| | Event type

Lightweight, Freestyle (≤67 kg), Men

Date	28 November – 1 December 1956
Status	Olympic
Location	Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants	19 from 19 countries
Format	Elimination by bad points. Win by fall = 0 points; win by decision = 1 point; loss by 2-1 decision = 2 points; loss by 3-0 decision = 3 points; loss by fall = 3 points. Three judges gave decisions, thus all decisions were either 2-1 or 3-0. Five bad points eliminated a wrestler.

Iran’s Emam Ali Habibi came to Melbourne with no international credentials, but this would be the start of a legendary career. He won five matches to advance to a final round showdown with Soviet Alimbeg Bestayev, with Bestayev leading on bad points coming into the bout, 2-4, but Habibi won by fall in only 2:00 to win the gold medal. He would later win gold medals at the 1959, 1961, and 1962 World Championships, as a welterweight. He also won gold at the 1958 Asian Games in the lightweight class. Habibi would return to the Olympics in 1960 but was upset there by American Doug Blubaugh, who went on to win the gold medal.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Round Eliminated	Bad Points
1	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	–	–	Gold
2	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	–	–	Silver
3	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	–	–	Bronze
4	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	–	–
=5	49	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	–	–
=5	133	Tommy Evans	USA	–	–
AC	54	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	eliminated r4/6	6
AC	53	Mario Tovar	MEX	eliminated r4/6	7
AC	183	Adil Güngör	TUR	withdrew r4/6	4
AC	43	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	eliminated r3/6	6
AC	122	Roger Bielle	FRA	eliminated r3/6	6
AC	40	Juan Rolón	ARG	eliminated r3/6	7
AC	46	Jack Taylor	GBR	eliminated r3/6	7
AC	44	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	withdrew r3/6	4
AC	154	Olle Anderberg	SWE	withdrew r3/6	4
AC	41	David Schumacher	AUS	eliminated r2/6	6
AC	48	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	eliminated r2/6	6
AC	52	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	eliminated r2/6	6
AC	55	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	eliminated r2/6	6
DNS	42	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	–	–
DNS	56	G. A. Pienaar	RSA	–	–
DNS	58	Frank Bettucci	USA	–	–

Round One

Date	28 November 1956 — -

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bad Points
=1	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	0
=1	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	0
=1	49	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	0
=1	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	0
=1	53	Mario Tovar	MEX	0
=1	54	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	0
=1	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0
=1	133	Tommy Evans	USA	0
=9	122	Roger Bielle	FRA	1
=9	183	Adil Güngör	TUR	1
11	44	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	2
=12	40	Juan Rolón	ARG	3
=12	41	David Schumacher	AUS	3
=12	43	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	3
=12	46	Jack Taylor	GBR	3
=12	48	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	3
=12	52	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	3
=12	55	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	3
=12	154	Olle Anderberg	SWE	3

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	28 Nov	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	Fall (1:52)	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR
Match #2	28 Nov	Mario Tovar	MEX	Fall (5:30)	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI
Match #3	28 Nov	Tommy Evans	USA	Fall (---)	Jack Taylor	GBR
Match #4	28 Nov	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	Fall (3:30)	David Schumacher	AUS
Match #5	28 Nov	Gyula Tóth	HUN	Fall (12:15)	Juan Rolón	ARG
Match #6	28 Nov	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Fall (4:35)	Olle Anderberg	SWE
Match #7	28 Nov	Roger Bielle	FRA	Decision (2-1)	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN
Match #8	28 Nov	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	Fall (9:30)	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND
Match #9	28 Nov	Adil Güngör	TUR	Decision (3-0)	Georgi Zaychev	BUL
Match #10	28 Nov	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS

Round Two

Date	29 November 1956 — -

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bad Points	Event Status
1	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0	–
=2	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	1	–
=2	49	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	1	–
=2	53	Mario Tovar	MEX	1	–
=2	133	Tommy Evans	USA	1	–
=6	54	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	2	–
=6	183	Adil Güngör	TUR	2	–
=8	43	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	3	–
=8	122	Roger Bielle	FRA	3	–
=8	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	3	–
=8	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3	–
=12	40	Juan Rolón	ARG	4	–
=12	44	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	4	–
=12	46	Jack Taylor	GBR	4	–
=12	154	Olle Anderberg	SWE	4	–
=16	41	David Schumacher	AUS	6	eliminated
=16	48	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	6	eliminated
=16	52	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	6	eliminated
=16	55	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	6	eliminated

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	29 Nov	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	Fall (3:05)	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR
Match #2	29 Nov	Mario Tovar	MEX	Decision (2-1)	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK
Match #3	29 Nov	Jack Taylor	GBR	Decision (3-0)	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI
Match #4	29 Nov	Tommy Evans	USA	Decision (3-0)	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN
Match #5	29 Nov	Juan Rolón	ARG	Decision (3-0)	David Schumacher	AUS
Match #6	29 Nov	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Decision (3-0)	Gyula Tóth	HUN
Match #7	29 Nov	Olle Anderberg	SWE	Decision (2-1)	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN
Match #8	29 Nov	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	Decision (2-1)	Roger Bielle	FRA
Match #9	29 Nov	Adil Güngör	TUR	Decision (3-0)	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND
Match #10	29 Nov	Georgi Zaychev	BUL

Round Three

Date	30 November 1956 — -

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bad Points	Event Status
1	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0	–
=2	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	2	–
=2	49	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	2	–
=2	133	Tommy Evans	USA	2	–
=5	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	3	–
=5	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3	–
=5	54	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	3	–
=8	53	Mario Tovar	MEX	4	–
=8	183	Adil Güngör	TUR	4	–
=10	43	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	6	eliminated
=10	122	Roger Bielle	FRA	6	eliminated
=12	40	Juan Rolón	ARG	7	eliminated
=12	46	Jack Taylor	GBR	7	eliminated

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	30 Nov	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	Fall (5:50)	Georgi Zaychev	BUL
Match #2	30 Nov	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	Decision (3-0)	Jack Taylor	GBR
Match #3	30 Nov	Tommy Evans	USA	Decision (3-0)	Mario Tovar	MEX
Match #4	30 Nov	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	Fall (13:57)	Juan Rolón	ARG
Match #5	30 Nov	Gyula Tóth	HUN
Match #6	30 Nov	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Decision (3-0)	Roger Bielle	FRA
Match #7	30 Nov	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	Decision (2-1)	Adil Güngör	TUR

Round Four

Date	1 December 1956

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bad Points	Event Status
1	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0	–
=2	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	3	–
=2	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3	–
4	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	4	–
=5	49	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	5	eliminated
=5	133	Tommy Evans	USA	5	eliminated
7	54	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	6	eliminated
8	53	Mario Tovar	MEX	7	eliminated

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	01 Dec	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	Fall (1:21)	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK
Match #2	01 Dec	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	Fall (7:55)	Mario Tovar	MEX
Match #3	01 Dec	Gyula Tóth	HUN	Decision (3-0)	Tommy Evans	USA
Match #4	01 Dec	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Decision (3-0)	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA

Round Five

Date	1 December 1956 — -

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bad Points	Event Status
1	159	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	2	–
2	50	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	4	–
3	47	Gyula Tóth	HUN	5	eliminated
4	51	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	6	eliminated

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	01 Dec	Gyula Tóth	HUN	Decision (2-1)	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS
Match #2	01 Dec	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Decision (3-0)	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN

Final Round

Date	1 December 1956

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Match #1	01 Dec	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	Fall (2:00)	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS