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| Event type

Hammer Throw, Men

Date24 November 1956
StatusOlympic
LocationMelbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants22 from 14 countries

The favorite was Soviet Mikhail Krivonosov, the 1954 European Champion, who had broken the world record seven times since 1954. His biggest challenger was American Hal Connolly, who bettered Krivonosov and was the world record holder as the Melbourne Olympics began. In the final, eventual bronze medalist Anatoly Samotsvetov (URS) led after round one with 62.10 (203-9) with Krivonosov second with 60.59 (198-9½), as Connolly fouled. Krivonosov took the lead in round two with 63.00 (206-8½), while Connolly’s 60.92 (199-10½) put him in third place, trailing his teammate Al Hall. Krivonosov improved slightly in the third round with 63.03 (206-9½) while Connolly moved into second with 62.65 (205-6½). Krivonosov would do no better, fouling his final three throws. In round five, Connolly secured the gold medal with 63.19 (207-3¾). Connolly also generated headlines in Melbourne by his romance with Czechoslovakian discus throw gold medalist Olga Fikotová. They fell in love and married in Praha a few months after the Olympics, overcoming what Connolly once described as “mountains of red tape.” The best man at the ceremony was Czech distance running legend Emil Zátopek.

The third American, Cliff Blair, had set a short-lived American record of 65.95 in July, and likely would have challenged for a medal. It bettered Krivonosov’s world record, but was never recognized as a world record, for unknown reasons. Blair never made got to compete at the Olympics. He was helping Boston Globe sportswriter Jerry Nason with columns from Melbourne, and was thrown off the US team for violating amateur rules by serving as a sportswriter, although Nason stood up for him, insisting that he was writing the columns, and Blair was only speaking through him.

PosNrAthleteNOCQualifyingFinal
1459Hal ConnollyUSA59.05 (3)63.19 (1)GoldOR
2461Mikhail KrivonosovURS54.53 (15)63.03 (2)SilverOR
3462Anatoly SamotsvetovURS59.53 (1)62.56 (3)Bronze
4460Al HallUSA57.50 (7)61.96 (4)
5658József CsermákHUN57.95 (6)60.70 (5)
6464Krešo RačićYUG59.06 (2)60.36 (6)
7463Dmitry YegorovURS57.03 (8)60.22 (7)
8652Sverre StrandliNOR56.32 (9)59.21 (8)
9648Peter AlldayGBR54.98 (=11)58.00 (9)
10654Alfons NiklasPOL58.46 (4)57.70 (10)
11653Muhammad IqbalPAK54.59 (14)56.97 (11)
12647Don AnthonyGBR54.89 (13)56.72 (12)
13666Guy HussonFRA54.98 (=11)55.02 (13)
14433Tadeusz RutPOL58.07 (5)53.43 (14)
AC r2/2457Birger AsplundSWE55.03 (10)– (NM)
16 r1/2651Song Gyo-SikKOR53.74 (16)
17 r1/2650Yoshio KojimaJPN53.48 (17)
18 r1/2645Alejandro DíazCHI52.23 (18)
19 r1/2644Charlie MorrisAUS49.35 (19)
20 r1/2643Neville GadsdenAUS48.84 (20)
21 r1/2642Martin CroweAUS48.43 (21)
22 r1/2649Fumio KamamotoJPN44.70 (22)
DNS458Cliff BlairUSA– (DNS)

Qualifying Round (24 November 1956 — 10:00)

All those reaching 54.00 metres advanced to the final.

PosOrdAthleteNOCDistanceR1R2R3
11Anatoly SamotsvetovURS59.5359.53--Q
28Krešo RačićYUG59.0659.06--Q
321Hal ConnollyUSA59.0559.05--Q
414Alfons NiklasPOL58.4652.1158.46-Q
56Tadeusz RutPOL58.0758.07--Q
610József CsermákHUN57.9557.95--Q
716Al HallUSA57.5057.50--Q
89Dmitry YegorovURS57.0357.03--Q
92Sverre StrandliNOR56.3256.32--Q
1015Birger AsplundSWE55.0355.03--Q
=114Peter AlldayGBR54.9854.98--Q
=1112Guy HussonFRA54.9854.98--Q
1319Don AnthonyGBR54.8953.1054.89-Q
147Muhammad IqbalPAK54.5954.59--Q
1520Mikhail KrivonosovURS54.5354.53--Q
1618Song Gyo-SikKOR53.7453.30×53.74
1723Yoshio KojimaJPN53.4850.6753.4852.16
1811Alejandro DíazCHI52.23×52.2351.33
193Charlie MorrisAUS49.35×49.35×
2022Neville GadsdenAUS48.84××48.84
2113Martin CroweAUS48.4345.7648.2548.43
2217Fumio KamamotoJPN44.7040.72×44.70
DNS5Cliff BlairUSA

Final Round (24 November 1956 — 14:30)

PosOrdAthleteNOCDistanceR1R2R3R4R5R6
115Hal ConnollyUSA63.19×60.9262.6561.7663.19×OR
214Mikhail KrivonosovURS63.0360.5963.0063.03×××OR
31Anatoly SamotsvetovURS62.5662.1058.1361.9460.2259.2062.56
412Al HallUSA61.9657.7661.83×61.58×61.96
58József CsermákHUN60.7058.2758.4360.70×59.10×
66Krešo RačićYUG60.3657.9960.36××58.0755.09
77Dmitry YegorovURS60.2260.22××
82Sverre StrandliNOR59.2158.6258.4959.21
93Peter AlldayGBR58.0057.7857.0658.00
1010Alfons NiklasPOL57.7057.70××
115Muhammad IqbalPAK56.9756.4555.2456.97
1213Don AnthonyGBR56.72×55.2256.72
139Guy HussonFRA55.02××55.02
144Tadeusz RutPOL53.43××53.43
NM11Birger AsplundSWE×××