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Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games:
Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay
Athletics at the 1956 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Melbourne, Australia
Venue(s): Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Date Started: November 30, 1956
Date Finished: December 1, 1956
| Gold: |  United States |
| Silver: |  Soviet Union |
| Bronze: |  Germany |
Summary
Led by Bobby Joe Morrow, who had won the 100 and 200, the US was expected to win, and posted the fastest times in the first round and semi-final. The first two US runners, Ira Murchison and Leamon King, opened a big lead on the Soviets but a poor handoff to Thane Baker allowed them to draw almost even. Baker ran a good curve, however, and Morrow received the stick slightly ahead. He had a thigh injury and was not as strong as he had been in the individual events but held on to win the gold for the US. The USSR finished second in a new European record.
Final Standings
| Rank | Team | NOC | Medal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | USA | Gold | WR |
| 2 | Soviet Union | URS | Silver | |
| 3 | Germany | GER | Bronze | |
| 4 | Italy | ITA | ||
| 5 | Great Britain | GBR | ||
| 6 | Poland | POL | ||
| 4 h1 r2/3 | France | FRA | ||
| 4 h2 r2/3 | Australia | AUS | ||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | Hungary | HUN | ||
| 5 h2 r2/3 | Pakistan | PAK | ||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | Brazil | BRA | ||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | Japan | JPN | ||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | Venezuela | VEN | ||
| 4 h2 r1/3 | Thailand | THA | ||
| 4 h3 r1/3 | Canada | CAN | ||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | Liberia | LBR | ||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | Ethiopia | ETH | ||
| AC h4 r1/3 | Nigeria | NGR |
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