| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Relay, Men

Date	30 November – 1 December 1956
Status	Olympic
Location	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants	72 from 18 countries
Olympic Record	39.8 WR / United States USA / 9 August 1936

Led by Bobby Joe Morrow, who had won the 100 and 200, the US was expected to win, and posted the fastest times in the first round and semi-final. The first two US runners, Ira Murchison and Leamon King, opened a big lead on the Soviets but a poor handoff to Thane Baker allowed them to draw almost even. Baker ran a good curve, however, and Morrow received the stick slightly ahead. He had a thigh injury and was not as strong as he had been in the individual events but held on to win the gold for the US. The USSR finished second in a new European record.

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	–	United States	USA	40.5 (1 h1)	40.3 (1 h1)	39.5 (1)	Gold	WR
		Ira Murchison • Leamon King • Thane Baker • Bobby Joe Morrow • John Bennett (DNS) • Lee Calhoun (DNS) • Jack Davis (DNS) • Andy Stanfield (DNS)
2	–	Soviet Union	URS	40.7 (1 h3)	40.3 (1 h2)	39.8 (2)	Silver
		Leonid Bartenev • Boris Tokarev • Yury Konovalov • Vladimir Sukharev • Yury Bashlikov (DNS) • Ardalion Ignatyev (DNS)
3	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	40.8 (3 h2)	40.5 (2 h2)	40.3 (3)	Bronze
		Lothar Knörzer • Leo Pohl • Heinz Fütterer • Manfred Germar • Bert Steines (DNS)
4	–	Italy	ITA	40.9 (2 h3)	41.1 (3 h1)	40.3 (4)
		Franco Galbiati • Giovanni Ghiselli • Luigi Gnocchi • Vincenzo Lombardo • Mario Colarossi (DNS) • Sergio D'Asnasch (DNS)
5	–	Great Britain	GBR	41.2 (2 h1)	40.6 (3 h2)	40.6 (5)
		Ken Box • Roy Sandstrom • David Segal • Brian Shenton • Peter Higgins (DNS) • Peter Hildreth (DNS) • Jack Parker (DNS) • Mike Wheeler (DNS)
6	–	Poland	POL	40.9 (1 h4)	41.0 (2 h1)	40.6 (6)
		Marian Foik • Jan Jarzembowski • Edward Szmidt • Zenon Baranowski • Henryk Grabowski (DNS) • Kazimierz Kropidłowski (DNS)
4 h1 r2/3	–	France	FRA	40.8 (2 h2)	41.3 (4 h1)	–
		René Bonino • Konstantin Lissenko • Jocelyn Delecour • Alain David • Yves Camus (DNS) • Jacques Degats (DNS) • Edmond Roudnitska (DNS) • Abdou Sèye (DNS)
4 h2 r2/3	–	Australia	AUS	40.6 (1 h2)	40.8 (4 h2)	–
		Gavin Carragher • Ted McGlynn • Ray Land • Hec Hogan • Graham Gipson (DNS) • Douglas Winston (DNS)
5 h1 r2/3	–	Hungary	HUN	41.5 (2 h4)	41.5 (5 h1)	–
		Sándor Jakabfy • Géza Varasdi • György Csányi • Béla Goldoványi • László Kiss (DNS)
5 h2 r2/3	–	Pakistan	PAK	41.3 (3 h1)	40.8 (5 h2)	–
		Sharif Butt • Ghulam Raziq • Abdul Aziz • Abdul Khaliq • Kalim Khawaja Ghani (DNS) • Muhammad Ramzan Ali (DNS)
6 h1 r2/3	–	Brazil	BRA	41.6 (3 h3)	43.8 (6 h1)	–
		João Pires Sobrinho • José da Conceição • Ary Façanha • Jorge de Barros • Adhemar da Silva (DNS) • Ulisses dos Santos (DNS)
6 h2 r2/3	–	Japan	JPN	42.2 (3 h4)	41.3 (6 h2)	–
		Masaji Tajima • Kanji Akagi • Akira Kiyofuji • Kyohei Ushio • Teruji Kogake (DNS) • Koji Sakurai (DNS) • Hiroshi Shibata (DNS) • Yoshiro Sonoda (DNS)
4 h1 r1/3	–	Venezuela	VEN	42.0 (4 h1)	–	–
		Alfonso Bruno • Apolinar Solórzano • Clive Bonas • Rafael Romero • Asnoldo Devonish (DNS)
4 h2 r1/3	–	Thailand	THA	44.2 (4 h2)	–	–
		Vanchak Voradilok • Paiboon Vacharapan • Montri Srinaka • Sneh Wongchaoom • Manut Bumrungphuk (DNS) • Somnuek Srisombat (DNS)
4 h3 r1/3	–	Canada	CAN	41.7 (4 h3)	–	–
		Stan Levenson • Dick Harding • Jack Parrington • Joe Foreman • Laird Sloan (DNS) • Terry Tobacco (DNS)
5 h1 r1/3	–	Liberia	LBR	44.7 (5 h1)	–	–
		Edward Martins • Emmanuel Putu • George Johnson • James Roberts
5 h3 r1/3	–	Ethiopia	ETH	44.3 (5 h3)	–	–
		Beyene Legesse • Bekele Haile • Roba Negousse • Abebe Hailou
AC h4 r1/3	–	Nigeria	NGR	47.3 (AC h4)	–	–
		Titus Erinle • Rafiu Oluwa • Edward Ajado • Abdul Karim Amu • Thomas Obi (DNS) • Karim Olowu (DNS)
DNS	–	Trinidad and Tobago	TTO	–	–	–
		Rodney Wilkes • Hylton Mitchell • Mike Agostini • Joe Goddard • Edmund Turton

