Host City: Melbourne, Australia |
Format: All those reaching 54.00 metres advanced to the final. |
Date Started: November 24, 1956 |
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Date Finished: November 24, 1956 |
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(Competitors: 22; Countries: 14; Finalists: 15) |
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Venue(s): Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
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Overview by IAAF |
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Krivonosov, an athletic (1.89/90Kg) Belarussian had broken the world record with 63.34 in winning the 1954 European title, and made six improvements to 67.32 in October 1956. Connolly then threw 68.54 three weeks before the Melbourne final. Their dominance was dented briefly by Clifford Blair, who threw an unratified 65.95, before curiously being ejected from the US team by the US Olympic committee for persistently refusing to stop writing newspaper articles! The Olympic record survived the qualifying round, led by Samotsvetov (59.53). However, it fell quickly to the Russian’s 62.10 in the opening round of the final. Hall broke into a Soviet top three in the next round with 61.83, as Krivonosov took over the lead with 63.00. Connolly – whose left arm was four inches shorter than his right – produced a foul of over 65m in the first round, moved into third in round 3 with 62.65 and then took over the lead with his fifth-round 63.19. Samotsvetov edged Hall 62.56 to 61.96 in the final round. Connolly won both the gold and a wife. He married Czech discus winner Olga Fikotová early in 1957, after meeting her in Melbourne. |
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Summary by Sports-reference.com |
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The favorite was Soviet Mikhail Krivonosov, the 1954 European Champion, who had broken the world record seven times since 1954. His biggest challenger was American Hal Connolly, who bettered Krivonosov and was the world record holder as the Melbourne Olympics began. In the final, eventual bronze medalist Anatoly Samotsvetov (URS) led after round one with 62.10 (203-9) with Krivonosov second with 60.59 (198-9½), as Connolly fouled. Krivonosov took the lead in round two with 63.00 (206-8½), while Connolly’s 60.92 (199-10½) put him in third place, trailing his teammate Al Hall. Krivonosov improved slightly in the third round with 63.03 (206-9½) while Connolly moved into second with 62.65 (205-6½). Krivonosov would do no better, fouling his final three throws. In round five, Connolly secured the gold medal with 63.19 (207-3¾). Connolly also generated headlines in Melbourne by his romance with Czechoslovakian discus throw gold medalist Olga Fikotová. They fell in love and married in Praha a few months after the Olympics, overcoming what Connolly once described as “mountains of red tape.” The best man at the ceremony was Czech distance running legend Emil Zátopek. |
The third American, Cliff Blair, had set a short-lived American record of 65.95 in July, and likely would have challenged for a medal. It bettered Krivonosov's world record, but was never recognized as a world record, for unknown reasons. Blair never made got to compete at the Olympics. He was helping Boston Globe sportswriter Jerry Nason with columns from Melbourne, and was thrown off the US team for violating amateur rules by serving as a sportswriter, although Nason stood up for him, insisting that he was writing the columns, and Blair was only speaking through him. |
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Hammer Throw |
Men |
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Final |
24 November |
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Rank |
Mark |
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Athlete |
Country |
NOC |
Age |
Records |
1 |
63.19 |
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Hal Connolly |
United States |
USA |
25 |
OR |
2 |
63.03 |
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Mikhail Krivonosov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
27 |
OR |
3 |
62.56 |
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Anatoly Samotsvetov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
23 |
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4 |
61.96 |
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Al Hall |
United States |
USA |
22 |
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5 |
60.70 |
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József Csermák |
Hungary |
HUN |
24 |
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6 |
60.36 |
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Krešo Račić |
Yugoslavia |
YUG |
24 |
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7 |
60.22 |
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Dmytro Yegorov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
25 |
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8 |
59.21 |
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Sverre Strandli |
Norway |
NOR |
31 |
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9 |
58.00 |
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Peter Allday |
Great Britain |
GBR |
29 |
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10 |
57.70 |
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Alfons Niklas |
Poland |
POL |
27 |
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11 |
56.97 |
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Muhammad Iqbal |
Pakistan |
PAK |
29 |
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12 |
56.72 |
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Don Anthony |
Great Britain |
GBR |
28 |
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13 |
55.02 |
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Guy Husson |
France |
FRA |
25 |
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14 |
53.43 |
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Tadeusz Rut |
Poland |
POL |
25 |
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AC |
NM |
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Birger Asplund |
Sweden |
SWE |
27 |
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Hammer Throw |
Men |
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Qualifying Round |
24 November |
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Rank |
Mark |
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Athlete |
Country |
NOC |
Age |
