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1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - Men's 4 x 400 m

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 09 June 2016; Hits: 1083

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia

Format: Top two in each heat advanced to the final.

Date Started: November 30, 1956

Date Finished: December 1, 1956

(Competitors: 60; Countries: 15; Finalists: 24/6)

Venue(s): Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria

Overview by IAAF

Only Britain (3:08.7) and Germany (3:09.8) broke 3:10 in the heats, with Czechoslovakia the fastest non-qualifiers with 3:10.8. In the final, the United States were threatened for the first half of the race by Australia, who were level at that point, but Jenkins broke open the race with the fastest lap of the day – 45.5 – and Courtney anchored the powerful US squad home with more than 10m advantage over Australia. Jamaica were disqualified for impeding Germany on the second leg.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

Jamaica was no longer the dominant 4x400 relay team they had been from 1948-52, and the United States was favored in the final. World record holder Lou Jones gave the US the lead on the opening leg. Australia pulled even at the end of 800 metres, but after that the US pulled away for the gold medal. The Australians took silver, with future IOC Member Kevan Gosper running the anchor.

			Results

*4 x 400 m*	Men		Final	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	3.04.81		Lou Jones 47.1, Jesse Mashburn 46.4, Charles Jenkins 45.5, Tom Courtney 45.7	United States	USA		3.04.8 h
2	3.06.19		Leon Gregory 47.6, David Lean 46.6, Graham Gipson 45.9, Kevan Gosper 46.1	Australia	AUS		3.06.2 h
3	3.07.19		John Salisbury 47.4, Michael Wheeler 46.5, Peter Higgins 46.4, Derek Johnson 46.9	Great Britain	GBR		3.07.2 h
4	3.08.27		Jürgen Kühl 47.7, Walter Oberste 47.1, Manfred Pörschke 47.1, Karl- Friedrich Haas 46.3	Germany	GER		3.08.2 h
5	3.10.33		Laird Sloan 47.8, Murray Cockburn 48.2, Douglas Clement 47.5, Terry Tobacco 46.7	Canada	CAN		3.10.2 h
AC	DQ		Keith Gardner 47.6, George Kerr 48.5, Malcolm Spence, Melville Spence	Jamaica	JAM		[3.11.3] / [3.11.50]
*4 x 400 m*	Men		Round One Heat One	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	3.10.59	Q	Laird Sloan, Murray Cockburn, Douglas Clement, Terry Tobacco	Canada	CAN		3.10.6 h
2	3.10.60	Q	Lou Jones, Jesse Mashburn, Charles Jenkins, Tom Courtney	United States	USA		3.10.6 h
3	3.10.96		Jaroslav Jiranek, Josef Trousil Vaclav Janesek, Vilem Mandlik	Czechoslovakia	TCH		3.10.8 h
4	3.11.52		Eero Kivela, Osvald Mildh, Pentti Rekola, Voitto Hellstén	Finland	FIN		3.11.4 h
*4 x 400 m*	Men		Round One Heat Two	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	3.09.88	Q	Jürgen Kühl, Walter Oberste, Manfred Pörschke, Karl- Friedrich Haas	Germany	GER		3.09.8 h
2	3.10.57	Q	Leon Gregory, David Lean, Graham Gipson, Kevan Gosper	Australia	AUS		3.10.4 h
3	3.11.76		Jacques Degats, Jean-Paul Martin du Gard, Jean-Pierre Goudeau, Pierre Haarhoff	France	FRA		3.11.8 h
4	3.13.75		Kanji Akagi, Keiji Ogushi, Shigeharu Suzuki, Yoshitaka Muroya	Japan	JPN		3.13.8 h
5	3.13.81		Frank Rivera, Ismael Delgado, Iván Rodríguez, Ovidio de Jesús	Puerto Rico	PUR		3.13.8 h
6	3.27.4		Alfonso Muñoz, Carlos Sierra, Guillermo Zapata, Jaime Aparicio	Colombia	COL
*4 x 400 m*	Men		Round One Heat Three	30 November

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	3.08.76	Q	John Salisbury, Michael Wheeler, Peter Higgins, Derek Johnson	Great Britain	GBR		3.08.8 h
2	3.11.07	Q	Keith Gardner, George Kerr, Malcolm Spence, Melville Spence	Jamaica	JAM		3.11.0 h
3	3.11.27		Anatoliy Yulin, Ardalion Ignatyev, Konstantin Grachev, Yuriy Lituyev	Soviet Union	URS		3.11.2 h
4	3.17.68		Arap Kiptalam Keter, Bartonjo Rotich, Kamau George Wanyoke, Kibet Boit	Kenya	KEN		3.17.6 h
5	3.29.93		Ayanev Bayene, Beyene Legesse Hailou Abebe, Mamo Wolde	Ethiopia	ETH		3.30.0 h