Great Britain at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Sporting event delegation
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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]
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(GRB used at these Games)
| Great Britain at the 1956 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| |
| IOC code | GBR (GRB used at these Games) |
| NOC | British Olympic Association |
| in Melbourne/Stockholm | |
| Competitors | 189 (163 men and 26 women) in 17 sports |
| Flag bearer | George Mackenzie |
| Medals Ranked 8th |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
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
- Chris Brasher — Athletics, Men's 3.000m Steeplechase
- Terence Spinks — Boxing, Men's Flyweight
- Richard McTaggart — Boxing, Men's Lightweight
- Bertie Hill, Arthur Rook, and Francis Weldon — Equestrian, Three-Day Event Team
- Gillian Sheen — Fencing, Women's Foil Individual
- Judy Grinham — Swimming, Women's 100m Backstroke
Silver
- Derek Johnson — Athletics, Men's 800m
- Gordon Pirie — Athletics, Men's 5.000m
- Jean Scrivens, Heather Armitage, June Foulds, and Anne Pashley — Athletics, Women's 4 × 100 m Relay
- Thelma Hopkins — Athletics, Women's High Jump
- Thomas Nicholls — Boxing, Men's Featherweight
- Arthur Brittain, William Holmes, and Alan Jackson — Cycling, Men's Team Road Race
- Robert Perry, David Bowker, John Dillon, and Neil Kennedy-Cochran — Sailing, Men's 5½ Meter Classo
Bronze
- Derek Ibbotson — Athletics, Men's 5.000m
- Michael Wheeler, Peter Higgins, Derek Johnson, and John Salisbury — Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m Relay
- Nicholas Gargano — Boxing, Men's Welterweight
- John McCormack — Boxing, Men's Light Middleweight
- Tom Simpson, Donald Burgess, Michael Gambrill, and John Geddes — Cycling, Men's 4.000m Team Pursuit
- Alan Jackson — Cycling, Men's Individual Road Race
- Francis Weldon — Equestrian, Three-Day Event Individual
- Peter Robeson, Pat Smythe, and Wilf White — Equestrian, Jumping Team
- Margaret Edwards — Swimming, Women's 100m Backstroke
- Terence Smith and Jasper Blackall — Sailing, Men's Sharpie 12m²
- Graham 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)
- Ian Boyd
- Final— 3:43.0 (→ 8th place)
- Ken Wood
- Final— 3:44.76 (→ 9th place)
Men's Marathon
- Harry Hicks — 2:39:55 (→ 15th place)
- Fred Norris — did not finish (→ no ranking)
- Ron Clark — did not finish (→ no ranking)
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]
- Keith Harrison — 15th place
- Alan Danson — 1:12.3 (→ 5th place)
- Eric Thompson
Peter Brotherton — 4th place
- Donald Burgess
John Geddes
Michael Gambrill
Tom Simpson — 4:42.2 (→
Bronze Medal)
- Alan Jackson
Arthur Brittain
William Holmes — 23 points (→
Silver Medal)
- Alan Jackson — 5:23:16 (→ Bronze Medal)
- Arthur Brittain — 5:23:40 (→ 6th place)
- William Holmes — 5:23:40 (→ 14th place)
- Harold Reynolds — 5:24:44 (→ 19th place)
Diving
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Preliminary | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Total | Rank | ||
| Ray Cann | 3 m springboard | 67.96 | 21 | Did not advance | |||
| Peter Tarsey | 72.65 | 16 | Did not advance | ||||
| Roy Walsh | 58.21 | 24 | Did not advance | ||||
| Ray Cann | 10 m platform | 60.08 | 21 | Did not advance | |||
| Peter Tarsey | 68.34 | 14 | Did not advance | ||||
| Roy Walsh | 62.56 | 20 | Did not advance | ||||
- Women
| Athlete | Event | Preliminary | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Total | Rank | ||
| Ann Long | 3 m springboard | 63.23 | 7 Q | 44.38 | 7 | 107.61 | 6 |
| Charmain Welsh | 59.45 | 14 | Did not advance | ||||
| Ann Long | 10 m platform | 49.15 | 9 Q | 27.00 | 6 | 76.15 | 7 |
| Charmain Welsh | 46.55 | 11 Q | 22.50 | 10 | 69.05 | 12 | |
Fencing
Nine fencers, seven men and two women, represented Great Britain in 1956.
Football
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 - unplaced
- Men's double sculls - unplaced
Sailing
Shooting
Six shooters represented Great Britain in 1956.
Swimming
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Ronald Roberts | 100 m freestyle | 58.3 | =10 Q | 58.9 | 15 | Did not advance | |
| Kenneth Williams | 59.4 | 19 | Did not advance | ||||
| Neil McKechnie | 400 m freestyle | 4:42.6 | 15 | N/a | Did not advance | ||
| Jack Wardrop | 4:39.8 | 11 | N/a | Did not advance | |||
| John Brockway | 1500 m freestyle | 1:07.7 | 19 | Did not advance | |||
| Haydn Rigby | 1:06.9 | =14 Q | 1:07.6 | 13 | Did not advance | ||
| Graham Sykes | 1:06.2 | =8 Q | 1:06.5 | 8 Q | 1:05.6 | 6 | |
| Christopher Walkden | 200 m breaststroke | 2:47.1 | 11 | N/a | Did not advance | ||
| Graham Symonds | 200 m butterfly | 2:35.7 | 12 | N/a | Did not advance | ||
| Kenneth Williams Ronald Roberts Neil McKechnie Jack Wardrop |
4 × 200 m freestyle | 8:39.1 | 3 Q | N/a | 8:45.2 | 6 | |
- Women
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Fearne Ewart | 100 m freestyle | 1:08.8 | =23 | Did not advance | |||
| Frances Hogben | 1:08.5 | =20 | Did not advance | ||||
| Margaret Girvan | 400 m freestyle | 5:23.6 | 16 | N/a | Did not advance | ||
| Margaret Edwards | 100 m backstroke | 1:13.0 | 1 Q | N/a | 1:13.1 |  | |
| Judy Grinham | 1:13.1 | 2 Q | N/a | 1:12.9 WR |  | ||
| Julie Hoyle | 1:15.0 | 8 Q | N/a | 1:14.3 | 6 | ||
| Elenor Gordon | 200 m breaststroke | 2:55.4 | 3 Q | N/a | 2:56.1 | 6 | |
| Christine Gosden | 2:58.2 | =7 Q | N/a | 2:59.2 | 8 | ||
| Anne Morton | 100 m butterfly | 1:17.7 | =9 | N/a | Did not advance | ||
| Frances Hogben Judy Grinham Margaret Girvan Fearne Ewart |
4 × 100 m freestyle | 4:34.6 | 8 Q | N/a | 4:35.8 | 8 | |