July 2016 |title=The mixed fortunes of Melbourne's 1956 Olympic venues, 60 years on |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/28/the-mixed-fortunes-of-melbournes-1956-olympic-venues-60-years-on |work=The Guardian |access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref> Betty Cuthbert, an 18-year-old from Sydney, won the 100 and 200 metre sprint races and ran an exceptional final leg in the 4 x 100 metre relay to overcome Great Britain's lead and claim her third gold medal, becoming known as the "Golden Girl". The veteran Shirley Strickland repeated her 1952 win in the 80 metre hurdles and was also part of the winning 4 x 100 metre relay team, bringing her career Olympic medal total to seven: three golds, a silver, and three bronze medals.

Australia also triumphed in swimming. They won all of the freestyle races, men's and women's, and collected a total of eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Murray Rose became the first male swimmer to win two freestyle events (and a total three events) since Johnny Weissmuller in 1924, while Dawn Fraser won gold medals in the 100 metre freestyle and as the leadoff swimmer in the 4 x 100 metre relay team.

The men's track and field events were dominated by the United States. They not only won 15 of the 24 events, they swept four of them and took first and second place in five others. Bobby Morrow led the way with gold medals in the 100 and 200 metre sprints and the 4 x 100 metre relay. Tom Courtney barely overtook Great Britain's Derek Johnson in the 800 metre run, then collapsed from the exertion and needed medical attention.

Ireland's Ronnie Delany ran an outstanding 53.8 over the last 400 metres to win the 1,500 metre run (also Ireland's last gold medal in track events), in which favourite John Landy of Australia finished third.

There was a major upset, marred briefly by controversy, in the 3,000 metre steeplechase. Little-known Chris Brasher of Great Britain finished well ahead of the field, but the judges disqualified him for interfering with Norway's Ernst Larsen, and they announced Sándor Rozsnyói of Hungary as the winner. Brasher's appeal was supported by Larsen, Rozsnyói, and fourth-place finisher Heinz Laufer of Germany. Subsequently, the decision was reversed and Brasher became the first Briton to win a gold medal in track and field since 1936.

Soviet runner Vladimir Kuts won two golds by winning both the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre events.

Only two world records were set in track and field. Mildred McDaniel, the first American woman to win gold in the sport, set a high jump record of {{convert|1.76|metres|feet}}, and Egil Danielsen of Norway overcame blustery conditions with a remarkable javelin throw of {{convert|85.71|metres|feet}}.

Throughout the Olympics, Hungarian athletes were cheered by fans from Australia and other countries. Many of them gathered in the boxing arena when thirty-year-old Laszlo Papp of Hungary won a record third gold medal by beating José Torres for the light-middleweight championship.

A few days later, the crowd was with the Hungarian water polo team in its hotly contested and emotionally charged match against the Soviet Union which took place against the background of the Soviet invasion of Hungary. The game became rough and, when a Hungarian was forced to leave the pool with a bleeding wound above his eye, a riot almost broke out. The police restored order and the game was called early, with Hungary leading {{nowrap|4–0}}, and the Hungarians went on to win the gold medal.

In a much publicized Olympic romance, American hammer throw champion Hal Connolly would marry Czechoslovak discus throw champion, Olga Fikotová. After moving to the United States, Olga wanted to continue representing Czechoslovakia, but the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee would not allow her to do so.<ref name=FT>{{cite news |title=The Olympians: Olga Fikotová, Czechoslovakia |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/a194b7a2-adfc-11e1-bb8e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1xSehPdIH |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210221241/https://www.ft.com/content/a194b7a2-adfc-11e1-bb8e-00144feabdc0#axzz1xSehPdIH |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=Financial Times Magazine |date=9 June 2012 |author=Duguid, Sarah |access-date=6 February 2018 }}</ref> Thereafter, as Olga Connolly, she took part in every Olympics until 1972<ref name="FT"/> competing for the U.S.<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417182113/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/pat-mccormick-1.html |title=Pat McCormick |archive-date=2020-04-17 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/pat-mccormick-1.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> She was the flag bearer for the U.S. team at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

The India men's national field hockey team won its sixth consecutive Olympic gold.

