New Zealand at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
New Zealand
competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
, Australia
.
Norman Read
was not originally selected, but (with Bill Bailey) went to Australia. Reed won the Australian 50 km championship, was then selected, and won a gold medal.
Athletics
Men's Marathon
Men's Competition
Women's Competition
Cycling
Men's 1.000m Scratch Sprint
Men's 1.000m Time Trial
Men's 2.000m Tandem
Men's 4.000m Team Pursuit
Men's Track Competition
team from New Zealand made its Olympic debut in Melbourne. Before 1956, the only hockey team apart from Australia
that played against New Zealand was India
. The Kiwi's finished sixth at their first Olympic appearance.
Results:
Team Roster
Rowing
Men's Competition
Sailing
Men's Competition
Swimming
Men's Competition
Women's Competition
Weightlifting
Men's Competition
Wrestling
Men's Freestyle Competition
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Norman Read
Norman Read
Norman Richard Read was a New Zealand racewalker.Born in England, Read emigrated to New Zealand in 1953. The self-proclaimed "Pommie-Kiwi" competed for New Zealand in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the 50 kilometre walk where he won the gold medal. He was not originally...
was not originally selected, but (with Bill Bailey) went to Australia. Reed won the Australian 50 km championship, was then selected, and won a gold medal.
Gold
- Norman ReadNorman ReadNorman Richard Read was a New Zealand racewalker.Born in England, Read emigrated to New Zealand in 1953. The self-proclaimed "Pommie-Kiwi" competed for New Zealand in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the 50 kilometre walk where he won the gold medal. He was not originally...
— Athletics, Men's 50km Walk - Jack CroppJack CroppJohn "Jack" Urquhart Cropp is a former New Zealand yachtsman who won an Olympic Gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Together with Peter Mander, Cropp won the Sharpie class. Born in Hokitika, Cropp now resides in Takaka, Golden Bay.-External links:*...
and Peter ManderPeter ManderPeter Garth Mander was a former New Zealand yachtsman and Olympic Gold medal winner. With Jack Cropp, Mander won the Sharpie class at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Mander then retired from competitive yachting, but made a comeback and was selected to compete in the Finn class at the 1964...
— Sailing, Men's Sharpie 12m² Team Competition
AthleticsAthletics at the 1956 Summer OlympicsAt the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 720 participating athletes from 61 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...
Men's Marathon
- Albert Richards — 2:41:34 (→ 17th place)
Men's Competition
- Neville ScottNeville ScottNeville Ian Scott is a former New Zealand middle distance runner from Ashburton.At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Scott won the bronze medal in the men's 3 miles. He also competed in the mile where he placed 9th.Scott competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics, where he finished 7th in...
- Murray HalbergMurray HalbergSir Murray Gordon Halberg, ONZ, MBE is a former New Zealand middle distance runner who won the gold medal in the 5000 metres event at the 1960 Olympics. He also won gold medals in the 3 miles events at the 1958 and 1962 Commonwealth Games...
- Maurice Rae
- Norman ReadNorman ReadNorman Richard Read was a New Zealand racewalker.Born in England, Read emigrated to New Zealand in 1953. The self-proclaimed "Pommie-Kiwi" competed for New Zealand in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the 50 kilometre walk where he won the gold medal. He was not originally...
Women's Competition
- Jessie Donaghy
- Valerie Sloper
- Margaret Stuart
- Beverley Weigel
CyclingCycling at the 1956 Summer OlympicsThe cycling competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne consisted of two road cycling events and four track cycling events, all for men only.-Medal table:-Medal summary:...
Men's 1.000m Scratch Sprint
- Warren JohnstonWarren JohnstonWarren Johnston is a former racing cyclist from New Zealand.He won the silver medal in the men's 10 mile scratch race at both the 1958 and 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
— 4th place
Men's 1.000m Time Trial
- Warwick DaltonWarwick DaltonWarwick Dashwood Hirtzel Dalton is a former racing cyclist from New Zealand.At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games he won the bronze medal in both the men's 1 km Time Trial and Individial Pursuit....
— 1:12.6 (→ 8th place)
Men's 2.000m Tandem
- Richard JohnstonWarren JohnstonWarren JohnstonWarren Johnston is a former racing cyclist from New Zealand.He won the silver medal in the men's 10 mile scratch race at both the 1958 and 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
— 6th place
Men's 4.000m Team Pursuit
- Donald EagleLeonard KentNeil RitchieWarwick DaltonWarwick DaltonWarwick Dashwood Hirtzel Dalton is a former racing cyclist from New Zealand.At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games he won the bronze medal in both the men's 1 km Time Trial and Individial Pursuit....
— 6th place
Men's Track Competition
- Alan Larkins
Men's team competition
The men's field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team from New Zealand made its Olympic debut in Melbourne. Before 1956, the only hockey team apart from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
that played against New Zealand was India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Kiwi's finished sixth at their first Olympic appearance.
Results:
- New Zealand - Belgium 3-0
- New Zealand - Belgium 3-2
- New Zealand - Australia 0-1
- New Zealand - Germany 4-5
- New Zealand - Pakistan 1-5
- New Zealand - Singapore 13-0
Team Roster
- John Abrams
- Ivan Armstrong
- Phillip Bygrave
- Keith Cumberpatch
- Archie Currie
- David GoldsmithDavid GoldsmithDavid John Goldsmith is a former English cricketer. Goldsmith was a right-handed batsman who fielded as a wicket-keeper. He was born in Romford, Essex....
- Noel Hobson
- Reginald Johansson
- Brian Johnston
- Murray Loudon
- Guy McGregor
- Bill Schaefer
- Bruce TurnerBruce TurnerBruce Turner was an English saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.Born Malcolm Bruce Turner in Saltburn, he learned to play the clarinet as a schoolboy and began playing alto sax while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II...
- John Tynan
RowingRowing at the 1956 Summer OlympicsRowing at the 1956 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from November 23, 1956 to November 27, 1956 on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Australia.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...
Men's Competition
- Reginald Douglas
- Donald Gemmell
- James HillJames Hill (rower)James Hill is a former New Zealand rower.At the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games he won the gold medal in the men's single sculls...
- Colin JohnstoneColin JohnstoneColin Gordon Johnstone was a New Zealand representative rower.At the 1950 British Empire Games he won the gold medal as part of the men's coxed four. He competed at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics in the same event, his best result was in 1956 in Helsinki where the coxed four placed fourth in...
- Ray Laurent
- Peter LucasPeter LucasPeter Lucas Peter Lucas Peter Lucas (born 23 November 1929 is a former Australian rules footballer, who played in the Victorian Football League, (VFL).Peter Lucas was a regular half back flanker in the Collingwood team. His 177 VFL games between 1949 and 1959 included the winning 1958 Grand Final...
- Bob Parker (rower)Bob Parker (rower)Bob Parker is a former New Zealand rower.At the 1954 and 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games he twice won the gold medal in the men's coxless pair alongside Reg Douglas...
- Don RowlandsDon RowlandsDonald David Rowlands is a former New Zealand rower.At the 1950 British Empire Games he won the silver medal as part of the men's eight alongside crew members Donald Adam, Kerry Ashby, Murray Ashby, Bruce Culpan, Thomas Engel, Graham Jarratt, Edwin Smith and Bill Tinnock...
- Allan Tong
SailingSailing at the 1956 Summer OlympicsSailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Greece. With the exception of 1904 and...
Men's Competition
- Peter ManderPeter ManderPeter Garth Mander was a former New Zealand yachtsman and Olympic Gold medal winner. With Jack Cropp, Mander won the Sharpie class at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Mander then retired from competitive yachting, but made a comeback and was selected to compete in the Finn class at the 1964...
- Jack CroppJack CroppJohn "Jack" Urquhart Cropp is a former New Zealand yachtsman who won an Olympic Gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Together with Peter Mander, Cropp won the Sharpie class. Born in Hokitika, Cropp now resides in Takaka, Golden Bay.-External links:*...
- Albert Cuthbertson
- Robert Stewart
- William Swinnerton
SwimmingSwimming at the 1956 Summer OlympicsAt the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women. There was a total of 235 participants from 33 countries competing. For the first time, the butterfly stroke was contested as a separate event...
Men's Competition
- Winifred GriffinWinifred GriffinWinifred Clare Ashby is a former swimmer from New Zealand.At the 1950 British Empire Games she won the silver medal as part of the women's 440 yard freestyle relay. Her teammates in the relay were Norma Bridson, Joan Hastings and Kristin Jacobi...
- Lincoln HurringLincoln HurringLincoln William Norman Hurring was a swimmer from New Zealand. He won two silver medals at the 1954 British Empire Games - one in the men's 110 yards backstroke and another in the men's 330 yards medley relay. He represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, 1952 and 1956...
Women's Competition
- Philippa GouldPhilippa GouldPhilippa Mary Gould is a former swimming representative from New Zealand.At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games she won the bronze medal in the women's 110 yards backstroke...
- Marion Roe
- Jean StewartJean StewartJean Hurring , is a former swimmer from New Zealand. She represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, 1952 and 1956...
WeightliftingWeightlifting at the 1956 Summer OlympicsThe weightlifting competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne consisted of seven weight classes, all for men only.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:...
Men's Competition
- Richard Jones
WrestlingWrestling at the 1956 Summer OlympicsAt the 1956 Summer Olympics, 16 wrestling events were contested, all for men. There were eight weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and eight classes in freestyle wrestling.- Greco-Roman:-Freestyle:-See also:...
Men's Freestyle Competition
- John Silva