| Host City: Melbourne, Australia |
Format: All those reaching 47.00 metres advanced to the final. |
| Date Started: November 27, 1956 |
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| Date Finished: November 27, 1956 |
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| (Competitors: 20; Countries: 15; Finalists: 16) |
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Venue(s): Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
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| Overview by IAAF |
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| Gordien topped the world list with his US Trials win of 57.21, with Consolini just behind with a new European record of 56.85. Rated just behind them was the 20 year-old Oerter, who led the qualifiers with 51.18. Gordien was content to make the final with 47.66. The definitive Olympic competitor, Oerter watched Gordien reach 54.75, and later said “I really was keyed up, and felt inspired.” The result – a lifetime best of 56.36 and the Olympic record. The big (1.91/107Kg) third year university student produced two more throws beyond the best the rest could muster, which was 54.81 by Gordien in the final round. Consolini had an off-day, and the bronze was won by Koch; the American eventually out-threw the surprising Pharaoh, who savaged the British record with his fifth round 54.27 to finish just 13cm behind Koch. Oerter later said of his win “I don’t know how I did it, everything just went right.” |
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| Summary by Sports-reference.com |
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| Fortune Gordien was the world record holder with 59.28 (194-6) set in August 1953. He led the year list with 57.21 (187-8½), set in winning the US Olympic Trials. The 1948 gold medalist Adolfo Consolini had won the last three European Championships and had set a European record of 56.85 (186-6¼) in 1956, and was a slight favorite. The other Americans were collegiate football star and 1955 NCAA Champion Des Koch, and the very young Al Oerter, who was not well known. Gordien opened in round one with 54.75 (179-7½), and Oerter threw after him, recording a lifetime best of 56.36 (184-11). That mark would hold up for Oerter, with Gordien getting silver, and Koch completing the American sweep. Al Oerter won the gold medal. A legend was in the making. |
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Results |
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| Discus Throw |
Men |
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Final |
27 November |
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| Rank |
Mark |
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Athlete |
Country |
NOC |
Age |
Records |
Notes |
| 1 |
56.36 |
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Al Oerter |
United States |
USA |
20 |
OR |
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| 2 |
54.81 |
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Fortune Gordien |
United States |
USA |
34 |
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| 3 |
54.40 |
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Des Koch |
United States |
USA |
24 |
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| 4 |
54.27 |
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Mark Pharaoh |
Great Britain |
GBR |
25 |
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| 5 |
52.37 |
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Oto Grigalka |
Soviet Union |
URS |
31 |
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| 6 |
52.21 |
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Adolfo Consolini |
Italy |
ITA |
39 |
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| 7 |
51.82 |
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Ferenc Klics |
Hungary |
HUN |
32 |
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| 8 |
51.69 |
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Dako Radošević |
Yugoslavia |
YUG |
22 |
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| 9 |
51.38 |
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Boris Matveyev |
Soviet Union |
URS |
26 |
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| 10 |
50.72 |
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Gerry Carr |
Great Britain |
GBR |
20 |
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| 11 |
49.89 |
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Günther Kruse |
Argentina |
ARG |
22 |
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| 12 |
48.58 |
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Kim Bukhantsov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
24 |
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| 13 |
48.49 |
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Fanie du Plessis |
South Africa |
RSA |
26 |
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| 14 |
48.28 |
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Erik Uddebom |
Sweden |
SWE |
22 |
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| 15 |
47.24 |
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Mesulame Rakuro |
Fiji |
FIJ |
24 |
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| 16 |
46.00 |
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Hernán Haddad |
Chile |
CHI |
28 |
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| Discus Throw |
Men |
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Qualifying Round |
27 November |
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| Rank |
Mark |
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Athlete |
Country |
NOC |
Age |
Records |
Notes |
| 1 |
51.19 |
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Q |
Al Oerter |
United States |
USA |
20 |
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| 2 |
50.69 |
