| Date | 3 – 5 September 1960 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Stadio Olimpico, Roma |
| Participants | 24 from 15 countries |
The 1958 European Champion was Tamara Press (URS) and she was favored. But 1952 champion Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova pulled an upset to win the gold medal. The finals matched four athletes who had or would win discus gold medals – Press, Ponomaryova-Romashkova, Czech-American Olga Fikotová (1956 gold medalist – 7th), and Romania’s Lia Manoliu (1968 gold medalist – bronze). Manoliu led in Roma with 52.36 (171-9½) in round one, but Ponomaryova-Romashkova took the lead for good in round two with 52.42 (171-11¾). She improved to 53.39 (175-2) in round three, and to 54.42 (178-6½) in the final round. Press did win the shot put in Roma and one week later, would break the discus throw world record with 57.15 (187-6) at a post-Olympic meet in Roma.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Qualifying | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 176 | Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova |  URS | 53.68 (1) | 55.10 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 173 | Tamara Press | URS | 51.47 (3) | 52.59 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 66 | Lia Manoliu |  ROU | 48.57 (9) | 52.36 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 92 | Kriemhild Hausmann |  GER | 50.86 (5) | 51.47 (4) | |||
| 5 | 177 | Yevgeniya Kuznetsova | URS | 49.36 (7) | 51.43 (5) | |||
| 6 | 129 | Earlene Brown |  USA | 51.17 (4) | 51.29 (6) | |||
| 7 | 130 | Olga Fikotová-Connolly | USA | 48.32 (10) | 50.95 (7) | |||
| 8 | 40 | Jiřina Němcová-Vobořilová |  TCH | 49.86 (6) | 50.12 (8) | |||
| 9 | 94 | Irene Schuch | GER | 52.22 (2) | 49.86 (9) | |||
| 10 | 20 | Valerie Sloper |  NZL | 46.91 (12) | 48.81 (10) | |||
| 11 | 39 | Štěpánka Mertová | TCH | 49.34 (8) | 48.28 (11) | |||
| 12 | 105 | Wivianne Bergh |  SWE | 47.02 (11) | 43.96 (12) | |||
| 13 QR | 156 | Kazimiera Rykowska |  POL | 46.75 (13) | – | |||
| 14 QR | 21 | Jennifer Thompson | NZL | 46.74 (14) | – | |||
| 15 QR | 187 | Elivia Ricci |  ITA | 45.86 (15) | – | |||
| 16 QR | 25 | Dorli Hofrichter |  AUT | 44.94 (16) | – | |||
| 17 QR | 107 | Karen Inge Halkier |  DEN | 43.99 (17) | – | |||
| 18 QR | 112 | Hiroko Uchida |  JPN | 43.78 (18) | – | |||
| 19 QR | 131 | Pam Kurrell | USA | 43.23 (19) | – | |||
| 20 QR | 186 | Paola Paternoster | ITA | 43.11 (20) | – | |||
| 21 QR | 201 | Suzanne Allday |  GBR | 41.12 (21) | – | |||
| 22 QR | 102 | Milena Čelesnik |  YUG | 30.84 (22) | – | |||
| AC QR | 93 | Doris Müller | GER | – ( | – | |||
| AC QR | 14 | Wu Jin-Yun |  TPE | – ( | – | |||
| 59 | Judit Bognár |  HUN | – ( | – |
