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1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - Men's 800 m

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 04 August 2016; Hits: 546

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia

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

Date Started: November 23, 1956

Format: Top three in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Date Finished: November 26, 1956

(Competitors: 38; Countries: 25; Finalists: 8)

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

Overview by IAAF

Courtney was generally regarded as the favourite, though the occasionally brilliant Sowell had his supporters. After Johnson had been the fastest heat winner (1:50.8), Courtney and Spurrier controlled the slow first semi, with the former winning in 1:53.6. In the other, Sowell eased through two laps of 55.0 each, with Boysen also clocking 1:50.0 in a tight finish which left Mike Rawson (GBR) eliminated despite running 1:50.3 for fifth. Courtney led from the gun in the final, but Sowell soon took over, passing 200 in 25.1, and continuing as the front-runner to 600m (1:20.4) where Courtney challenged for the lead. The two Americans battled around the final curve, and as they entered the finishing straight a gap opened between them, which Johnson nipped through. Courtney and the Briton then had an epic struggle throughout the last 90m, Johnson leading for 30m, before the powerful (1.88/81Kg) American edged away. The winning margin was less than a metre, but so exhausted were the two men that the victory ceremony had to be delayed. Before the race Courtney had been so nervous that he lay on the infield immobilised until he realised how foolish he would look laying there while the race started without him.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

At an international meet is Oslo in August 1955, Roger Moens (BEL) won, defeating Norway’s Audun Boysen, in a time of 1:45.7, with Boysen posting 1:45.9, both runners surpassing the world record of Rudolf Harbig, set in 1939. The other great race that year came at the Pan-American Games when Arnie Sowell (USA) defeated his countryman, Lon Spurrier. Sowell was AAU Champion in 1955-56, but American Tom Courtney was probably a slight favorite in Melbourne, having won the US Olympic Trials. Moens could not compete, having injured his knee a few months before the Olympics. In the Olympic final, Courtney led at the start but Sowell soon took over. He led thru 600 metres, the first lap done in 52.8. At 600, four were in contention for medals – Courtney, Sowell, Boysen and Britain’s Derek Johnson. At the top of the stretch, Johnson and Courtney took a slight lead and battled together to the line, with Courtney winning in the lean.

800

Courtney (153) passes Johnson

with a supreme effort.

The finalists lined up in gusty conditions, while the last bend was still being compacted by two large rollers. Fortunately, the attention of the starters was alerted. After a delayed start, American Tom Courtney, who was the favorite for this event, went straight into the lead from compatriot Arnie Sowell and Britain’s Derek Johnson. On the back straight, Sowell took over and led Courtney and Johnson through 400 in 52.6. The two Americans stayed ahead in the next 200, while Boysen moved up to Johnson. On the crown of the last bend Courtney moved up beside Sowell, and the two Americans ran side by side into the final straight, with Johnson in hot pursuit. But then the Americans moved apart, allowing Johnson to sprint through between them. For “eight unbelievable strides,” as The Times correspondent put it (Nov. 27, 1956), Johnson was in the lead. But Courtney showed his amazing strength by responding and gaining a two-foot lead over Johnson at the tape. Boysen finished as fast as Johnson and was only 4/10 of a second behind Courtney for the bronze. A fading Sowell was fourth just 2/10 back.

1. Courtney USA 1:47.7; 2. Johnson GBR 1:47.8; 3. Boysen NOR 1:48.1; 4. Sowell USA 1:48.3; 5. Farrell GBR 1:49.2; 6. Spurrier USA 1:49.3.

