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| Event type

Discus Throw, Women

Date23 November 1956
StatusOlympic
LocationMelbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants22 from 12 countries

Nina Romashkova was the defending champion, the 1954 European Champion, and the favorite. Her teammate Irina Beglyakova had finished second to her at the 1954 Europeans and was expected to medal. The qualifying leader was Czechoslovak Olga Fikotová who took the lead in the final with 52.04 (170-9) in round three. But Beglyakova surpassed her later in the round with 52.54 (172-4½). Fikotová regained the lead and won the gold medal with her fifth round throw of 53.69 (176-1¾), Beglyakova holding on for the silver. Romashkova never really factored for the gold but won the bronze. Fikotová also made headlines during the Olympics because she began a much publicized East-West romance with American hammer thrower, Hal Connolly. Overcoming what was described as “mountains of red tape” they fell in love and were married in Praha three months after the Olympics, with Czech distance running legend Emil Zátopek serving as best man. Connolly and Fikotová divorced in 1973. Fikotová-Connolly would eventually compete in five Olympics, the next four representing the United States.

PosNrAthleteNOCQualifyingFinal
1592Olga FikotováTCH50.77 (1)53.69 (1)GoldOR
2600Irina BeglyakovaURS47.65 (3)52.54 (2)SilverOR
3601Nina Romashkova-PonomaryovaURS48.34 (2)52.02 (3)Bronze
4580Earlene BrownUSA43.90 (=6)51.35 (4)
5599Albina YelkinaURS43.90 (=6)48.20 (5)
6588Isabel AvellánARG43.66 (9)46.73 (6)
7557Jiřina VobořilováTCH44.42 (5)45.84 (7)
8593Štěpánka MertováTCH46.26 (4)45.78 (8)
9596Lia ManoliuROU43.87 (8)43.90 (9)
10577Marianne WernerGER43.41 (10)43.34 (10)
11561Paola PaternosterITA42.88 (11)42.83 (11)
12586Nada KotlušekYUG42.45 (12)42.16 (12)
13590Lois JackmanAUS42.21 (13)40.84 (13)
14 r1/2578Suzanne AlldayGBR41.45 (14)
15 r1/2575Anne-Chatrine LafrenzGER41.18 (15)
16 r1/2595Toyoko YoshinoJPN40.91 (16)
17 r1/2589Shirley CottonAUS40.76 (17)
18 r1/2597Pam KurrellUSA40.49 (18)
19 r1/2574Jackie MacDonaldCAN40.41 (19)
20 r1/2598Marjorie LarneyUSA39.91 (20)
21 r1/2591Valerie LawrenceAUS36.61 (21)
22 r1/2594Almut BrömmelGER35.47 (22)

Qualifying Round (23 November 1956 — 10:00)

All those reaching 42.00 metres advanced to the final.

PosOrdAthleteNOCDistanceR1R2R3
15Olga FikotováTCH50.7728.6050.77-Q
210Nina Romashkova-PonomaryovaURS48.3448.34--Q
315Irina BeglyakovaURS47.6540.7747.65-Q
421Štěpánka MertováTCH46.2640.5146.26-Q
514Jiřina VobořilováTCH44.4244.42--Q
=611Earlene BrownUSA43.9043.90--Q
=67Albina YelkinaURS43.9043.90--Q
82Lia ManoliuROU43.8743.87--Q
99Isabel AvellánARG43.6640.9143.66-Q
1018Marianne WernerGER43.4140.7843.41-Q
116Paola PaternosterITA42.8842.88--Q
121Nada KotlušekYUG42.4540.7342.45-Q
1319Lois JackmanAUS42.2139.2541.6842.21Q
1412Suzanne AlldayGBR41.4539.3938.8941.45
1513Anne-Chatrine LafrenzGER41.1833.7241.1841.16
168Toyoko YoshinoJPN40.9140.7736.4740.91
174Shirley CottonAUS40.7637.7440.7639.36
1822Pam KurrellUSA40.4938.0140.4939.92
1917Jackie MacDonaldCAN40.4133.7733.9340.41
2020Marjorie LarneyUSA39.9139.9138.04×
2116Valerie LawrenceAUS36.6133.8435.7636.61
223Almut BrömmelGER35.47××35.47

Final Round (23 November 1956 — 16:10)

PosOrdAthleteNOCDistanceR1R2R3R4R5R6
13Olga FikotováTCH53.6946.5650.0952.0452.2853.6949.98OR
210Irina BeglyakovaURS52.5451.7451.0152.5450.3248.2248.31OR
37Nina Romashkova-PonomaryovaURS52.0251.0351.6150.1747.2252.0251.10
48Earlene BrownUSA51.3551.3542.55××40.4544.79
55Albina YelkinaURS48.2047.87×48.2045.1845.4547.92
66Isabel AvellánARG46.7346.7344.8442.6946.3143.8844.35
79Jiřina VobořilováTCH45.8445.57×45.84
813Štěpánka MertováTCH45.7841.9645.7843.41
92Lia ManoliuROU43.9043.9043.7642.72
1011Marianne WernerGER43.3443.3441.89×
114Paola PaternosterITA42.8342.8340.89×
121Nada KotlušekYUG42.1641.7939.8942.16
1312Lois JackmanAUS40.8440.8440.2840.64