Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games:

Adhemar da Silva was defending champion and the world record holder with 16.56 (54-4), set in winning the 1955 Pan-American Games (at altitude in Ciudad de México). Silver medalist from 1952, Leonid Shcherbakov, the 1950-54 European Champion, was still considered dangerous. The round one leader was a shocker – Bill Sharpe of the United States who broke the American record with 15.88 (52-1¼), which would eventually place him fourth. Another surprise came in round two when Iceland’s Vilhjálmur Einarsson leapt 16.26 (53-4¼). da Silva came thru in round four with 16.35 (53-7¾), which held up for the gold medal, Einarsson winning silver. Unheralded Soviet Vitold Kreyer won the bronze medal with 16.02 (52-6¾), set in round three.