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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 1956 Melbourne
November. The Opening Ceremony was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, 22nd November 1956.
Ron Clarke. Ron Clarke set 17 world records in middle distance running. He was the first man to break 13 minutes for 3 miles, and 27 minutes for 6 miles. He represented Australia at 3 Olympics.
67. This was the first time the games had been held in the southern hemisphere, and the world was well represented as 69 nations were represented at the 1952 games, and 80 countries at the 1960 games.
XVI. First time the Olympic games had been held in the Southern hemisphere.
In the closing ceremony athletes did not walk in team formation. The decision to allow athletes to march as one group was inspired by teenager John Wing, and Melbourne became known as "The Friendly Games".
Lake Wendouree. Lake Wendouree is in Ballarat, which is an hour drive from Melbourne.
Port Phillip Bay. This was Melbourne's main port and includes many famous Melbourne suburbs such as St Kilda.
13. At the time, this was the most gold medals Australia had ever won.
Stockholm Sweden. Quarantine laws at the time would not allow the horses into Australia.
United States. With 16 golds and 31 medals in total. the USA dominated the track and field competition. Certainly if compared to the Soviet Union, in second place with 5 golden and 22 medals in total.
Vladimir Kuts. Although his main opponent, British runner Gordon Pirie had broken the world record earlier that year, Kuts broke Pirie's fighting spirit by leading from the start.
| This Olympic legend, a discus thrower, won his first of 4 successive Olympic titles (same event) with a throw of 56.36m. Who is he? | 1956 Melbourne Olympics
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Alfred Oerter jr. Al Oerter Jr was one of the greatest discus throwers of all-time. 4 consecutive titles in 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968, and to top it off, he almost qualified for the 1980 Games at the age of 43. He finished fourth in the trials.
This event wasn't run until 1972. In the 1950s, women were not allowed to run distances beyond 200 metres. Even the 400m was not run until the 1960 games in Rome. Subsequent games proved the "error" of this rule, as the likes of Koch, Joan benoit, and Waitz made great sport.
| This 18-year old girl from Sydney, won the 100m and 200m sprint events and ran a great final leg in the 4 x 100-meter relay to claim her third gold medal. What is her name? | 1956 Melbourne Olympics
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Betty Cuthbert. At the games of 1964, 8 years later, Cuthbert again won gold, but in the 400 metres (introduced as an Olympic event for women in 1960 at Rome).
33 events, 24 for men and 9 for women. To have a comparison, at the Olympic Games of 2004, there were 46 events, 24 for men and 22 for women.
1. BJ Morrow USA 2. A. Stanfield USA 3. T. Baker USA. Bobby Joe Morrow, like many others succeeded in the sprint-double. He won the 100m and the 200m. He added a thirth gold medal with a victory in the 4x100m relay with the USA team.
| One of the few triple-jumpers who were able to prologue their Olympic title was this South-American, who won his second title in Melbourne. Who is it? | 1956 Melbourne Olympics
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Adhemar da Silva (BRA). Triple jumpers who won more then one Olympic title were Meyer Prinstein(USA) 1900 and 1904, Józef Schmidt(POL) 1960 and 1964, and Viktor Sanejev(URS) 1968, 1972, and 1976.
19. Although the USA (31) together with the Soviet Union (22) and Australia (12) were the only nations with more then 10 medals, I guess that even Greece and Sweden with one bronze medal could have some satisfaction after the 1956 Games, remembering de Coubertins words, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part."
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