Round One (30 November 1956 — 15:30)

Top three in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	United States	USA	40.5	40.53	Q
		Ira Murchison • Leamon King • Thane Baker • Bobby Joe Morrow
2	–	Great Britain	GBR	41.2	41.30	Q
		Ken Box • Roy Sandstrom • David Segal • Brian Shenton
3	–	Pakistan	PAK	41.3	41.42	Q
		Sharif Butt • Ghulam Raziq • Abdul Aziz • Abdul Khaliq
4	–	Venezuela	VEN	42.0	42.10
		Alfonso Bruno • Apolinar Solórzano • Clive Bonas • Rafael Romero
5	–	Liberia	LBR	44.7	44.96
		Edward Martins • Emmanuel Putu • George Johnson • James Roberts

Heat Two

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Australia	AUS	40.6	40.72	Q
		Gavin Carragher • Ted McGlynn • Ray Land • Hec Hogan
2	–	France	FRA	40.8	40.99	Q
		René Bonino • Konstantin Lissenko • Jocelyn Delecour • Alain David
3	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	40.8	41.00	Q
		Lothar Knörzer • Leo Pohl • Heinz Fütterer • Manfred Germar
4	–	Thailand	THA	44.2	44.37
		Vanchak Voradilok • Paiboon Vacharapan • Montri Srinaka • Sneh Wongchaoom

Heat Three

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Soviet Union	URS	40.7	40.77	Q
		Leonid Bartenev • Boris Tokarev • Yury Konovalov • Vladimir Sukharev
2	–	Italy	ITA	40.9	41.07	Q
		Franco Galbiati • Giovanni Ghiselli • Luigi Gnocchi • Vincenzo Lombardo
3	–	Brazil	BRA	41.6	41.70	Q
		João Pires Sobrinho • José da Conceição • Ary Façanha • Jorge de Barros
4	–	Canada	CAN	41.7	41.75
		Stan Levenson • Dick Harding • Jack Parrington • Joe Foreman
5	–	Ethiopia	ETH	44.3	44.47
		Beyene Legesse • Bekele Haile • Roba Negousse • Abebe Hailou