| Date | 3 September 1960 — 9:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 12 and ties and 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 | 6 | Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova | URS | 53.68 | 53.68 | - | - | ||
| 2 | 25 | Irene Schuch | GER | 52.22 | 52.22 | - | - | ||
| 3 | 20 | Tamara Press | URS | 51.47 | 51.47 | - | - | ||
| 4 | 18 | Earlene Brown | USA | 51.17 | 42.43 | 51.17 | - | ||
| 5 | 15 | Kriemhild Hausmann | GER | 50.86 | 50.86 | - | - | ||
| 6 | 5 | Jiřina Němcová-Vobořilová | TCH | 49.86 | 49.86 | - | - | ||
| 7 | 16 | Yevgeniya Kuznetsova | URS | 49.36 | 49.36 | - | - | ||
| 8 | 19 | Štěpánka Mertová | TCH | 49.34 | 49.34 | - | - | ||
| 9 | 1 | Lia Manoliu | ROU | 48.57 | 48.57 | - | - | ||
| 10 | 23 | Olga Fikotová-Connolly | USA | 48.32 | x | 48.32 | - | ||
| 11 | 12 | Wivianne Bergh | SWE | 47.02 | x | 44.29 | 47.02 | ||
| 12 | 14 | Valerie Sloper | NZL | 46.91 | 46.91 | 45.79 | 42.80 | ||
| 13 | 8 | Kazimiera Rykowska | POL | 46.75 | x | 46.75 | x | ||
| 14 | 9 | Jennifer Thompson | NZL | 46.74 | 45.94 | 46.74 | 42.93 | ||
| 15 | 7 | Elivia Ricci | ITA | 45.86 | 45.86 | x | 45.78 | ||
| 16 | 11 | Dorli Hofrichter | AUT | 44.94 | 44.94 | x | 39.26 | ||
| 17 | 22 | Karen Inge Halkier | DEN | 43.99 | 41.06 | 42.02 | 43.99 | ||
| 18 | 4 | Hiroko Uchida | JPN | 43.78 | x | 43.78 | x | ||
| 19 | 13 | Pam Kurrell | USA | 43.23 | 43.23 | 40.35 | 42.34 | ||
| 20 | 10 | Paola Paternoster | ITA | 43.11 | 43.11 | 41.36 | 42.20 | ||
| 21 | 2 | Suzanne Allday | GBR | 41.12 | x | x | 41.12 | ||
| 22 | 3 | Milena Čelesnik | YUG | 30.84 | x | 30.84 | x | ||
| 17 | Doris Müller | GER | – | x | x | x | |||
| 24 | Wu Jin-Yun | TPE | – | x | x | x | |||
| 21 | Judit Bognár | HUN | – | – | – | – |
| Date | 5 September 1960 — 15:40 |
|---|
| 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 | 3 | Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova | URS | 55.10 | 44.48 | 52.42 | 53.39 | 51.68 | 55.10 | 54.42 | ||
| 2 | 10 | Tamara Press | URS | 52.59 | 51.64 | 46.82 | x | 50.92 | x | 52.59 | ||
| 3 | 1 | Lia Manoliu | ROU | 52.36 | 52.36 | x | 46.29 | 50.59 | 48.78 | 46.96 | ||
| 4 | 6 | Kriemhild Hausmann | GER | 51.47 | 51.47 | x | 45.30 | 47.40 | 48.12 | 46.38 | ||
| 5 | 7 | Yevgeniya Kuznetsova | URS | 51.43 | 51.43 | 51.39 | 50.96 | 49.69 | 50.62 | 51.25 | ||
| 6 | 8 | Earlene Brown | USA | 51.29 | 51.29 | 35.83 | 47.29 | x | 35.20 | 45.80 | ||
| 7 | 11 | Olga Fikotová-Connolly | USA | 50.95 | 50.95 | 47.46 | 48.82 | – | – | – | ||
| 8 | 2 | Jiřina Němcová-Vobořilová | TCH | 50.12 | 50.12 | 48.62 | x | – | – | – | ||
| 9 | 12 | Irene Schuch | GER | 49.86 | 49.86 | 49.42 | x | – | – | – | ||
| 10 | 5 | Valerie Sloper | NZL | 48.81 | 45.26 | x | 48.81 | – | – | – | ||
| 11 | 9 | Štěpánka Mertová | TCH | 48.28 | 48.28 | 46.62 | 38.51 | – | – | – | ||
| 12 | 4 | Wivianne Bergh | SWE | 43.96 | 42.70 | 43.76 | 43.96 | – | – | – |