Despite the international tensions of 1956—or perhaps because of them—a young Melburnian, John Ian Wing, came up with a new idea for the closing ceremony. Instead of marching as separate teams, behind their national flags, the athletes mingled together as they paraded into and around the arena for a final appearance before the spectators. It was the start of an Olympic tradition that has been followed ever since.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080401130940/http://www.johnwing.co.uk/#/letter-saved-the-games/4526166419 Text of John Ian Wing's letter]}}, page found 28 June 2011.</ref>

==Olympic torch relay== thumb|Torch relay monument, Cairns The Olympic flame was relayed to Melbourne after being lit at Olympia on 2 November 1956.

Greek runners took the flame from Olympia to Athens. The flame was then transferred to a miner's lamp, flown by a Qantas Super Constellation aircraft, "Southern Horizon" to Darwin, Northern Territory.

A Royal Australian Air Force English Electric Canberra jet bomber transported the flame to Cairns, Queensland, where it arrived on 9 November 1956 and the Mayor of Cairns, Alderman W.J. Fulton, lit the first torch with the torch design was identical to the one used for the 1948 London Games (except for the engraved city name and year).

The first runner was Con Verevis, a local man of Greek parentage. The flame was relayed down the east coast of Australia using die cast aluminium torches weighing about 3 pounds (1.8 kg).

The flame arrived in Melbourne on 22 November 1956, the day of the opening ceremony and The flame was lit at the Olympic stadium by Ron Clarke, who accidentally burned his arm in the process.

While the Olympic flame was being carried to Sydney, an Australian veterinary student named Barry Larkin carried a fake Olympic Flame and fooled the mayor of Sydney.<ref>{{cite news|last=Turpin |first=Adrian |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20040808/ai_n12758702 |title=Olympics Special: The Lost Olympians (Page 1) |work=The Independent|date=8 August 2004 |access-date=6 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413034334/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20040808/ai_n12758702 |archive-date=13 April 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Olympic Arts Festival== The Melbourne Olympic Arts Festival was an arts festival held in conjunction with the Olympics.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84387040 |title=Museum gets Games "lift" |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |location=Victoria, Australia |date=18 September 1956 |access-date=13 November 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71765596 |title=The big Games chief on way |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |location=Victoria, Australia |date=14 November 1956 |access-date=13 November 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Television== The Olympics were first televised during the 1936 games to a domestic audience in Berlin. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo were broadcast internationally with the organising committee giving the television rights gratis.<ref name="obs">{{cite web |title=Olympic Broadcasting Through The Years (2008 - 1924) |url=https://www.obs.tv/assets/OlympicBroadcastingHistoryV3.pdf |website=Olympic Broadcasting Services |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref> While there was much interest in the games overseas, no international television or newsreel rights were awarded, as the Melbourne organising committee requested licensing payments for the broadcasting rights.<ref name="obs"/><ref name="Goldblatt" /> However, domestic rights to the games were hastily agreed by the then three Melbourne stations, GTV9, HSV7 and ABV2, only a week before the opening ceremony.<ref name="Goldblatt">{{cite book |last1=Goldblatt |first1=David |title=The games : a global history of the Olympics |date=2018 |isbn=978-1447298878 |pages=Chapter 9 |edition=Paperback}}</ref><ref name="ABayley">{{cite web |last1=Bayley |first1=Andrew |title=Thursday 22 November 1956 — MELBOURNE |url=https://televisionau.com/classic-tv-guides/tv221156 |website=Television.AU |access-date=24 January 2022 |language=en-AU |date=24 February 2014}}</ref> The three Sydney stations, TCN9, ATN7 and ABN2, syndicated the Melbourne coverage. Television in Australia was new, having its beginnings in September 1956. For many Australians, their first glimpse of television were Olympic broadcasts.<ref name="fma">{{cite book |last1=Wildman |first1=Kim |last2=Hogue |first2=Derry |date=2015 |title=First Among Equals: Australian Prime Ministers from Barton to Turnbull |location=Wollombi, NSW |publisher=Exisle Publishing |page=87 |isbn=978-1-77559-266-2}}</ref> Around five thousand television sets were in Australia by the time of the Games, so the domestic audience largely watched the games at community halls and at Ampol petrol stations.<ref name="ABayley" />