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Q |
Fanie du Plessis |
South Africa |
RSA |
26 |
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| 3 |
49.93 |
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Q |
Adolfo Consolini |
Italy |
ITA |
39 |
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| 4 |
49.65 |
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Q |
Kim Bukhantsov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
24 |
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| 5 |
48.98 |
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Mark Pharaoh |
Great Britain |
GBR |
25 |
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| 6 |
48.97 |
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Boris Matveyev |
Soviet Union |
URS |
26 |
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| 7 |
48.44 |
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Erik Uddebom |
Sweden |
SWE |
22 |
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| 8 |
48.21 |
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Q |
Mesulame Rakuro |
Fiji |
FIJ |
24 |
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| 9 |
48.11 |
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Oto Grigalka |
Soviet Union |
URS |
31 |
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| 10 |
47.93 |
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Dako Radošević |
Yugoslavia |
YUG |
22 |
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| 11 |
47.87 |
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Q |
Günther Kruse |
Argentina |
ARG |
22 |
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| 12 |
47.67 |
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Q |
Fortune Gordien |
United States |
USA |
34 |
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| 13 |
47.48 |
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Q |
Hernán Haddad |
Chile |
CHI |
28 |
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| 14 |
47.31 |
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Q |
Ferenc Klics |
Hungary |
HUN |
32 |
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| 15 |
47.15 |
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Q |
Gerry Carr |
Great Britain |
GBR |
20 |
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| 16 |
47.14 |
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Q |
Des Koch |
United States |
USA |
24 |
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| 17 |
46.62 |
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Tadeusz Rut |
Poland |
POL |
25 |
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| 18 |
46.18 |
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Pierre Alard |
France |
FRA |
19 |
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| 19 |
44.88 |
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Muhammad Ayub |
Pakistan |
PAK |
24 |
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| 20 |
44.24 |
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Ves Balodis |
Australia |
AUS |
23 |
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Detailed View
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| Final 15:25 |
Team |
Dist. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
| 1. Alfred Oerter |
USA |
56.36m |
56.36 |
53.81 |
53.22 |
55.08 |
53.28 |
54.93 |
| 2. Fortune Gordien |
USA |
54.81m |
54.75 |
49.18 |
51.40 |
53.84 |
52.75 |
54.81 |
| 3. Des Koch |
USA |
54.40m |
50.53 |
X |
53.55 |
53.64 |
54.40 |
54.03 |
| 4. Mark Pharaoh |
GBR |
54.27m |
52.52 |
X |
52.36 |
49.85 |
54.27 |
53.16 |
| 5. Otto Grigalka |
URS |
52.37m |
51.25 |
50.09 |
52.37 |
49.44 |
X |
50.12 |
| 6. Adolfo Consolini |
ITA |
52.21m |
51.92 |
52.21 |
52.13 |
X |
51.29 |
52.01 |
| 7. Ferenc Klics |
HUN |
51.82m |
51.75 |
51.82 |
51.61 |
| 8. Dako Radosevic |
YUG |
51.69m |
50.99 |
51.26 |
51.69 |
| 9. Boris Matveyev |
URS |
51.38m |
50.59 |
49.63 |
51.38 |
| 10.Gerald Carr |
GBR |
50.72m |
48.03 |
50.72 |
48.98 |
| 11.Gunther Kruse |
ARG |
49.89m |
49.12 |
45.92 |
49.89 |
| 12.Kim Bukhantsov |
URS |
48.58m |
48.58 |
47.75 |
46.86 |
| 13.Fanie du Plessis |
RSA |
48.49m |
48.49 |
46.23 |
43.31 |
| 14.Erik Uddebom |
SWE |
48.28m |
48.28 |
47.89 |
44.72 |
| 15.Mesulame Rakuro |
FIJ |
47.24m |
46.45 |
47.24 |
44.60 |
| 16.Hernan Haddad |
CHI |
46.00m |
X |
46.00 |
X |
| Qualification Round - Tuesday 27.11 - mark 47.00m - 16 Athletes |
| Group 10:00 |
Team |
Dist. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
| 1. Alfred Oerter |
USA |
51.19m |
51.19 |
- |
- |
| 2. Fanie du Plessis |
SAF |
50.69m |
50.69 |
- |
- |
| 3. Adolfo Consolini |
ITA |
49.93m |
49.93 |
- |
- |
| 4. Kim Bukhantsov |
URS |
49.65m |
49.65 |
- |
- |
| 5. Mark Pharaoh |
GBR |
48.98m |
48.98 |
- |
- |
| 6. Boris Matveyev |
URS |
48.97m |
43.62 |
48.97 |
- |
| 7. Erik Uddebom |
SWE |
48.44m |
48.44 |
- |
- |
| 8. Mesulame Rakuro |
FIJ |
48.21m |
48.21 |
- |
- |
| 9. Otto Grigalka |
URS |
48.11m |
48.11 |
- |
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| 10.Dako Radosevic |
YUG |
47.93m |
47.93 |
- |
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| 11.Gunther Kruse |
ARG |
47.87m |
46.28 |
47.87 |
- |
| 12.Fortune Gordien |
USA |
47.67m |
47.67 |
- |
- |
| 13.Hernan Haddad |
CHI |
47.48m |
47.48 |
- |
- |
| 14.Ferenc Klics |
HUN |
47.31m |
47.31 |
- |
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| 15.Gerald Carr |
GBR |
47.15m |
47.15 |
- |
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| 16.Des Koch |
USA |
47.14m |
47.14 |
- |
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| 17.Tadeusz Rut |
POL |
46.62m |
42.69 |
46.62 |
46.23 |
| 18.Pierre Alard |
FRA |
46.18m |
38.24 |
46.18 |
44.36 |
| 19.Muhammad Ayub |
PAK |
44.88m |
40.93 |
41.79 |
44.88 |
| 20.Ves Balodis |
AUS |
44.24m |
44.24 |
X |
42.36 |
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