Records |
1 |
59.53 |
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Q |
Anatoly Samotsvetov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
23 |
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2 |
59.06 |
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Q |
Krešo Račić |
Yugoslavia |
YUG |
24 |
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3 |
59.05 |
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Q |
Hal Connolly |
United States |
USA |
25 |
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4 |
58.46 |
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Q |
Alfons Niklas |
Poland |
POL |
27 |
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5 |
58.07 |
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Q |
Tadeusz Rut |
Poland |
POL |
25 |
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6 |
57.95 |
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Q |
József Csermák |
Hungary |
HUN |
24 |
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7 |
57.50 |
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Q |
Al Hall |
United States |
USA |
22 |
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8 |
57.03 |
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Q |
Dmytro Yegorov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
25 |
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9 |
56.32 |
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Q |
Sverre Strandli |
Norway |
NOR |
31 |
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10 |
55.03 |
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Q |
Birger Asplund |
Sweden |
SWE |
27 |
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11T |
54.98 |
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Q |
Peter Allday |
Great Britain |
GBR |
29 |
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11T |
54.98 |
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Q |
Guy Husson |
France |
FRA |
25 |
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13 |
54.89 |
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Q |
Don Anthony |
Great Britain |
GBR |
28 |
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14 |
54.59 |
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Q |
Muhammad Iqbal |
Pakistan |
PAK |
29 |
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15 |
54.53 |
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Q |
Mikhail Krivonosov |
Soviet Union |
URS |
27 |
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16 |
53.74 |
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Song Gyo-Sik |
South Korea |
KOR |
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17 |
53.48 |
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Yoshio Kojima |
Japan |
JPN |
25 |
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18 |
52.23 |
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Alejandro Díaz |
Chile |
CHI |
36 |
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19 |
49.35 |
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Charlie Morris |
Australia |
AUS |
30 |
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20 |
48.84 |
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Neville Gadsden |
Australia |
AUS |
37 |
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21 |
48.43 |
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Martin Crowe |
Australia |
AUS |
33 |
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22 |
44.70 |
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Fumio Kamamoto |
Japan |
JPN |
38 |
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Detailed View
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Final 14:30 |
Team |
Dist. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
1. Harold Connolly |
USA |
63.19m |
X |
60.92 |
62.65 |
61.76 |
63.19 |
X |
2. Mikhail Krivonosov |
URS |
63.03m |
60.59 |
63.00 |
63.03 |
X |
X |
X |
3. Anatoly Samotsvetov |
URS |
62.56m |
62.10 |
58.13 |
61.94 |
60.22 |
59.20 |
62.56 |
4. Al Hall |
USA |
61.96m |
57.76 |
61.83 |
X |
61.58 |
X |
61.96 |
5. Jozsef Csermmk |
HUN |
60.70m |
58.27 |
58.43 |
60.70 |
X |
59.10 |
X |
6. Kresimir Racic |
YUG |
60.36m |
57.99 |
60.36 |
X |
X |
58.07 |
55.09 |
7. Dmitry Yegorov |
URS |
60.22m |
60.22 |
X |
X |
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8. Sverre Strandli |
NOR |
59.21m |
58.62 |
58.49 |
59.21 |
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9. Peter Allday |
GBR |
58.00m |
57.78 |
57.06 |
58.00 |
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10.Alfons Niklas |
POL |
57.70m |
57.70 |
X |
X |
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11.Muhammad Iqbal |
PAK |
56.97m |
56.45 |
55.24 |
56.97 |
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12.Don Anthony |
GBR |
56.72m |
X |
55.22 |
56.72 |
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13.Guy Husson |
FRA |
55.02m |
X |
X |
55.02 |
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14.Tadeusz Rut |
POL |
53.43m |
X |
X |
53.43 |
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_. Birger Asplund |
SWE |
NM |
X |
X |
X |
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Qualification Round - Saturday 24.11 - mark 54.00m - 14 Athletes |
Group |
Team |
Dist. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
1. Anatoly Samotsvetov |
URS |
59.53m |
59.53 |
- |
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2. Kresimir Racic |
YUG |
59.06m |
59.06 |
- |
- |
3. Haarold Connolly |
USA |
59.05m |
59.05 |
- |
- |
4. Alfons Niklas |
POL |
58.46m |
52.11 |
58.46 |
- |
5. Tadeusz Rut |
POL |
58.07m |
58.07 |
- |
- |
6. Jozsef Csermmk |
HUN |
57.95m |
57.95 |
- |
- |
7. Al Hall |
USA |
57.50m |
57.50 |
- |
- |
8. Dmitry Yegorov |
URS |
57.03m |
57.03 |
- |
- |
9. Sverre Strandli |
NOR |
56.32m |
56.32 |
- |
- |
10.Birger Asplund |
SWE |
55.03m |
55.03 |
- |
- |
11.Peter Allday |
GBR |
54.98m |
54.98 |
- |
- |
11.Guy Husson |
FRA |
54.98m |
54.98 |
- |
- |
13.Don Anthony |
GBR |
54.89m |
53.10 |
54.89 |
- |
14.Muhammad Iqbal |
PAK |
54.59m |
54.59 |
- |
- |
15.Mikhail Krivonosov |
URS |
54.53m |
54.53 |
- |
- |
16.Song Gyo-Sik |
KOR |
53.74m |
53.30 |
X |
53.74 |
17.Yoshio Kojima |
JPN |
53.48m |
50.67 |
53.48 |
52.16 |
18.Alejandro Diaz |
CHI |
52.23m |
X |
52.23 |
51.33 |
19.Charles Morris |
AUS |
49.35m |
X |
49.35 |
X |
20.Neville Gadsden |
AUS |
48.84m |
X |
X |
48.84 |
21.Martin Crowe |
AUS |
48.43m |
45.76 |
48.25 |
48.43 |
22.Fumio Kamamoto |
JPN |
44.70m |
40.72 |
X |
44.70 |
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