Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics

In this article, we will explore the interesting life and work of Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics, a figure who has left a deep mark on history. Over the years, Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics has played a crucial role in various fields, from science to art, politics and society. His legacy endures to this day, and his influence remains palpable in numerous aspects of modern life. Through a detailed analysis of his career, achievements and challenges, we will be able to better understand the magnitude of his impact and the extent of his importance in the historical context. Join us on this journey to discover the nuances and dimensions that make Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics a relevant and inspiring figure for present and future generations.

Swimming at the Games of the XVI Olympiad
Venue	Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre
Dates	29 November – 7 December 1956
No. of events	13
Competitors	235 from 33 nations
← 1952 1960 →

Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Freestyle
100 m	men	women
400 m	men	women
1500 m	men
Backstroke
100 m	men	women
Breaststroke
200 m	men	women
Butterfly
100 m		women
200 m	men
Freestyle relay
4 × 100 m		women
4 × 200 m	men
v t e

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. 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

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Australia (AUS)	8	4	2	14
2	United States (USA)	2	4	5	11
3	Japan (JPN)	1	4	0	5
4	Great Britain (GBR)	1	0	1	2
	United Team of Germany (EUA)	1	0	1	2
6	Hungary (HUN)	0	1	1	2
7	Soviet Union (URS)	0	0	2	2
8	South Africa (RSA)	0	0	1	1
Totals (8 entries)		13	13	13	39

Medalists

Men's events

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

Women's events

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

Participating nations

235 swimmers from 33 nations competed.

Australia (26)  Belgium (6)  Brazil (4)  Canada (8)  Colombia (3)  Cuba (2)  Czechoslovakia (2)  Denmark (2)  Finland (1)  France (16)  United Team of Germany (18)

Great Britain (18)  Hong Kong (2)  Hungary (16)  India (2)  Indonesia (3)  Israel (1)  Italy (7)  Japan (19)  Kenya (1)  Luxembourg (1)  Malaya (2)

Mexico (4)  New Zealand (5)  Pakistan (3)  Philippines (8)  Poland (1)  Romania (2)  South Africa (8)  Sweden (5)  Soviet Union (10)  United States (28)  Yugoslavia (1)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "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.