| Date | 27 November 1956 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Participants | 20 from 15 countries |
Fortune Gordien was the world record holder with 59.28 (194-6) set in August 1953. He led the year list with 57.21 (187-8½), set in winning the US Olympic Trials. The 1948 gold medalist Adolfo Consolini had won the last three European Championships and had set a European record of 56.85 (186-6¼) in 1956, and was a slight favorite. The other Americans were collegiate football star and 1955 NCAA Champion Des Koch, and the very young Al Oerter, who was not well known. Gordien opened in round one with 54.75 (179-7½), and Oerter threw after him, recording a lifetime best of 56.36 (184-11). That mark would hold up for Oerter, with Gordien getting silver, and Koch completing the American sweep. Al Oerter won the gold medal. A legend was in the making.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Qualifying | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 438 | Al Oerter |  USA | 51.19 (1) | 56.36 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 436 | Fortune Gordien | USA | 47.67 (12) | 54.81 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 437 | Des Koch | USA | 47.14 (16) | 54.40 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 430 | Mark Pharaoh |  GBR | 48.98 (5) | 54.27 (4) | |||
| 5 | 440 | Oto Grigalka |  URS | 48.11 (9) | 52.37 (5) | |||
| 6 | 431 | Adolfo Consolini |  ITA | 49.93 (3) | 52.21 (6) | |||
| 7 | 659 | Ferenc Klics |  HUN | 47.31 (14) | 51.82 (7) | |||
| 8 | 442 | Dako Radošević |  YUG | 47.93 (10) | 51.69 (8) | |||
| 9 | 439 | Boris Matveyev | URS | 48.97 (6) | 51.38 (9) | |||
| 10 | 429 | Gerry Carr | GBR | 47.15 (15) | 50.72 (10) | |||
| 11 | 422 | Günther Kruse |  ARG | 47.87 (11) | 49.89 (11) | |||
| 12 | 441 | Kim Bukhantsov | URS | 49.65 (4) | 48.58 (12) | |||
| 13 | 618 | Fanie du Plessis |  RSA | 50.69 (2) | 48.49 (13) | |||
| 14 | 435 | Erik Uddebom |  SWE | 48.44 (7) | 48.28 (14) | |||
| 15 | 426 | Mesulame Rakuro |  FIJ | 48.21 (8) | 47.24 (15) | |||
| 16 | 425 | Hernán Haddad |  CHI | 47.48 (13) | 46.00 (16) | |||
| 17 QR | 433 | Tadeusz Rut |  POL | 46.62 (17) | – | |||
| 18 QR | 427 | Pierre Alard |  FRA | 46.18 (18) | – | |||
| 19 QR | 432 | Muhammad Ayub |  PAK | 44.88 (19) | – | |||
| 20 QR | 423 | Ves Balodis |  AUS | 44.24 (20) | – | |||
| 424 | Todor Artarski |  BUL | – ( | – | ||||
| 428 | Barclay Palmer | GBR | – ( | – |
| Date | 27 November 1956 — 10:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | All those reaching 47.00 metres advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Distance | Round #1 Distance | Round #2 Distance | Round #3 Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Al Oerter | USA | 51.19 | 51.19 | p | p | ||
| 2 | 18 | Fanie du Plessis | RSA | 50.69 | 50.69 | p | p | ||
