The XVI summer olympics took place in melborne, australia. This was the first time Australia hosted the olympics and would not host another one until the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, offically opened the XVI games to which 72 nations competed in 145 events (17 sports) The games took place in November because of summer being different in the southern hemisphere. Although there was worry about hosting it in the southern hemisphere because northern hemisphere athletes would be used to resting during the winter.
Melborne nearly lost the olympics to Rome before the games when IOC president Avery Brundage was not impressed with an expection in april 1955. Melborne was way behind on construction because of financial issues and political debates but at this point they had managed to get a 4.5 million dollar federal loan from Victoria. By 1956 Melborne was clearly ready for the olympics and the games started as planned.
Historic Events
- For the first time since WWII East and West Germany enter the games as the United Team of Germany
- Saarland enters the olympics for the first and only time
- Because of quarentine laws, the equestrian events took place in stockholm in june since forien horses are not allowed in australia. This was the second time events took place in two different nations
- This was the first time any olympic games was held in the southern hemisphere
- The India national field hockey team won its sixth consecutive gold. Although the next games they do not continue to which they got silver. The longest record of one nation consectively winning gold at the olympics.
Boycotts
- Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden boycott the games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq do the same as a result of the Suez crisis.
- The People's Republic of China refuses to participate due to the inclusion of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Medals
- Soviet Union 37 Gold, 29 Silver and 32 Bronze. 98 Total
- United States of America 32 Gold, 25 Silver and 17 Bronze. 74 Total
- Australia 13 Gold, 8 Silver and 14 Bronze. 35 Total
- Hungary 9 Gold, 10 Silver and 7 Bronze. 26 Total
- United Team of Germany 6 Gold, 13 Silver and 7 Bronze. 26 Total
- Italy 8 Gold, 8 Silver and 9 Bronze. 26 Total
- Great Britain 6 Gold, 7 Silver and 11 Bronze. 24 Total
- Sweden 8 Gold, 5 Silver and 6 Bronze. 19 Total
- Japan 4 Gold, 10 Silver and 5 Bronze. 19 Total
- Finland 3 gold, a Silver and 11 Bronze. 15 Total
- France 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze. 14 Total
- Romania 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 5 Bronze. 13 Total
- Poland 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze. 9 Total
- Turkey 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze. 7 Total
- Canada 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze. 6 Total
- Czechoslovakia 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 1 Bronze. 6 Total
- Iran 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze. 5 Total.
- Bulgaria 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze. 5 Total.
- Ireland 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze. 5 Total
- Denmark 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze. 4 Total.
- Chile 2 Silver and 2 Bronze. 4 Total
- South Africa 4 Bronze. 4 Total
- Norway 1 Gold and 2 Bronze. 3 Total
- Yugoslavia 3 Silver. 3 Total.
- New Zealand 2 Gold. 2 Total.
- Mexico 1 Gold and 1 Bronze. 2 Total.
- Belgium 2 Silver. 2 Total
- Argentina 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. 2 Total.
- South Korea 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. 2 Total.
- Austria 2 Bronze 2 Total
- Brazil 1 Gold. 1 Total.
- India 1 Gold. 1 Total.
- Iceland 1 Silver. 1 Total
- Pakistan 1 Silver. 1 Total.
- Bahamas 1 Bronze. 1 Total.
- Greece 1 Bronze. 1 Total.
- Switzerland 1 Bronze. 1 Total.
- Uruguay 1 Bronze. 1 Total.