==Sports== The 1956 Summer Olympics featured 17 different sports encompassing 23 disciplines, and medals were awarded in 151 events (145 events in Melbourne and 6 equestrian events in Stockholm).<ref>[http://www.olympic.org/melbourne-stockholm-1956-summer-olympics IOC site for the 1956 Olympic Games]</ref> In the list below, the number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses.

{{div col|colwidth=17em}} *Aquatics **{{GamesSport|Diving|Events=4|Format=d}} **{{GamesSport|Swimming|Events=13|Format=d}} **{{GamesSport|Water polo|Events=1|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Athletics|Events=33|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Basketball|Events=1|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Boxing|Events=10|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Canoeing|Events=9|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Cycling|Format=d}} **Road (2) **Track (4) *{{GamesSport|Equestrian|Format=d}} **Dressage (2) **Eventing (2) **Show jumping (2) *{{GamesSport|Fencing|Events=7|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Field hockey|Events=1|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Association football|Events=1|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Gymnastics|Events=15|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Modern pentathlon|Events=2|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Rowing|Events=7|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Sailing|Events=5|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Shooting|Events=7|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Weightlifting|Events=7|Format=d}} *{{GamesSport|Wrestling|Format=d}} **Freestyle (8) **Greco-Roman (8) {{div col end}}

===Demonstration sports=== * {{GamesSport|Australian football|Events=1|Format=d}} * {{GamesSport|Baseball|Events=1|Format=d}}

==Venues== [[File:Melbourne olmpic pool (lexus centre).jpg|thumb|right|The heritage registered former Olympic Pool (now the Holden Centre), viewed from the Yarra River]] {{Main|Venues of the 1956 Summer Olympics}} ;Ballarat *Lake Wendouree – Canoeing, Rowing

;Melbourne *Broadmeadows – Cycling (road) *Hockey Field – Field hockey *Melbourne Cricket Ground – Athletics, Field hockey (final), Football (final) *Oaklands Hunt Club – Modern pentathlon (riding, running) *Olympic Park Stadium – Football *Port Phillip Bay – Sailing *Royal Australian Air Force, Laverton Air Base – Shooting (shotgun) *Royal Exhibition Building – Basketball (final), Modern pentathlon (fencing), Weightlifting, Wrestling *St Kilda Town Hall – Fencing *Swimming/Diving Stadium (Olympic Pool) – Diving, Modern pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Water polo *Velodrome – Cycling (track) *West Melbourne Stadium – Basketball, Boxing, Gymnastics *Williamstown – Modern pentathlon (shooting), Shooting (pistol, rifle)

;Stockholm *Lill-Jansskogen – Equestrian (eventing) *Olympic Stadium – Equestrian (dressage, eventing, jumping) *Ulriksdal – Equestrian (eventing)

==Participating National Olympic Committees== thumb|Participating countries, those making their début are shown in blue. Teal shows countries competed in equestrian events but did not participate in Melbourne. thumb|Number of athletes per country A total of 67 nations competed in the 1956 Olympics. Eight countries made their Olympic debuts: Cambodia (only competed in the equestrian events in Stockholm), Ethiopia, Fiji, Kenya, Liberia, Malaya, North Borneo (modern-day Sabah of Malaysia), and Uganda. Athletes from East Germany and West Germany competed together as the United Team of Germany, an arrangement that would last until 1968.

