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1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - Women's High Jump

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia - (Athletics); Last Updated: 09 June 2016; Hits: 523

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia

Format: All those clearing 1.58 metres advanced to the final.

Date Started: December 1, 1956

Date Finished: December 1, 1956

(Competitors: 19; Countries: 12; Finalists: 17)

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

Overview by IAAF

Hopkins and the 19 year-old Balaș had both set world records during the year and were favoured to battle for the gold medal, as they had for the European title two years earlier where Hopkins won. Balaș was the first of the favourites to have a failure, as she missed once at 1.67. In all seven athletes attempted to beat Coachman’s Olympic record, but only one athlete succeeded. McDaniel, whose best was 1.69, set a US record, and thus became the first straddler to win the women’s title. She then went straight to 1.76 and cleared the world record height on her second attempt, before having three misses at 1.80. Allegedly, she had cleared six feet (1.83) in practice during the summer, and looked capable of such heights in Melbourne.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

Two world records had been set earlier in 1956. In May, Britain’s Thelma Hopkins jumped 1.74 (5-8½), while in July, Romania’s Iolanda Balaş jumped 1.75 (5-8¾) metres. In 1954 they had placed 1-2 at the European Championships, Hopkins winning. At 1.67 (5-5¾) metres, seven jumpers went over, with Hopkins, Millie McDaniel (USA), Mariya Pisareva (URS), and Gunhild Larking (SWE) clearing on their first attempts. Balaş required two jumps, and finished fifth. At 1.70 (5-7), only McDaniel remained alive, clearing on her second jump, with Pisareva and Hopkins tieing in second place. Her personal best prior to Melbourne had been 1.69 (5-6½), but she then put the bar at the world record height of 1.76 (5-9¼) and succeeded on her second effort. She then tried 1.80 (5-10¾) but failed on three attempts.

			Results

*High Jump*	Women		Final	1 December

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	1.76		Millie McDaniel	United States	USA	23	WR
2T	1.67		Thelma Hopkins	Great Britain	GBR	20
2T	1.67		Mariya Pisareva	Soviet Union	URS	22
4	1.67		Gunhild Larking	Sweden	SWE	20
5	1.67		Iolanda Balaş	Romania	ROU	19
6	1.67		Michele Mason-Brown	Australia	AUS	17
7	1.67		Jessie Donaghy	New Zealand	NZL	16
8T	1.64		Hermina Geyser	South Africa	RSA	18
8T	1.64		Jiřina Němcová-Vobořilová	Czechoslovakia	TCH	19
10	1.64		Olga Modrachová	Czechoslovakia	TCH	26
11	1.60		Valentina Ballod	Soviet Union	URS	19
12T	1.60		Reinelde Knapp	Austria	AUT	23
12T	1.60		Dorothy Odam-Tyler	Great Britain	GBR	36
14	1.60		Carol Bernoth	Australia	AUS	18
15	1.55		Janice Cooper	Australia	AUS
16T	1.55		Alice Whitty	Canada	CAN	22
16T	1.55		Audrey Bennett	Great Britain	GBR	20
18	1.55		Inge Kilian	Germany	GER	21
*High Jump*	Women		Qualifying Round	1 December

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1T	1.58	Q	Thelma Hopkins	Great Britain	GBR	20
1T	1.58	Q	Iolanda Balaş	Romania	ROU	19
1T	1.58	Q	Gunhild Larking	Sweden	SWE	20
4T	1.58	Q	Reinelde Knapp	Austria	AUT	23
4T	1.58	Q	Dorothy Odam-Tyler	Great Britain	GBR	36
4T	1.58	Q	Hermina Geyser	South Africa	RSA	18
7T	1.58	Q	Michele Mason-Brown	Australia	AUS	17
7T	1.58	Q	Jessie Donaghy	New Zealand	NZL	16
7T	1.58	Q	Jiřina Němcová-Vobořilová	Czechoslovakia	TCH	19
7T	1.58	Q	Mariya Pisareva	Soviet Union	URS	22
7T	1.58	Q	Millie McDaniel	United States	USA	23
12	1.58	Q	Audrey Bennett	Great Britain	GBR	20
13	1.58	Q	Olga Modrachová	Czechoslovakia	TCH	26
14T	1.58	Q	Carol Bernoth	Australia	AUS	18
14T	1.58	Q	Valentina Ballod	Soviet Union	URS	19
16	1.58	Q	Alice Whitty	Canada	CAN	22
17	1.58	Q	Inge Kilian	Germany	GER	21
18	1.58	Q	Janice Cooper	Australia	AUS
19	1.50		Ann Marie Flynn	United States	USA	18

