Great Britain at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Sporting event delegation
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.[ 1]
The Melbourne Games saw an improvement on Great Britain and Northern Ireland's performance at the two preceding Games. British athletes won six gold medals (up from just one in 1952 ). Overall, they won twenty-four medals, finishing eighth.
Medallists
Gold
Silver
Derek Johnson — Athletics, Men's 800mGordon Pirie — Athletics, Men's 5.000mJean Scrivens , Heather Armitage , June Foulds , and Anne Pashley — Athletics, Women's 4 × 100 m RelayThelma Hopkins — Athletics, Women's High JumpThomas Nicholls — Boxing, Men's FeatherweightArthur Brittain , William Holmes , and Alan Jackson — Cycling, Men's Team Road RaceRobert Perry , David Bowker , John Dillon , and Neil Kennedy-Cochran — Sailing, Men's 5½ Meter Classo
Bronze
Derek Ibbotson — Athletics, Men's 5.000mMichael Wheeler , Peter Higgins , Derek Johnson , and John Salisbury — Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m RelayNicholas Gargano — Boxing, Men's WelterweightJohn McCormack — Boxing, Men's Light MiddleweightTom Simpson , Donald Burgess , Michael Gambrill , and John Geddes — Cycling, Men's 4.000m Team PursuitAlan Jackson — Cycling, Men's Individual Road RaceFrancis Weldon — Equestrian, Three-Day Event IndividualPeter Robeson , Pat Smythe , and Wilf White — Equestrian, Jumping TeamMargaret Edwards — Swimming, Women's 100m BackstrokeTerence Smith and Jasper Blackall — Sailing, Men's Sharpie 12m²Graham Mann , Ronald Backus , and Jonathan Janson — Sailing, Men's Dragon
Athletics
Men's 110m Hurdles
Heat — 14.5s (→ did not advance) Heat — 14.8s (→ did not advance) Men's 1500m
Final— 3:42.6 (→ 5th place) Final— 3:43.0 (→ 8th place) Final— 3:44.76 (→ 9th place) Men's Marathon
Women's Discus Throw
Qualifying Round — 41.45 m (→ did not advance, 14th place)
Boxing
Men's Light Flyweight (– 48 kg)
Men's Flyweight (– 51 kg)
Men's Bantamweight (– 54 kg)
Men's Featherweight (– 57 kg)
Men's Light Welterweight (– 63.5 kg)
Men's Light Middleweight (– 67 kg)
Men's Middleweight (– 75 kg)
Canoeing
Cycling
Benny Foster was the British cycling team manager.[ 2]
Sprint Time trial Tandem Team pursuit Team road race Individual road race
Diving
Men's 10m Platform
Preliminary Round — 68.34 (→ did not advance, 14th place) Preliminary Round — 62.56 (→ did not advance, 20th place) Preliminary Round — 60.08 (→ did not advance, 21st place) Women's 10m Platform
Preliminary Round — 49.15
Final — 76.15 (→ 7th place) Preliminary Round — 46.55
Final — 69.05 (→ 12th place)
Fencing
Nine fencers, seven men and two women, represented Great Britain in 1956.
Men's foil Men's team foil Men's épée Men's team épée Men's sabre Men's team sabre Women's foil
Gymnastics
The British Gymnastics team competed in 15 events, and was made up of 14 gymnasts, (6 men and 8 women),
including Frank Turner , competing in his third Summer Olympics.
Hockey
Modern pentathlon
Three male pentathletes represented Great Britain in 1956.
Individual Team Donald Cobley
Thomas Hudson
George Norman
Rowing
Great Britain had 12 male rowers participate in three out of seven rowing events in 1956.[ 3]
Men's single sculls - unplacedMen's double sculls - unplacedMen's eight
Sailing
Shooting
Six shooters represented Great Britain in 1956.
25 m pistol 50 m pistol 300 m rifle, three positions 50 m rifle, three positions 50 m rifle, prone Trap
Swimming
Water polo
Weightlifting
Wrestling
References
Africa America Asia Europe Oceania Nations in bullet brackets indicating competed at the Equestrian events (Stockholm only)
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