| 3 | 1 | Adolfo Consolini | ITA | 49.93 | 49.93 | p | p | ||
| 4 | 10 | Kim Bukhantsov | URS | 49.65 | 49.65 | p | p | ||
| 5 | 12 | Mark Pharaoh | GBR | 48.98 | 48.98 | p | p | ||
| 6 | 14 | Boris Matveyev | URS | 48.97 | 43.62 | 48.97 | p | ||
| 7 | 2 | Erik Uddebom | SWE | 48.44 | 48.44 | p | p | ||
| 8 | 17 | Mesulame Rakuro | FIJ | 48.21 | 48.21 | p | p | ||
| 9 | 20 | Oto Grigalka | URS | 48.11 | 48.11 | p | p | ||
| 10 | 15 | Dako Radošević | YUG | 47.93 | 47.93 | p | p | ||
| 11 | 3 | Günther Kruse | ARG | 47.87 | 46.28 | 47.87 | p | ||
| 12 | 7 | Fortune Gordien | USA | 47.67 | 47.67 | p | p | ||
| 13 | 4 | Hernán Haddad | CHI | 47.48 | 47.48 | p | p | ||
| 14 | 6 | Ferenc Klics | HUN | 47.31 | 47.31 | p | p | ||
| 15 | 9 | Gerry Carr | GBR | 47.15 | 47.15 | p | p | ||
| 16 | 19 | Des Koch | USA | 47.14 | 47.14 | p | p | ||
| 17 | 21 | Tadeusz Rut | POL | 46.62 | 42.69 | 46.62 | 46.23 | ||
| 18 | 13 | Pierre Alard | FRA | 46.18 | 38.24 | 46.18 | 44.36 | ||
| 19 | 8 | Muhammad Ayub | PAK | 44.88 | 40.93 | 41.79 | 44.88 | ||
| 20 | 5 | Ves Balodis | AUS | 44.24 | 44.24 | x | 42.36 | ||
| 16 | Todor Artarski | BUL | – | – | – | – | |||
| 22 | Barclay Palmer | GBR | – | – | – | – |
| Date | 27 November 1956 — 15:25 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Distance | Round #1 Distance | Round #2 Distance | Round #3 Distance | Round #4 Distance | Round #5 Distance | Round #6 Distance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Al Oerter | USA | 56.36 | 56.36 | 53.81 | 53.22 | 55.08 | 53.28 | 54.93 | ||
| 2 | 6 | Fortune Gordien | USA | 54.81 | 54.75 | 49.18 | 51.40 | 53.84 | 52.75 | 54.81 | ||
| 3 | 15 | Des Koch | USA | 54.40 | 50.53 | x | 53.55 | 53.64 | 54.40 | 54.03 | ||
| 4 | 10 | Mark Pharaoh | GBR | 54.27 | 52.52 | x | 52.36 | 49.85 | 54.27 | 53.16 | ||
| 5 | 16 | Oto Grigalka | URS | 52.37 | 51.25 | 50.09 | 52.37 | 49.44 | x | 50.13 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Adolfo Consolini | ITA | 52.21 | 51.92 | 52.21 | 52.13 | x | 51.29 | 52.01 | ||
| 7 | 5 | Ferenc Klics | HUN | 51.82 | 51.75 | 51.82 | 51.61 | – | – | – | ||
| 8 | 12 | Dako Radošević | YUG | 51.69 | 50.99 | 51.26 | 51.69 | – | – | – | ||
| 9 | 11 | Boris Matveyev | URS | 51.38 | 50.59 | 49.63 | 51.38 | – | – | – | ||
| 10 | 7 | Gerry Carr | GBR | 50.72 | 48.03 | 50.72 | 48.98 | – | – | – | ||
| 11 | 3 | Günther Kruse | ARG | 49.89 | 49.12 | 45.92 | 49.89 | – | – | – | ||
| 12 | 8 | Kim Bukhantsov | URS | 48.58 | 48.58 | 47.75 | 46.86 | – | – | – | ||
| 13 | 14 | Fanie du Plessis | RSA | 48.49 | 48.49 | 46.23 | 43.31 | – | – | – | ||
| 14 | 2 | Erik Uddebom | SWE | 48.28 | 48.28 | 47.89 | 44.72 | – | – | – | ||
| 15 | 13 | Mesulame Rakuro | FIJ | 47.24 | 46.45 | 47.24 | 44.60 | – | – | – | ||
| 16 | 4 | Hernán Haddad | CHI | 46.00 | x | 46.00 | x | – | – | – |
