High Jump, Women
| Date | 1 December 1956 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Participants | 19 from 12 countries |
Two world records had been set earlier in 1956. In May, Britain’s Thelma Hopkins jumped 1.74 (5-8½), while in July, Romania’s Iolanda Balaş jumped 1.75 (5-8¾) metres. In 1954 they had placed 1-2 at the European Championships, Hopkins winning. At 1.67 (5-5¾) metres, seven jumpers went over, with Hopkins, Millie McDaniel (USA), Mariya Pisareva (URS), and Gunhild Larking (SWE) clearing on their first attempts. Balaş required two jumps, and finished fifth. At 1.70 (5-7), only McDaniel remained alive, clearing on her second jump, with Pisareva and Hopkins tieing in second place. Her personal best prior to Melbourne had been 1.69 (5-6½), but she then put the bar at the world record height of 1.76 (5-9¼) and succeeded on her second effort. She then tried 1.80 (5-10¾) but failed on three attempts.
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Qualifying Round | Final Round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 568 | Millie McDaniel |  USA | 1.58 (=7) | 1.76 (1) | Gold | ||
| =2 | 545 | Thelma Hopkins |  GBR | 1.58 (=1) | 1.67 (=2) | Silver | ||
| =2 | 569 | Mariya Pisareva |  URS | 1.58 (=7) | 1.67 (=2) | Silver | ||
| 4 | 566 | Gunhild Larking |  SWE | 1.58 (=1) | 1.67 (4) | |||
| 5 | 564 | Iolanda Balaș |  ROU | 1.58 (=1) | 1.67 (5) | |||
| 6 | 554 | Michele Mason |  AUS | 1.58 (=7) | 1.67 (6) | |||
| 7 | 562 | Jessie Donaghy |  NZL | 1.58 (=7) | 1.67 (7) | |||
| =8 | 565 | Hermina Geyser |  RSA | 1.58 (=4) | 1.64 (=8) | |||
| =8 | 557 | Jiřina Vobořilová |  TCH | 1.58 (=7) | 1.64 (=8) | |||
| 10 | 556 | Olga Modrachová | TCH | 1.58 (13) | 1.64 (10) | |||
| 11 | 570 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.58 (=14) | 1.60 (11) | |||
| =12 | 690 | Reinelde Knapp |  AUT | 1.58 (=4) | 1.60 (=12) | |||
| =12 | 560 | Dorothy Tyler | GBR | 1.58 (=4) | 1.60 (=12) | |||
| 14 | 553 | Carol Bernoth | AUS | 1.58 (=14) | 1.60 (14) | |||
| 15 | 552 | Janice Cooper | AUS | 1.58 (18) | 1.55 (15) | |||
| =16 | 555 | Alice Whitty |  CAN | 1.58 (16) | 1.55 (=16) | |||
| =16 | 559 | Audrey Bennett | GBR | 1.58 (12) | 1.55 (=16) | |||
| 18 | 558 | Inge Kilian |  GER | 1.58 (17) | 1.55 (18) | |||
| 19 r1/2 | 567 | Ann Marie Flynn | USA | 1.50 (19) | – | |||
| 561 | Paola Paternoster |  ITA | – ( | – |
Qualifying Round (1 December 1956 — 10:00)
All those clearing 1.58 metres advanced to the final.
| Pos | Athlete | NOC | Height | Misses | Total Misses | Total Attempts | 1.40 m | 1.50 m | 1.55 m | 1.58 m | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Thelma Hopkins | GBR | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | o | o | |||
| =1 | Iolanda Balaș | ROU | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | o | o | |||
| =1 | Gunhild Larking | SWE | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | o | - | o | |||
| =4 | Reinelde Knapp | AUT | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | |||
| =4 | Dorothy Tyler | GBR | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | |||
| =4 | Hermina Geyser | RSA | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | |||
| =7 | Michele Mason | AUS | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | |||
| =7 | Jessie Donaghy | NZL | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | |||
| =7 | Jiřina Vobořilová | TCH | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | |||
| =7 | Mariya Pisareva | URS | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | |||
| =7 | Millie McDaniel | USA | 1.58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | o | o | o | o | |||
| 12 | Audrey Bennett | GBR | 1.58 | 0 | 1 | 4 | - | o | xo | o | |||
| 13 | Olga Modrachová | TCH | 1.58 | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | o | o | xo | |||
| =14 | Carol Bernoth | AUS | 1.58 | 1 | 1 | 5 | o | o | o | xo | |||
| =14 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.58 | 1 | 1 | 5 | o | o | o | xo | |||
| 16 | Alice Whitty | CAN | 1.58 | 1 | 2 | 6 | o | xo | o | xo | |||
| 17 | Inge Kilian | GER | 1.58 | 2 | 3 | 6 | - | xo | o | xxo | |||
| 18 | Janice Cooper | AUS | 1.58 | 2 | 4 | 8 | o | o | xxo | xxo | |||
| 19 | Ann Marie Flynn | USA | 1.50 | 1 | 1 | 3 | o | xo | xxx | – | |||
| Paola Paternoster | ITA | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Final Round (1 December 1956 — 15:50)
| Pos | Athlete | NOC | Height | Misses | Total Misses | Total Attempts | 1.40 m | 1.50 m | 1.55 m | 1.60 m | 1.64 m | 1.67 m | 1.70 m | 1.72 m | 1.74 m | 1.76 m | 1.78 m | 1.80 m | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millie McDaniel | USA | 1.76 | 1 | 3 | 11 | o | o | o | xo | o | o | xo | - | - | xo | - | xxx | |||
| =2 | Thelma Hopkins | GBR | 1.67 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =2 | Mariya Pisareva | URS | 1.67 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 4 | Gunhild Larking | SWE | 1.67 | 0 | 3 | 7 | - | - | o | xxo | xo | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 5 | Iolanda Balaș | ROU | 1.67 | 1 | 1 | 5 | - | - | o | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 6 | Michele Mason | AUS | 1.67 | 2 | 2 | 7 | o | - | o | o | o | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 7 | Jessie Donaghy | NZL | 1.67 | 2 | 3 | 8 | - | o | o | o | xo | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =8 | Hermina Geyser | RSA | 1.64 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =8 | Jiřina Vobořilová | TCH | 1.64 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | o | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 10 | Olga Modrachová | TCH | 1.64 | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | - | o | o | xo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 11 | Valentina Ballod | URS | 1.60 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =12 | Reinelde Knapp | AUT | 1.60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =12 | Dorothy Tyler | GBR | 1.60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | o | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 14 | Carol Bernoth | AUS | 1.60 | 2 | 2 | 5 | - | o | o | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 15 | Janice Cooper | AUS | 1.55 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =16 | Alice Whitty | CAN | 1.55 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| =16 | Audrey Bennett | GBR | 1.55 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | o | o | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 18 | Inge Kilian | GER | 1.55 | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | o | xxo | xxx | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |