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United States Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games

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Host City: Melbourne, Australia
Date Started: November 23, 1956
Date Finished: December 1, 1956

Events for United States: 33
Participants for United States: 81 (62 men and 19 women)
Youngest Participant for United States: Meredith Ellis (15 years, 82 days)
Oldest Participant for United States: Leo Sjogren (42 years, 236 days)
Most Medals for United States (Athlete): Thane Baker and Bobby Joe Morrow (3 medals)

Go to the Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games page

Men's 100 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Bobby Joe Morrow 21 Men's 100 metres 1 Gold
Thane Baker 25 Men's 100 metres 2 Silver
Ira Murchison 23 Men's 100 metres 4

Men's 200 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Bobby Joe Morrow 21 Men's 200 metres 1 Gold
Andy Stanfield 28 Men's 200 metres 2 Silver
Thane Baker 25 Men's 200 metres 3 Bronze

Men's 400 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Charlie Jenkins 22 Men's 400 metres 1 Gold
Lou Jones 24 Men's 400 metres 5
Jim Lea 24 Men's 400 metres 5 h3 r2/4

Men's 800 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Tom Courtney 23 Men's 800 metres 1 Gold
Arnie Sowell 21 Men's 800 metres 4
Lon Spurrier 24 Men's 800 metres 6

Men's 1,500 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Ted Wheeler 25 Men's 1,500 metres 8 h1 r1/2
Jerome Walters 26 Men's 1,500 metres 8 h3 r1/2
Don Bowden 20 Men's 1,500 metres 11 h2 r1/2

Men's 5,000 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Bill Dellinger 22 Men's 5,000 metres AC
Curt Stone 34 Men's 5,000 metres 7 h2 r1/2

Men's 10,000 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Gordon McKenzie 29 Men's 10,000 metres 18
Dick Hart 29 Men's 10,000 metres 21
Max Truex 21 Men's 10,000 metres AC

Men's Marathon

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Nick Costes 30 Men's Marathon 20
Johnny Kelley 25 Men's Marathon 21
Dean Thackwray 23 Men's Marathon AC

Men's 110 metres Hurdles

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Lee Calhoun 23 Men's 110 metres Hurdles 1 Gold
Jack Davis 26 Men's 110 metres Hurdles 2 Silver
Joel Shankle 23 Men's 110 metres Hurdles 3 Bronze

Men's 400 metres Hurdles

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Glenn Davis 22 Men's 400 metres Hurdles 1 Gold
Eddie Southern 18 Men's 400 metres Hurdles 2 Silver
Josh Culbreath 24 Men's 400 metres Hurdles 3 Bronze

Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Deacon Jones 22 Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase 9
Horace Ashenfelter 33 Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase 6 h1 r1/2
Phil Coleman 25 Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase 9 h2 r1/2

Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Ira Murchison 23 Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay 1 Gold
Leamon King 20 Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay 1 Gold
Thane Baker 25 Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay 1 Gold
Bobby Joe Morrow 21 Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay 1 Gold

Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Lou Jones 24 Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay 1 Gold
John Mashburn 23 Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay 1 Gold
Charlie Jenkins 22 Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay 1 Gold
Tom Courtney 23 Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay 1 Gold

Men's 20 kilometres Walk

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Henry Laskau 40 Men's 20 kilometres Walk 12
Bruce MacDonald 29 Men's 20 kilometres Walk 16
James Hewson 38 Men's 20 kilometres Walk 17

Men's 50 kilometres Walk

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Adolf Weinacker 28 Men's 50 kilometres Walk 7
Elliott Denman 22 Men's 50 kilometres Walk 11
Leo Sjogren 42 Men's 50 kilometres Walk 12

Men's High Jump

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Charlie Dumas 19 Men's High Jump 1 Gold
Phil Reavis 20 Men's High Jump 7T
Vern Wilson 25 Men's High Jump 10

Men's Pole Vault

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Bob Richards 30 Men's Pole Vault 1 Gold
Bob Gutowski 21 Men's Pole Vault 2 Silver
George Mattos 27 Men's Pole Vault 4

Men's Long Jump

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Greg Bell 26 Men's Long Jump 1 Gold
John Bennett 26 Men's Long Jump 2 Silver

Men's Triple Jump

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Bill Sharpe 24 Men's Triple Jump 4
Ira Davis 20 Men's Triple Jump 11
George Shaw 25 Men's Triple Jump 12

Men's Shot Put

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Parry O'Brien 24 Men's Shot Put 1 Gold
Bill Nieder 23 Men's Shot Put 2 Silver
Ken Bantum 21 Men's Shot Put 4

Men's Discus Throw

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Al Oerter 20 Men's Discus Throw 1 Gold
Fortune Gordien 34 Men's Discus Throw 2 Silver
Des Koch 24 Men's Discus Throw 3 Bronze

Men's Hammer Throw

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Hal Connolly 25 Men's Hammer Throw 1 Gold
Al Hall 22 Men's Hammer Throw 4

Men's Javelin Throw

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Phil Conley 22 Men's Javelin Throw 10
Cy Young 28 Men's Javelin Throw 11
Benny Garcia 23 Men's Javelin Throw AC r2/2

Men's Decathlon

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Milt Campbell 22 Men's Decathlon 1 Gold
Rafer Johnson 21 Men's Decathlon 2 Silver
Bob Richards 30 Men's Decathlon AC

Women's 100 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Isabelle Daniels 19 Women's 100 metres 4
Mae Faggs 24 Women's 100 metres 3 h1 r1/3
Lucinda Williams 19 Women's 100 metres 3 h2 r1/3

Women's 200 metres

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Mae Faggs 24 Women's 200 metres 5 h2 r2/3
Wilma Rudolph 16 Women's 200 metres 3 h2 r1/3
Meredith Ellis 15 Women's 200 metres 4 h3 r1/3

Women's 80 metres Hurdles

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Barbara Mueller 23 Women's 80 metres Hurdles 4 h1 r1/3
Constance Darnowski 21 Women's 80 metres Hurdles 4 h2 r1/3
Irene Robertson 25 Women's 80 metres Hurdles 6 h3 r1/3

Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Mae Faggs 24 Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay 3 Bronze
Margaret Matthews 21 Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay 3 Bronze
Wilma Rudolph 16 Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay 3 Bronze
Isabelle Daniels 19 Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay 3 Bronze

Women's High Jump

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Millie McDaniel 23 Women's High Jump 1 Gold
Ann Marie Flynn 18 Women's High Jump 19 QR

Women's Long Jump

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Willye White 16 Women's Long Jump 2 Silver
Margaret Matthews 21 Women's Long Jump 18 QR

Women's Shot Put

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Earlene Brown 21 Women's Shot Put 6
Lois Testa 20 Women's Shot Put 14
Paula Deubel 21 Women's Shot Put 16 QR

Women's Discus Throw

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Earlene Brown 21 Women's Discus Throw 4
Pam Kurrell 17 Women's Discus Throw 18 QR
Marjorie Larney 19 Women's Discus Throw 20 QR

Women's Javelin Throw

Athlete Age Event Rank Medal
Karen Anderson-Oldham 18 Women's Javelin Throw 8
Marjorie Larney 19 Women's Javelin Throw 11
Amelia Wershoven 25 Women's Javelin Throw 14

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