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| Event type

100 metres, Women

Date24 – 26 November 1956
StatusOlympic
LocationMelbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants34 from 16 countries

Marjorie Jackson was the defending champion and had been Commonwealth Games 100 champion in both 1950 and 1954. But she retired after the 1954 Commonwealth title, and chose not to defend in her native Australia. Shortly before the Melbourne Olympics, Australia found another great sprinter in Betty Cuthbert who broke the 220 yard world record with 23.2. She was favored at the Olympics and became the “Golden Girl,” named for her blonde hair and the three gold medals she won in the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay. The 100 was a comfortable win for her in 11.5, after setting an Olympic record of 11.4 in the first round.

PosNrAthleteNOCR1SFFinal
1468Betty CuthbertAUS11.4 (1 h3)12.0 (2 h1)11.5 (1)Gold
2484Christa StubnickGER11.7 (1 h6)11.9 (1 h1)11.7 (2)Silver
3470Marlene MathewsAUS11.5 (1 h2)11.6 (1 h2)11.7 (3)Bronze
4503Isabelle DanielsUSA11.6 (2 h3)11.7 (3 h2)11.8 (4)
5491Giuseppina LeoneITA11.8 (1 h1)12.1 (3 h1)11.9 (5)
6487Heather ArmitageGBR11.5w (1 h4)11.6 (2 h2)12.0 (6)
4 h1 r2/3486June PaulGBR11.9 (2 h6)12.1 (4 h1)
4 h2 r2/3482Gisela KöhlerGER11.7w (2 h4)11.9 (4 h2)
5 h1 r2/3508Galina PopovaURS11.6w (1 h5)12.2 (5 h1)
5 h2 r2/3507Vera KrepkinaURS11.9 (2 h1)11.9 (5 h2)
6 h1 r2/3479Catherine CapdevielleFRA11.7w (2 h5)12.4 (6 h1)
6 h2 r2/3506Galina RezchikovaURS11.8 (2 h2)12.1 (6 h2)
3 h1 r1/3504Mae FaggsUSA12.2 (3 h1)
3 h2 r1/3505Lucinda WilliamsUSA12.0 (3 h2)
3 h3 r1/3485Anne PashleyGBR11.7 (3 h3)
3 h4 r1/3469Shirley Strickland de la HuntyAUS11.7w (3 h4)
3 h5 r1/3481Inge FuhrmannGER12.2w (3 h5)
3 h6 r1/3494Margaret StuartNZL12.3 (3 h6)
4 h1 r1/3480Micheline FluchotFRA12.4 (4 h1)
4 h2 r1/3499Maria KusionPOL12.2 (4 h2)
4 h3 r1/3500Barbara LerczakPOL12.2 (4 h3)
4 h4 r1/3472Eleanor HaslamCAN11.8w (4 h4)
4 h5 r1/3493Annie ChoongMAL12.5w (4 h5)
4 h6 r1/3531Elaine WinterRSA12.5 (4 h6)
5 h1 r1/3501Janet JesudasonSGP13.2 (5 h1)
5 h2 r1/3474Maureen ReverCAN12.2 (5 h2)
5 h3 r1/3492Maria MussoITA12.2 (5 h3)
5 h4 r1/3498Halina RichterPOL12.2w (5 h4)
5 h6 r1/3471Claudette MasdammerGUY12.7 (5 h6)
6 h2 r1/3490Franca PeggionITA12.4 (6 h2)
6 h3 r1/3473Diane MathesonCAN12.4 (6 h3)
6 h4 r1/3489Maeve KyleIRL12.3w (6 h4)
7 h2 r1/3502Mary KlassSGP12.6 (7 h2)
AC h1 r1/3488Mary RaoIND– (DNF h1)
DNS478Berta DíazCUB– (DNS h5)
DNS496Manolita CincoPHI– (DNS h6)
DNS497Francisca SañopalPHI– (DNS h5)

Round One (24 November 1956 — 14:45)

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

Heat One

Wind1.3 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
14Giuseppina LeoneITA11.812.00Q
23Vera KrepkinaURS11.912.08Q
36Mae FaggsUSA12.212.36
41Micheline FluchotFRA12.412.55
52Janet JesudasonSGP13.213.41
DNF5Mary RaoIND

Heat Two

Wind0.6 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
16Marlene MathewsAUS11.511.81QOR
23Galina RezchikovaURS11.812.11Q
37Lucinda WilliamsUSA12.012.14
45Maria KusionPOL12.212.34
51Maureen ReverCAN12.212.36
62Franca PeggionITA12.412.55
74Mary KlassSGP12.612.57

Heat Three

Wind-1.2 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
16Betty CuthbertAUS11.411.72QOR
22Isabelle DanielsUSA11.611.91Q
31Anne PashleyGBR11.711.94
45Barbara LerczakPOL12.212.37
54Maria MussoITA12.212.40
63Diane MathesonCAN12.412.59

Heat Four

Wind2.4 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
16Heather ArmitageGBR11.5w11.81wQ
23Gisela KöhlerGER11.7w11.85wQ
35Shirley Strickland de la HuntyAUS11.7w11.86w
41Eleanor HaslamCAN11.8w11.98w
54Halina RichterPOL12.2w12.38w
62Maeve KyleIRL12.3w12.48w

Heat Five

Wind3.5 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
11Galina PopovaURS11.6w11.86wQ
24Catherine CapdevielleFRA11.7w12.10wQ
32Inge FuhrmannGER12.2w12.31w
46Annie ChoongMAL12.5w12.73w
DNS3Berta DíazCUB
DNS5Francisca SañopalPHI

Heat Six

Wind-4.0 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
14Christa StubnickGER11.711.89Q
23June PaulGBR11.912.15Q
35Margaret StuartNZL12.312.38
46Elaine WinterRSA12.512.59
52Claudette MasdammerGUY12.712.87
DNS1Manolita CincoPHI

Semi-Finals (24 November 1956 — 16:40)

Top three in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat One

Wind-4.0 m/s
PosNrAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
1484Christa StubnickGER11.912.05Q
2468Betty CuthbertAUS12.012.08Q
3491Giuseppina LeoneITA12.112.22Q
4486June PaulGBR12.112.24
5508Galina PopovaURS12.212.34
6479Catherine CapdevielleFRA12.412.53

Heat Two

Wind0.0 m/s
PosNrAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
1470Marlene MathewsAUS11.611.80Q
2487Heather ArmitageGBR11.611.87Q
3503Isabelle DanielsUSA11.711.94Q
4482Gisela KöhlerGER11.912.07
5507Vera KrepkinaURS11.912.07
6506Galina RezchikovaURS12.112.23

Final (26 November 1956 — 17:20)

Wind-2.3 m/s
PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (H)Time (A)
14Betty CuthbertAUS11.511.82
21Christa StubnickGER11.711.92
33Marlene MathewsAUS11.711.94
46Isabelle DanielsUSA11.811.98
55Giuseppina LeoneITA11.912.07
62Heather ArmitageGBR12.012.10