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1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - Women's 4 x 100 m

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 09 June 2016; Hits: 464

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia

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

Date Started: December 1, 1956

Date Finished: December 1, 1956

(Competitors: 36; Countries: 9; Finalists: 24/6)

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

Overview by IAAF

Australia (45.00) and Germany (45.07) broke the world record by 0.2 seconds with a time of 44.9 in the first heat, with Great Britain edging the USA 45.3 to 45.4 in the other semi. In the final Britain were surprisingly the biggest threat, as the Germans badly messed up their baton exchanges. Pashley, against the odds, held Strickland, and better baton passing ensured that Paul, a fine bend runner, was slightly ahead at halfway. Paul gave Armitage a metre lead, but Cuthbert, mouth agape as usual, closed in and caught Armitage with 50m to go. She won by half a metre as both teams ducked well under the new world record. Third was the US team, represented by the Tennessee State University team, including 16 year-old Wilma Rudolph.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

Australia had the fastest woman sprinter in the world in Betty Cuthbert, who had won the 100 and 200. She would run the anchor and their team would be started off by Shirley Strickland-de la Hunty, who had defended her 80 metre hurdles gold medal. In the first round, Australia bettered the world record with 44.9. But in the final, the British team had very clean passes, and still held the lead as June Foulds-Paul passed off to Heather Armitage, with Cuthbert a metre in arrears. But Cuthbert, the “Golden Girl,” caught Armitage by 50 metres and won by half a metre.

			Results

*4 x 100 m*	Women		Final	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	44,65		Shirley Strickland, Norma Croker, Fleur Mellor, Betty Cuthbert	Australia	AUS	WR	44.5 h
2	44.70		Anne Pashley, Jean Scrivens, June Foulds/Paul, Heather Armitage	Great Britain	GBR		44.7 h
3	45,04		Mae Faggs, Margaret Matthews, Wilma Rudolph, Isabelle Daniels	United States	USA		44.9 h
4	45,81		Vera Kalashnikova/Krepkina/UKR, Galina Rezchikova/RUS, Mariya Itkina/BLR, Irina Turova/Bochkaryova/RUS	Soviet Union	URS		45.6 h
5	45.90		Letizia Bertoni, Milena Greppi, Giuseppina Leone, Maria Musso	Italy	ITA		45.7 h
6	47,29		Maria Sander/FRG, Christa Stubnick, Gisela Köhler, Bärbel Mayer/all GDR	Germany	GER		47.2 h
*4 x 100 m*	Women		Round One Heat One	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	45.00	Q	Shirley Strickland, Norma Croker, Fleur Mellor, Betty Cuthbert	Australia	AUS	WR	44.9 h
2	45,07	Q	Maria Sander/FRG, Christa Stubnick, Gisela Köhler, Bärbel Mayer/all GDR	Germany	GER	(=)WR	44.9 h
3	45,91	Q	Letizia Bertoni, Milena Greppi, Giuseppina Leone, Maria Musso	Italy	ITA		45.9 h
4	46,39		Catherine Capdeville, Micheline Fluchot, Simone Henry, Angele Picado	France	FRA		46.3 h
5	46,79		Eleanor Haslam, Dorothy Kozak Diane Matheson, Maureen Rever	Canada	CAN		46.6 h
*4 x 100 m*	Women		Round One Heat Two	1 December

Rank	Mark		Team	Country	NOC	Records	Notes
1	45,38	Q	Anne Pashley, Jean Scrivens, June Foulds/Paul, Heather Armitage	Great Britain	GBR		45.3 h
2	45,52	Q	Mae Faggs, Margaret Matthews, Wilma Rudolph, Isabelle Daniels	United States	USA		45.4 h
3	46.20	Q	Vera Kalashnikova/Krepkina/UKR, Galina Rezchikova/RUS, Mariya Itkina/BLR, Irina Turova/Bochkaryova/RUS	Soviet Union	URS		46.1 h
4	46,58		Maria Kusion, Barbara Lerczak, Genowefa Minicka, Halina Richter	Poland	POL		46.5 h