				Results
This one Olympiad saw the use of starting blocks from a waterfall start for the 800 meters. All subsequent races have used a standing start in lanes, breaking after the first turn (known as a one turn stagger). Out of the blocks, Tom Courtney got the edge around the turn, but by the end of the turn Arnie Sowell edged into the lead. Over the next 150 metres, Sowell opened up as much as a three metre lead, but Courney didn't go away. He bided his time for the next lap working his way back to Sowell's shoulder into the final turn and he brought Audun Boysen and Derek Johnson with him. Coming off the final turn it was the two Americans shoulder to shoulder, Sowell on the inside and Courtney on the outside looking like they would fight each other to the finish line like so many domestic races earlier in the season. Johnson had other ideas, squeezing between the two and into daylight. Again Courtney didn't go away, instead accelerating to keep pace, then with a final burst of speed, passing Johnson 20 metres before the tape to take the gold. Boysen followed Courtney past Sowell to narrowly capture bronze.
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Final	28 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	10,96			Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	Australia	AUS	31	OR	10.7 h
2	11,12			Gisela Köhler-Birkemeyer	Germany	GER	24		11.9 h
3	11,25			Norma Thrower	Australia	AUS	20		11.0 h
4	11,25			Galina Bystrova	Soviet Union	URS	22		11.0 h
5	11,50			Mariya Golubnichaya	Soviet Union	URS	32		11.3 h
6	11,60			Gloria Cooke-Wigney	Australia	AUS	22		11.4 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Semi-Finals Heat One	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	10,89		Q	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	Australia	AUS	31	(=)OR	10.8 h
2	10,93		Q	Gisela Köhler-Birkemeyer	Germany	GER	24	(=)OR	10.8 h
3	11,12		Q	Mariya Golubnichaya	Soviet Union	URS	32		11.0 h
4	11,37			Marthe Lambert	France	FRA	20		11.1 h
5	11,42			Berta Díaz	Cuba	CUB	20		11.2 h
6	11,61			Carole Quinton	Great Britain	GBR	20		11.4 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Semi-Finals Heat Two	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	11,14		Q	Galina Bystrova	Soviet Union	URS	22		11.0 h
2	11,20		Q	Norma Thrower	Australia	AUS	20		11.0 h
3	11,25		Q	Gloria Cooke-Wigney	Australia	AUS	22		11.1 h
4	11,30			Zenta Gastl-Kopp	Germany	GER	22		11.1 h
5	11,47			Elaine Winter	South Africa	RSA	24		11.3 h
6	11,51			Margaret Stuart	New Zealand	NZL	22		11.3 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Round One Heat One	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	11,18		Q	Zenta Gastl-Kopp	Germany	GER	22	(=)OR	10.9 h
2	11,51		Q	Berta Díaz	Cuba	CUB	20		11.4 h
3	11,63		Q	Carole Quinton	Great Britain	GBR	20		11.4 h
4	11,83			Barbara Mueller	United States	USA	23		11.6 h
5	12,66			Milena Greppi	Italy	ITA	27		12.3 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Round One Heat Two	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	11,02		Q	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	Australia	AUS	31	OR	10.8 h
2	11,25		Q	Mariya Golubnichaya	Soviet Union	URS	32		11.1 h
3	11,46		Q	Margaret Stuart	New Zealand	NZL	22		11.3 h
4	12,02			Constance Darnowski	United States	USA	21		11.9 h
5	12,06			Pauline Threapleton-Wainwright	Great Britain	GBR	23		11.9 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Round One Heat Three	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	11,11		Q	Gisela Köhler-Birkemeyer	Germany	GER	24		11.0 h
2	11,28		Q	Elaine Winter	South Africa	RSA	24		11.1 h
3	11,45		Q	Gloria Cooke-Wigney	Australia	AUS	22		11.4 h
4	11,50			Angèle Picado	France	FRA	21		11.5 h
5	11,59			Niliya Besedina-Kulakova	Soviet Union	URS	20		11.5 h
6	12,02			Irene Robertson	United States	USA	25		11.9 h
7	12,20			Manolita Cinco	Philippines	PHI			12.1 h
*80 m Hurdles*	Women			Round One Heat Four	27 November

Rank	Mark			Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	10,94	w	Q	Norma Thrower	Australia	AUS	20		10.8w h
2	11,09	w	Q	Galina Bystrova	Soviet Union	URS	22		10.9w h
3	11,18	w	Q	Marthe Lambert	France	FRA	20		10.9w h
4	11,22	w		Maria Sander	Germany	GER	32		11.1w h
5	12,15	w		Francisca Sanopal	Philippines	PHI			11.8w h