For the first time, the team of Republic of China effectively represented only Taiwan.

Five nations competed in the equestrian events in Stockholm, but did not attend the Games in Melbourne. Cambodia, Egypt and Lebanon did not compete in Melbourne due to a boycott regarding the Suez Crisis, whilst the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland all boycotted the Melbourne Olympics in protest at the Soviet invasion of Hungary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/melbourne-stockholm-1956|title=Melbourne – Stockholm 1956: (ALL FACTS)|date=24 April 2018|publisher=IOC|access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref>

Nations that returned to the games in this edition included Afghanistan and Colombia.

Nations that participated in the previous games in Helsinki 1952 but was absent in Melbourne 1956 included the People's Republic of China, Liechtenstein, Netherlands Antilles, and Saar. Saar joined West Germany in 1957.

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States. Bahamas, Bermuda, Fiji, Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana), Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaya, North Borneo, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and British Guyana was all part of the British Empire.

{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="width:100%;" |- ! Participating National Olympic Committees |- | {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * {{flagIOC|AFG|1956 Summer|12 athletes}} * {{flagIOC|ARG|1956 Summer|28}} * {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer|294}} '''(host)''' * {{flagIOC|AUT|1956 Summer|29}} * {{flagIOC|BAH|1956 Summer|4}} * {{flagIOC|BEL|1956 Summer|51}} * {{flagIOC|BER|1956 Summer|3}} * {{flagIOC|BRA|1956 Summer|44}} * {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer|43}} * {{flagIOC|BIR|1956 Summer|11}} * {{flagIOC|CAN|1956 Summer|92}} * {{flagIOC|CEY|1956 Summer|3}} * {{flagIOC|CHI|1956 Summer|33}} * {{flagIOC|COL|1956 Summer|26}} * {{flagIOC|CUB|1956 Summer|16}} * {{flagIOC|TCH|1956 Summer|63}} * {{flagIOC|DEN|1956 Summer|31}} * {{flagIOC|ETH|1956 Summer|12}} * {{flagIOC|FIJ|1956 Summer|5}} * {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer|71}} * {{flagIOC|FRA|1956 Summer|137}} * {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer|158}} * {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer|189}} * {{flagIOC|GRE|1956 Summer|13}} * {{flagIOC|GUY|1956 Summer|4}} * {{flagIOC|HKG|1956 Summer|2}} * {{flagIOC|HUN|1956 Summer|108}} * {{flagIOC|ISL|1956 Summer|2}} * {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer|59}} * {{flagIOC|INA|1956 Summer|22}} * {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer|17}} * {{flagIOC|IRL|1956 Summer|18}} * {{flagIOC|ISR|1956 Summer|3}} * {{flagIOC|ITA|1956 Summer|129}} * {{flagIOC|JAM|1956 Summer|6}} * {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer|110}} * {{flagIOC|KEN|1956 Summer|25}} * {{flagIOC|LBR|1956 Summer|4}} * {{flagIOC|LUX|1956 Summer|11}} * {{flagIOC|MAL|1956 Summer|32}} * {{flagIOC|MEX|1956 Summer|24}} * {{flagIOC|NZL|1956 Summer|53}} * {{flagIOC|NGR|1956 Summer|10}} * {{flagIOC|NBO|1956 Summer|2}} * {{flagIOC|NOR|1956 Summer|22}} * {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer|55}} * {{flagIOC|PER|1956 Summer|8}} * {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer|39}} * {{flagIOC|POL|1956 Summer|64}} * {{flagIOC|POR|1956 Summer|11}} * {{flagIOC|PUR|1956 Summer|10}} * {{flagIOC|ROU|1956 Summer|44}} * {{flagIOC|SIN|1956 Summer|52}} * {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer|50}} * {{flagIOC|KOR|1956 Summer|35}} * {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer|272}} * {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer|88}} * {{flagIOC|ROC|1956 Summer|13|name=Taiwan}} * {{flagIOC|THA|1956 Summer|38}} * {{flagIOC|TRI|1956 Summer|6}} * {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer|19}} * {{flagIOC|UGA|1956 Summer|3}} * {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer|297}} * {{flagIOC|URU|1956 Summer|21}} * {{flagIOC|VEN|1956 Summer|19}} * {{flagIOC|VIE|1956 Summer|6}} * {{flagIOC|YUG|1956 Summer|35}} {{div col end}} |- !NOCs that participated in the equestrian events in Stockholm, but did not attend the Games in Melbourne: |- |valign="top"|{{div col|colwidth=17em}} * {{flagIOC|CAM|1956 Summer|2}} * {{flagIOC|EGY|1956 Summer|3}} * {{flagIOC|NED|1956 Summer|1}} * {{flagIOC|ESP|1956 Summer|6}} * {{flagIOC|SUI|1956 Summer|9}} {{div col end}} |}

=== Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees ===

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="border:0;" |- ! IOC Letter Code ! Country ! Athletes |- | AFG || {{flagIOC|AFG|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 12 |- | ARG || {{flagIOC|ARG|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 28 |- | AUS || {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 294 |- | AUT || {{flagIOC|AUT|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 29 |- | BAH || {{flagIOC|BAH|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 4 |- | BEL || {{flagIOC|BEL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 54 |- | BER || {{flagIOC|BER|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 3 |- | BRA || {{flagIOC|BRA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 44 |- | BUL || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 43 |- | BIR || {{flagIOC|BIR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 11 |- | CAM || {{flagIOC|CAM|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 2 |- | CAN || {{flagIOC|CAN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 92 |- | CEY || {{flagIOC|CEY|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 3 |- | CHI || {{flagIOC|CHI|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 33 |- | COL || {{flagIOC|COL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 26 |- | CUB || {{flagIOC|CUB|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 16 |- | TCH || {{flagIOC|TCH|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 63 |- | DEN || {{flagIOC|DEN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 31 |- | EGY || {{flagIOC|EGY|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 3 |- | ETH || {{flagIOC|ETH|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 12 |- | FIJ || {{flagIOC|FIJ|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 4 |- | FIN || {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 64 |- | FRA || {{flagIOC|FRA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 137 |- | EUA || {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 158 |- | GRB || {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 189 |- | GRE || {{flagIOC|GRE|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 13 |- | GUY || {{flagIOC|GUY|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 4 |- | HKG || {{flagIOC|HKG|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 2 |- | HUN || {{flagIOC|HUN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 108 |- | ISL || {{flagIOC|ISL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 2 |- | IND || {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 59 |- | INA || {{flagIOC|INA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 30 |- | IRN || {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 17 |- | IRL || {{flagIOC|IRL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 12 |- | ISR || {{flagIOC|ISR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 3 |- | ITA || {{flagIOC|ITA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 129 |- | JAM || {{flagIOC|JAM|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 10 |- | JPN || {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 110 |- | KEN || {{flagIOC|KEN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 25 |- | LBR || {{flagIOC|LBR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 4 |- | LUX || {{flagIOC|LUX|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 11 |- | MAL || {{flagIOC|MAL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 32 |- | MEX || {{flagIOC|MEX|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 24 |- | NED || {{flagIOC|NED|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 1 |- | NZL || {{flagIOC|NZL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 53 |- | NGR || {{flagIOC|NGR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 10 |- | NBO || {{flagIOC|NBO|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 2 |- | NOR || {{flagIOC|NOR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 22 |- | PAK || {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 55 |- | PER || {{flagIOC|PER|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 8 |- | PHI || {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 39 |- | POL || {{flagIOC|POL|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 64 |- | POR || {{flagIOC|POR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 11 |- | PUR || {{flagIOC|PUR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 10 |- | ROM || {{flagIOC|ROU|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 44 |- | SIN || {{flagIOC|SIN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 52 |- | ZAF || {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 50 |- | KOR || {{flagIOC|KOR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 35 |- | URS || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 272 |- | SPA || {{flagIOC|ESP|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 6 |- | SWE || {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 88 |- | SUI || {{flagIOC|SUI|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 9 |- | RCF || {{flagIOC|ROC|1956 Summer|name=Republic of China, Formosa}} ||align=center| 21 |- | THA || {{flagIOC|THA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 35 |- | TRI || {{flagIOC|TRI|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 6 |- | TUR || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 19 |- | UGA || {{flagIOC|UGA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 3 |- | USA || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 297 |- | URU || {{flagIOC|URU|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 21 |- | VEN || {{flagIOC|VEN|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 22 |- | VNM || {{flagIOC|VIE|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 6 |- | JUG || {{flagIOC|YUG|1956 Summer}} ||align=center| 35 |- class="sortbottom" |colspan=2; style="text-align:right; border:0px; background:#fff;"| '''Total''' ||style="text-align:center; border:0px; background:#fff;"| '''3,325''' |- |}

