Olympic Series

OLYMPICS 1956 – MELBOURNE

For the first time the IOC sacrificed the unity of the Games in time and place. Five years after Melbourne’s 1949 nomination to host the Games in 1956, it emerged that the six – month quarantine that Australian law imposed on foreign horses would cause a major problem. Stockholm was therefore chosen to host the equestrian events in May, while the rest of the events would be held in Melbourne from the end of November.

It was worth it: The Melbourne Games were a resounding success. However, in the face of geopolitical reality, the world of sport had to admit its insignificance, and act as a sounding board. Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq boycotted the Games in protest at the Franco –British expedition to the Suez Canal, which followed the advance of Israeli troops into the Sinai. Communist China did the same, to avoid a meeting in Australia with Formosa (Taiwan).

Holland, Switzerland and Spain stayed away in protest at Soviet intervention in Hungary, where the uprising was crushed weeks before the opening of the Games. At the Games, the Hungarian delegation was warmly embraced; the Soviets received cold courtesy. The antagonism peaked when Hungary met the USSR in the water polo tournament.

The two events which set the Games above the political highs and lows went almost unnoticed; East and West Germanys managed to agree to line up a single team, while delegations from throughout the world mingled during the closing ceremony – an innovative celebration that became permanent.

Hungary vs USSR: A Historic Encounter

The confrontation between Hungary and the USSR was much more than just a water polo match. The Olympic swimming pool saw a symbolic battle over flow into a literal fist fight. The Hungarians and the Soviets are always passionate about their water polo, but this time their differences overwhelmed the usually ample confines of mere sport .In the final round of the tournament, from the opening of the game, the spectators recognized the tensions: the players were irascible and cruel, doubtless more concerned with handing out slaps and calling each other names than with shots and passes. In an explosive encounter, the Hungarians won the game 4-0 and their victory went beyond the strict context of a simple sporting event. Only five minutes remained when the Soviet Prokpov unleashed a violent elbow at Ervin Zador, who split his eyebrow with fresh blood gushing from the wound. The shock of the blow and the spectacular nature of the injury – more than its severity – unleashed a torrent of screams and punches. Fearing that things could degenerate even further, the referee judged it wiser to call the game to a halt before full time, and Hungary was credited with victory.

Laszlo Papp wins Three Gold Medals in Boxing

It was a gala evening at the boxing finals in the West Stadium. The officials wore dinner jackets and the Duke of Edinburgh had slipped into the first row of the balcony to enjoy proceedings incognito. The bouts certainly merited his presence. Laszlo had won in London in the middleweight category and in Helsinki in the light middleweight. Here in Melbourne, the thirty year old Papp achieved the unprecedented feat of three Olympic titles in eight years. He had a genius for boxing and such a personal style that he could not be compared to anyone, even among professional boxers, most of whom would not last three rounds with him.

The Australians confirmed their invincibility in freestyle swimming. The resounding domination of the Australians did not pass without comment in the Olympic Village. They were accused of covert professionalism, for the six hours they spent in water, training and hence making it into a full time profession.Volodymyr Kuts of the USSR taught his opponents a lesson in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Kuts appeared like a feudal nobleman. His features were unmarked: his carefully combed hair as smooth as if he had just come out of the bathroom in his Moscow flat.

The Games In Brief    

Opening Date                                        22 November 1956

Closing Date                                         08 December 1956

Nations Represented                            67

Athletes                                                 3,184 (371 women, 2,813 men)

Sports                                                    16 (8 open to women)

Events                                                   182 (8 open to women)

Games Officially Opened By               The Duke of Edinburgh

Oplympic Flame lit by                          Ron Clarke (athletics)

Olympic Oath read by                          John Landy (athletics)

IOC President                                       Avery Brundage (USA)

Melbourne was chosen over Buenos Aires to host the 1956 Olympics Games with a majority of only one vote. In athletics, Georgios Roubanis was the first to use the fiberglass pole in the individual pole vault. American Bob Mathias had already done this in 1952, but in the decathlon. Another first in these Games was a false start in the marathon. In swimming, a fourth stroke made its appearance: the Butterfly was separated from the Breaststroke and was contested over 200 meters.

PS -: Matter researched from the archives of the Olympic Games museum in Lausanne.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal

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