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Melbourne 1956 | Olympic Games

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Overview

Olympic Summer Games

Melbourne 1956 -1

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Morrow, aka 'The San Benito Bullet', won the 100m at Melbourne 1956 before beating reigning Olympic 200m champion Andy Stanfield to complete the sprint double. He then anchored home the USA 4x100m relay team in a new world record to win the first men's sprint treble since Jesse Owens in 1936. Only Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt have matched the feat since.

Athletics

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Highlights

Bobby Morrow completes sprint treble at Melbourne 1956

Hungary's Laszlo Papp became the first man to win three Olympic boxing gold medals. He beat Britain's Johnny Wright to take middleweight gold at London 1948 before enjoying further success down at light-middleweight. At Helsinki 1952, he defeated Theunis van Schalkwyk of South Africa before retaining his crown at Melbourne 1956 with victory over USA's Jose Torres.

Boxing

Laszlo Papp's historic hat-trick of Olympic titles

Flyweight Terry Spinks and lightweight Dick McTaggart secured gold for Great Britain at Melbourne 1956 with McTaggart taking home the Val Barker Trophy as the event's most outstanding boxer. Spinks, at just 18 years old, outpointed Romania's Mircea Dobrescu to take gold with McTaggart defeating Harry Kurschat of the United Team of Germany. Before this, Britain's last Olympic boxing title came at Paris 1924.

Spinks and McTaggart win 1956 boxing golds for Britain

Shirley Strickland defends her 80m hurdles title at the Olympic Summer Games Melbourne 1956, setting a new world record time.

Shirley STRICKLAND-DE LA HUNTY

Strickland defends 80m hurdles title

Discus thrower Al Oerter smashes expectations and records to become the first track and field athlete to win four successive Olympic golds.

Alfred OERTER

Originals

Oerter's Quadruple Discus Olympic Games Gold

A promising 19-year-old Ron Clarke lights the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony of the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

Ronald CLARKE

Ron Clarke lights the Olympic Flame | Melbourne 1956

Competing for Czechoslovakia, Olga Fikotova wins gold in the discus competition at Melbourne 1956.

Olga FIKOTOVA-CONNOLLY

Fikotova shines in Melbourne with discus gold

American Harold "Hal" Connolly throws 63.19m in the hammer throw at Melbourne 1956 to claim top spot on the podium.

Hal CONNOLLY

Connolly celebrates hammer throw gold Down Under

Paul Elvstrom wins back-to-back gold medals in the Finn class.

Paul Elvstrøm

Paul Elvstrom claims back to back gold medals | Melbourne 1956

India won consecutive gold medals from 1928 to 1956 and then regain supremacy in 1964.

Hockey

India dominates men's hockey | Tokyo 1964

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Melbourne 1956 | Olympic Games - Melbourne (CAN)

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