Heat Four

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Poland	POL	40.9	40.97	Q
		Marian Foik • Jan Jarzembowski • Edward Szmidt • Zenon Baranowski
2	–	Hungary	HUN	41.5	41.45	Q
		Sándor Jakabfy • Géza Varasdi • György Csányi • Béla Goldoványi
3	–	Japan	JPN	42.2	42.30	Q
		Masaji Tajima • Kanji Akagi • Akira Kiyofuji • Kyohei Ushio
AC	–	Nigeria	NGR	47.3	47.39	DQ
		Titus Erinle • Rafiu Oluwa • Edward Ajado • Abdul Karim Amu

Semi-Finals (1 December 1956 — 14:30)

Top three in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	United States	USA	40.3	40.34	Q
		Ira Murchison • Leamon King • Thane Baker • Bobby Joe Morrow
2	–	Poland	POL	41.0	41.12	Q
		Marian Foik • Jan Jarzembowski • Edward Szmidt • Zenon Baranowski
3	–	Italy	ITA	41.1	41.14	Q
		Franco Galbiati • Giovanni Ghiselli • Luigi Gnocchi • Vincenzo Lombardo
4	–	France	FRA	41.3	41.37
		René Bonino • Konstantin Lissenko • Jocelyn Delecour • Alain David
5	–	Hungary	HUN	41.5	41.51
		Sándor Jakabfy • Géza Varasdi • György Csányi • Béla Goldoványi
6	–	Brazil	BRA	43.8	43.87
		João Pires Sobrinho • José da Conceição • Ary Façanha • Jorge de Barros

Heat Two

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)
1	–	Soviet Union	URS	40.3	40.36	Q
		Leonid Bartenev • Boris Tokarev • Yury Konovalov • Vladimir Sukharev
2	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	40.5	40.64	Q
		Lothar Knörzer • Leo Pohl • Heinz Fütterer • Manfred Germar
3	–	Great Britain	GBR	40.6	40.68	Q
		Ken Box • Roy Sandstrom • David Segal • Brian Shenton
4	–	Australia	AUS	40.8	40.72
		Gavin Carragher • Ted McGlynn • Ray Land • Hec Hogan
5	–	Pakistan	PAK	40.8	40.78
		Sharif Butt • Ghulam Raziq • Abdul Aziz • Abdul Khaliq
6	–	Japan	JPN	41.3	41.57
		Masaji Tajima • Kanji Akagi • Akira Kiyofuji • Kyohei Ushio

Final (1 December 1956 — 16:35)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (H)	Time (A)	Split (Pos)
1	–	United States	USA	39.5	39.60		WR
	56	Ira Murchison		10.8	–	10.8 (–)
	–	Leamon King		9.2	–	20.0 (–)
	54	Thane Baker		9.7	–	29.7 (–)
	55	Bobby Joe Morrow		9.8	–	39.5 (–)
2	–	Soviet Union	URS	39.8	39.93
	57	Leonid Bartenev		–	–	– (–)
	59	Boris Tokarev		–	–	– (–)
	58	Yury Konovalov		–	–	– (–)
	–	Vladimir Sukharev		–	–	– (–)
3	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	40.3	40.34
	–	Lothar Knörzer		–	–	– (–)
	69	Leo Pohl		–	–	– (–)
	13	Heinz Fütterer		–	–	– (–)
	14	Manfred Germar		–	–	– (–)
4	–	Italy	ITA	40.3	40.43
	21	Franco Galbiati		–	–	– (–)
	74	Giovanni Ghiselli		–	–	– (–)
	22	Luigi Gnocchi		–	–	– (–)
	75	Vincenzo Lombardo		–	–	– (–)
5	–	Great Britain	GBR	40.6	40.74
	16	Ken Box		–	–	– (–)
	17	Roy Sandstrom		–	–	– (–)
	18	David Segal		–	–	– (–)
	70	Brian Shenton		–	–	– (–)
6	–	Poland	POL	40.6	40.75
	38	Marian Foik		–	–	– (–)
	39	Jan Jarzembowski		–	–	– (–)
	40	Edward Szmidt		–	–	– (–)
	82	Zenon Baranowski		–	–	– (–)