Detailed View

Final 15:50	Team	Height	140	150	155	160	164	167	170	176	180
1. Millie McDaniel	USA	1.76m	O	O	O	XO	O	O	XO	XO	XXX
2. Mariya Pisareva	URS	1.67m	-	-	O	O	O	O	XXX
2. Thelma Hopkins	GBR	1.67m	-	-	O	O	O	O	XXX
4. Gunhild Larking	SWE	1.67m	-	-	O	XXO	XO	O	XXX
5. Iolanda Balaş	ROU	1.67m	-	-	O	O	O	XO	XXX
6. Michele Mason-Brown	AUS	1.67m	O	-	O	O	O	XXO	XXX
7. Jessie Donaghy	NZL	1.67m	-	O	O	O	XO	XXO	XXX
8. Hermina Geyser	SAF	1.64m	-	O	O	O	O	XXX
8. Jirina Voborilova-Nemcova	TCH	1.64m	-	O	O	O	O	XXX
10.Olga Modrachova	TCH	1.64m	-	-	O	O	XO	XXX
11.Valentina Ballod	URS	1.60m	-	-	O	O	XXX
12.Dorothy Odam-Tyler	GBR	1.60m	-	O	O	O	XXX
12.Reinelde Knapp	AUT	1.60m	-	O	O	O	XXX
14.Carol Bernoth	AUS	1.60m	-	O	O	XXO	XXX
15.Janice Cooper	AUS	1.55m	-	-	O	XXX
16.Alice Whitty	CAN	1.55m	-	O	O	XXX
16.Audrey Bennett	GBR	1.55m	-	O	O	XXX
18.Inge Kilian	GER	1.55m	-	O	XXO	XXX

Qualification Round - Saturday 01.12 10:00 - mark 1.58m - 18 Athletes

Group	Team	Height	140	150	155	158
1. Thelma Hopkins	GBR	1.58m	-	-	O	O
1. Gunhild Larking	SWE	1.58m	-	O	-	O
1. Iolanda Balaş	ROU	1.58m	-	-	O	O
4. Hermina Geyser	SAF	1.58m	-	O	O	O
4. Dorothy Odam-Tyler	GBR	1.58m	-	O	O	O
4. Reinelde Knapp	AUT	1.58m	-	O	O	O
7. Millie McDaniel	USA	1.58m	O	O	O	O
7. Mariya Pisareva	URS	1.58m	O	O	O	O
7. Michele Mason-Brown	AUS	1.58m	O	O	O	O
7. Jessie Donaghy	NZL	1.58m	O	O	O	O
7. Jirina Voborilova-Nemcova	TCH	1.58m	O	O	O	O
12.Audrey Bennett	GBR	1.58m	-	O	XO	O
13.Olga Modrachova	TCH	1.58m	-	O	O	XO
14.Valentina Ballod	URS	1.58m	O	O	O	XO
14.Carol Bernoth	AUS	1.58m	O	O	O	XO
16.Alice Whitty	CAN	1.58m	O	XO	O	XO
17.Inge Kilian	GER	1.58m	-	XO	O	XXO
18.Janice Cooper	AUS	1.58m	O	O	XXO	XXO
19.Ann Marie Flynn	USA	1.50m	O	XO	XXX