==Medal count== {{Main|1956 Summer Olympics medal table|List of 1956 Summer Olympics medal winners}} These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1956 Games. {{Medals table | caption = | host = | show_limit = | remaining_text = | flag_template = flagIOC | event = 1956 Summer | team = | gold_URS = 37 | silver_URS = 29 | bronze_URS = 32 | gold_USA = 32 | silver_USA = 25 | bronze_USA = 17 | gold_AUS = 13 | silver_AUS = 8 | bronze_AUS = 14 | host_AUS = yes | gold_HUN = 9 | silver_HUN = 10 | bronze_HUN = 7 | gold_ITA = 8 | silver_ITA = 8 | bronze_ITA = 9 | gold_SWE = 8 | silver_SWE = 5 | bronze_SWE = 6 | gold_EUA = 6 | silver_EUA = 13 | bronze_EUA = 7 | gold_GBR = 6 | silver_GBR = 7 | bronze_GBR = 11 | gold_ROU = 5 | silver_ROU = 3 | bronze_ROU = 5 | gold_JPN = 4 | silver_JPN = 10 | bronze_JPN = 5 }} ;Key {{Color box|#ccccff| <nowiki>*</nowiki> |border=darkgray}} Host nation (Australia). John Ian Wing of Australia was also presented with a bronze medal, not included in the above table, for suggesting the closing ceremony have athletes as one nation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/08/08/1025404479/why-olympic-athletes-dont-march-behind-their-own-flag-at-the-closing-ceremony|title=Why the Olympic Athletes Don't March Behind Their Own Flag at the Closing Ceremony|newspaper=NPR|date=8 August 2021|last1=Chappell|first1=Bill}}</ref>

==See also== {{IOC seealso|games=1956 Summer Olympics }} *2005 Summer Deaflympics *2006 Commonwealth Games

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{commons category}} {{external media|video1={{YouTube|EDA5BvvtDsM|Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games - Official Olympic Film}}}} *{{IOC games|games=1956 Summer Olympics }}

{{S-start}} {{s-sports|soly}} {{s-bef|before=Helsinki}} {{s-ttl|title=XVI Olympiad Melbourne/Stockholm|years=1956}} {{s-aft|after=Rome}} {{S-end}}

{{Olympic Games}} {{Nations at the 1956 Summer Olympics}} {{EventsAt1956SummerOlympics}} {{1956 Summer Olympic venues}} {{Authority control}} {{Portal bar|Olympics|Australia|Sports|1950s}}

Category:1956 Summer Olympics Category:International sports competitions in Melbourne Category:Sports competitions in Stockholm Category:Summer Olympics by year Olympics Games Olympic Games Olympic Games Category:International sports boycotts Summer Olympics Summer Olympics Category:December 1956 sports events in Australia Category:1950s in sport in Melbourne Category:1950s in Stockholm