| | Event type

Lightweight, Freestyle (≤67 kilograms), 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	Competitor(s)	NOC	RE	Bad Points
1	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	–	–	Gold
2	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	–	–	Silver
3	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	–	–	Bronze
4	Gyula Tóth	HUN	–	–
=5	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	–	–
=5	Tommy Evans	USA	–	–
AC	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	Eliminated r4/6	6
AC	Mario Tovar	MEX	Eliminated r4/6	7
AC	Adil Güngör	TUR	Withdrew r4/6	4
AC	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	Eliminated r3/6	6
AC	Roger Bielle	FRA	Eliminated r3/6	6
AC	Juan Rolón	ARG	Eliminated r3/6	7
AC	Jack Taylor	GBR	Eliminated r3/6	7
AC	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	Withdrew r3/6	4
AC	Olle Anderberg	SWE	Withdrew r3/6	4
AC	David Schumacher	AUS	Eliminated r2/6	6
AC	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	Eliminated r2/6	6
AC	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	Eliminated r2/6	6
AC	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	Eliminated r2/6	6

Round One (28 November 1956 — -)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
=1	Gyula Tóth	HUN	0
=1	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	0
=1	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	0
=1	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	0
=1	Mario Tovar	MEX	0
=1	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	0
=1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0
=1	Tommy Evans	USA	0
=9	Roger Bielle	FRA	1
=9	Adil Güngör	TUR	1
11	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	2
=12	Juan Rolón	ARG	3
=12	David Schumacher	AUS	3
=12	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	3
=12	Jack Taylor	GBR	3
=12	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	3
=12	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	3
=12	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	3
=12	Olle Anderberg	SWE	3

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

Round Two (29 November 1956 — -)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0
=2	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	1
=2	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	1
=2	Mario Tovar	MEX	1
=2	Tommy Evans	USA	1
=6	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	2
=6	Adil Güngör	TUR	2
=8	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	3
=8	Roger Bielle	FRA	3
=8	Gyula Tóth	HUN	3
=8	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3
=12	Juan Rolón	ARG	4
=12	Väinö Hakkarainen	FIN	4
=12	Jack Taylor	GBR	4
=12	Olle Anderberg	SWE	4
=16	David Schumacher	AUS	6	eliminated
=16	Lakhshmi Kant Pandey	IND	6	eliminated
=16	Oh Tae-Geun	KOR	6	eliminated
=16	Mateo Tanaquin	PHI	6	eliminated

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

Round Three (30 November 1956 — -)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0
=2	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	2
=2	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	2
=2	Tommy Evans	USA	2
=5	Gyula Tóth	HUN	3
=5	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3
=5	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	3
=8	Mario Tovar	MEX	4
=8	Adil Güngör	TUR	4
=10	Georgi Zaychev	BUL	6	eliminated
=10	Roger Bielle	FRA	6	eliminated
=12	Juan Rolón	ARG	7	eliminated
=12	Jack Taylor	GBR	7	eliminated

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

Round Four (1 December 1956)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	0
=2	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	3
=2	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	3
4	Gyula Tóth	HUN	4
=5	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA	5	eliminated
=5	Tommy Evans	USA	5	eliminated
7	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK	6	eliminated
8	Mario Tovar	MEX	7	eliminated

Match #1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	fall (1:21)	Muhammad Ashraf	PAK
Match #2	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	fall (7:55)	Mario Tovar	MEX
Match #3	Gyula Tóth	HUN	decision (3-0)	Tommy Evans	USA
Match #4	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	decision (3-0)	Garibaldo Nizzola	ITA

Round Five (1 December 1956 — -)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS	2
2	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	4
3	Gyula Tóth	HUN	5	eliminated
4	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN	6	eliminated

Match #1	Gyula Tóth	HUN	decision (2-1)	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS
Match #2	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	decision (3-0)	Shigeru Kasahara	JPN

Final Round (1 December 1956)

Match #1	Emam Ali Habibi	IRI	fall (2:00)	Alimbeg Bestayev	URS