| | Event type

4 x 400 metres Relay, Men

Date	30 November – 1 December 1956
Status	Olympic
Location	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants	61 from 15 countries

Jamaica was no longer the dominant 4x400 relay team they had been from 1948-52, and the United States was favored in the final. World record holder Lou Jones gave the US the lead on the opening leg. Australia pulled even at the end of 800 metres, but after that the US pulled away for the gold medal. The Australians took silver, with future IOC Member Kevan Gosper running the anchor.

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	3:10.6 (2 h1)	3:04.8 (1)	Gold
		Lou Jones • J. W. Mashburn • Charlie Jenkins • Tom Courtney • Glenn Davis (DNS) • Jim Lea (DNS) • Arnie Sowell (DNS) • Lon Spurrier (DNS)
2	–	Australia	AUS	3:10.4 (2 h2)	3:06.2 (2)	Silver
		Leon Gregory • David Lean • Graham Gipson • Kevan Gosper • John Goodman • Ross Parker (DNS)
3	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:08.8 (1 h3)	3:07.2 (3)	Bronze
		John Salisbury • Mike Wheeler • Peter Higgins • Derek Johnson • Michael Farrell (DNS) • Tom Farrell (DNS) • Harry Kane (DNS) • Mike Rawson (DNS)
4	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	3:09.8 (1 h2)	3:08.2 (4)
		Jürgen Kühl • Walter Oberste • Manfred Poerschke • Karl-Friedrich Haas • Paul Schmidt (DNS) • Horst Mann (DNS)
5	–	Canada	CAN	3:10.6 (1 h1)	3:10.2 (5)
		Laird Sloan • Doug Clement • Murray Cockburn • Terry Tobacco • Joe Foreman (DNS) • Dick Harding (DNS)
AC r2/2	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:11.0 (2 h3)	[3:11.3] (DQ)
		Keith Gardner • George Kerr • Mal Spence • Mel Spence • Richard Estick (DNS) • Ernie Haisley (DNS)
3 h1 r1/2	–	Czechoslovakia	TCH	3:10.8 (3 h1)	–
		Jaroslav Jirásek • Václav Janeček • Vilém Mandlík • Josef Trousil • Stanislav Jungwirth (DNS)
3 h2 r1/2	–	France	FRA	3:11.8 (3 h2)	–
		Jacques Degats • Jean-Paul Martin du Gard • Jean-Pierre Goudeau • Pierre Haarhoff • Yves Camus (DNS) • Guy Cury (DNS) • René Djian (DNS)
3 h3 r1/2	–	Soviet Union	URS	3:11.2 (3 h3)	–
		Konstantin Grachov • Yury Lituyev • Anatoly Yulin • Ardalion Ignatyev • Igor Ilyin (DNS) • Yury Bashlikov (DNS) • Boris Stolyarov (DNS)
4 h1 r1/2	–	Finland	FIN	3:11.4 (4 h1)	–
		Pentti Rekola • Ossi Mildh • Eero Kivelä • Voitto Hellstén • Wilhelm Porrassalmi (DNS) • Jorma Valkama (DNS)
4 h2 r1/2	–	Japan	JPN	3:13.8 (4 h2)	–
		Kanji Akagi • Keiji Ogushi • Shigeharu Suzuki • Yoshitaka Muroya • Akira Kiyofuji (DNS) • Kyohei Ushio (DNS)
4 h3 r1/2	–	Kenya	KEN	3:17.6 (4 h3)	–
		Kamau Wanyoke • Kiptalam Keter • Kibet Boit • Bartonjo Rotich • Nyandika Maiyoro (DNS)
5 h2 r1/2	–	Puerto Rico	PUR	3:13.8 (5 h2)	–
		Ovidio de Jesús • Ismael Delgado • Frank Rivera • Iván Rodríguez • Norberto Cruz (DNS) • Amadeo Francis (DNS)
5 h3 r1/2	–	Ethiopia	ETH	3:30.0 (5 h3)	–
		Ajanew Bayene • Beyene Legesse • Mamo Wolde • Abebe Hailou • Bekele Haile (DNS) • Roba Negousse (DNS)
6 h2 r1/2	–	Colombia	COL	3:27.4 (6 h2)	–
		Carlos Sierra • Guillermo Zapata • Alfonso Muñoz • Jaime Aparicio
DNS	–	Liberia	LBR	–	–
		George Johnson • Edward Martins • Emmanuel Putu • James Roberts
DNS	–	Malaya	MAL	–	–
		Abdul Rahim bin Ahmed • M. Hari Chandra • Sinnayah Karuppiah Jarabalan • Lee Kah Fook • Kenneth Perera

Round One (30 November 1956 — 16:35)

Top two in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Canada	CAN	3:10.6	3:10.59	Q
		Laird Sloan • Doug Clement • Murray Cockburn • Terry Tobacco
2	–	United States	USA	3:10.6	3:10.60	Q
		Lou Jones • J. W. Mashburn • Charlie Jenkins • Tom Courtney
3	–	Czechoslovakia	TCH	3:10.8	3:10.96
		Jaroslav Jirásek • Václav Janeček • Vilém Mandlík • Josef Trousil
4	–	Finland	FIN	3:11.4	3:11.52
		Pentti Rekola • Ossi Mildh • Eero Kivelä • Voitto Hellstén

Heat Two

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)	Split (Pos)
1	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	3:09.8	3:09.88		Q
	–	Walter Oberste		48.4	48.4	– (–)
	97	Jürgen Kühl		47.8	1:36.2	– (–)
	–	Manfred Poerschke		47.8	2:24.0	– (–)
	68	Karl-Friedrich Haas		45.9	3:09.9	– (–)
2	–	Australia	AUS	3:10.4	3:10.57		Q
	–	Leon Gregory		–	–	– (–)
	629	John Goodman		–	–	– (–)
	60	Graham Gipson		–	–	– (–)
	89	Kevan Gosper		–	–	– (–)
3	–	France	FRA	3:11.8	3:11.76
	94	Jacques Degats		–	–	– (–)
	96	Jean-Paul Martin du Gard		–	–	– (–)
	665	Jean-Pierre Goudeau		–	–	– (–)
	95	Pierre Haarhoff		–	–	– (–)
4	–	Japan	JPN	3:13.8	3:13.75
	79	Kanji Akagi		–	–	– (–)
	270	Keiji Ogushi		–	–	– (–)
	144	Shigeharu Suzuki		–	–	– (–)
	143	Yoshitaka Muroya		–	–	– (–)
5	–	Puerto Rico	PUR	3:13.8	3:13.81
	273	Ovidio de Jesús		–	–	– (–)
	–	Ismael Delgado		–	–	– (–)
	150	Frank Rivera		–	–	– (–)
	83	Iván Rodríguez		–	–	– (–)
6	–	Colombia	COL	3:27.4	–
	674	Carlos Sierra		–	–	– (–)
	676	Guillermo Zapata		–	–	– (–)
	678	Alfonso Muñoz		–	–	– (–)
	675	Jaime Aparicio		–	–	– (–)

Heat Three

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:08.8	3:08.76	Q
		John Salisbury • Mike Wheeler • Peter Higgins • Derek Johnson
2	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:11.0	3:11.07	Q
		Keith Gardner • George Kerr • Mal Spence • Mel Spence
3	–	Soviet Union	URS	3:11.2	3:11.27
		Konstantin Grachov • Yury Lituyev • Anatoly Yulin • Ardalion Ignatyev
4	–	Kenya	KEN	3:17.6	3:17.68
		Kamau Wanyoke • Kiptalam Keter • Kibet Boit • Bartonjo Rotich
5	–	Ethiopia	ETH	3:30.0	3:29.93
		Ajanew Bayene • Beyene Legesse • Mamo Wolde • Abebe Hailou

Final (1 December 1956 — 17:10)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)	Split (Pos)
1	–	United States	USA	3:04.8	3:04.81
	117	Lou Jones		47.1	47.1	47.1 (1)
	–	J. W. Mashburn		46.4	1:33.5	1:33.5 (=1)
	116	Charlie Jenkins		45.5	2:19.0	2:19.0 (1)
	153	Tom Courtney		45.8	3:04.8	3:04.8 (1)
2	–	Australia	AUS	3:06.2	3:06.19
	–	Leon Gregory		47.2	47.2	47.2 (2)
	257	David Lean		46.3	1:33.5	1:33.5 (=1)
	60	Graham Gipson		46.6	2:20.1	2:20.1 (2)
	89	Kevan Gosper		46.1	3:06.2	3:06.2 (2)
3	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:07.2	3:07.19
	100	John Salisbury		47.6	47.6	47.6 (4)
	101	Mike Wheeler		46.8	1:34.4	1:34.4 (3)
	99	Peter Higgins		46.3	2:20.7	2:20.7 (3)
	137	Derek Johnson		46.5	3:07.2	3:07.2 (3)
4	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	3:08.2	3:08.27
	97	Jürgen Kühl		47.5	47.5	47.5 (3)
	–	Walter Oberste		47.3	1:34.8	1:34.8 (4)
	–	Manfred Poerschke		47.0	2:21.8	2:21.8 (4)
	68	Karl-Friedrich Haas		46.4	3:08.2	3:08.2 (4)
5	–	Canada	CAN	3:10.2	3:10.33
	91	Laird Sloan		48.2	48.2	48.2 (5)
	127	Doug Clement		47.8	1:36.0	1:36.0 (5)
	90	Murray Cockburn		47.5	2:23.5	2:23.5 (5)
	92	Terry Tobacco		46.7	3:10.2	3:10.2 (5)
DQ	–	Jamaica	JAM	[3:11.3]	[3:11.50]
	23	Keith Gardner		–	–	– (–)
	103	George Kerr		–	–	– (–)
	77	Mal Spence		–	–	– (–)
	78	Mel Spence		–	–	– (–)