Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Olympia2-1952.jpg/220px-Olympia2-1952.jpg)
Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics on a Finnish stamp
Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics | ||
---|---|---|
![]() | ||
Track events | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | |
800 m | men | |
1500 m | men | |
5000 m | men | |
10,000 m | men | |
80 m hurdles | women | |
110 m hurdles | men | |
400 m hurdles | men | |
3000 m steeplechase | men | |
4×100 m relay | men | women |
4×400 m relay | men | |
Road events | ||
Marathon | men | |
10 km walk | men | |
50 km walk | men | |
Field events | ||
Long jump | men | women |
Triple jump | men | |
High jump | men | women |
Pole vault | men | |
Shot put | men | women |
Discus throw | men | women |
Javelin throw | men | women |
Hammer throw | men | |
Combined events | ||
Decathlon | men | |
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.
Medal summary[]
Men[]
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 metres |
Lindy Remigino![]() |
10.4 | Herb McKenley![]() |
10.4 | McDonald Bailey![]() |
10.4 |
200 metres |
Andy Stanfield![]() |
20.7 | Thane Baker![]() |
20.8 | James Gathers![]() |
20.8 |
400 metres |
George Rhoden![]() |
45.9 | Herb McKenley![]() |
45.9 | Ollie Matson![]() |
46.8 |
800 metres |
Mal Whitfield![]() |
1:49.2 | Arthur Wint![]() |
1:49.4 | Heinz Ulzheimer![]() |
1:49.7 |
1500 metres |
Josy Barthel![]() |
3:45.2 | Bob McMillen![]() |
3:45.2 | Werner Lueg![]() |
3:45.4 |
5000 metres |
Emil Zátopek![]() |
14:06.6 | Alain Mimoun![]() |
14:07.4 | Herbert Schade![]() |
14:08.6 |
10,000 metres |
Emil Zátopek![]() |
29:17.0 | Alain Mimoun![]() |
29:32.8 | Aleksandr Anufriyev![]() |
29:48.2 |
110 metres hurdles |
Harrison Dillard![]() |
13.7 | Jack Davis![]() |
13.7 | Arthur Barnard![]() |
14.1 |
400 metres hurdles |
Charles Moore![]() |
50.8 | Yuriy Lituyev![]() |
51.3 | John Holland![]() |
52.2 |
3000 metres steeplechase |
Horace Ashenfelter![]() |
8:45.4 | Vladimir Kazantsev![]() |
8:51.6 | John Disley![]() |
8:51.8 |
4 × 100 metres relay |
![]() Dean Smith Harrison Dillard Lindy Remigino Andy Stanfield |
40.1 | ![]() Boris Tokarev Levan Kalyayev Levan Sanadze Vladimir Sukharev |
40.3 | ![]() László Zarándi Géza Varasdi György Csányi Béla Goldoványi |
40.5 |
4 × 400 metres relay |
![]() Arthur Wint Leslie Laing Herb McKenley George Rhoden |
3:03.9 | ![]() Ollie Matson Gene Cole Charles Moore Mal Whitfield |
3:04.0 | ![]() Günter Steines Hans Geister Heinz Ulzheimer Karl-Friedrich Haas |
3:06.6 |
Marathon |
Emil Zátopek![]() |
2:23:03 | Reinaldo Gorno![]() |
2:25:35 | Gustaf Jansson![]() |
2:26:07 |
10 kilometres walk |
John Mikaelsson![]() |
45:02.8 | Fritz Schwab![]() |
45:41.0 | Bruno Junk![]() |
45:41.0 |
50 kilometres walk |
Giuseppe Dordoni![]() |
4:28:07.8 | Josef Doležal![]() |
4:30:17.8 | Antal Róka![]() |
4:31:27.2 |
High jump |
Walt Davis![]() |
2.04 m | Ken Wiesner![]() |
2.01 m | José da Conceição![]() |
1.98 m |
Pole vault |
Bob Richards![]() |
4.55 m | Don Laz![]() |
4.50 m | Ragnar Lundberg![]() |
4.40 m |
Long jump |
Jerome Biffle![]() |
7.57 m | Meredith Gourdine![]() |
7.53 m | Ödön Földessy![]() |
7.30 m |
Triple jump |
Adhemar da Silva![]() |
16.22 m | Leonid Shcherbakov![]() |
15.98 m | Asnoldo Devonish![]() |
15.52 m |
Shot put |
Parry O'Brien![]() |
17.41 m | Darrow Hooper![]() |
17.39 m | Jim Fuchs![]() |
17.06 m |
Discus throw |
Sim Iness![]() |
55.03 m | Adolfo Consolini![]() |
53.78 m | James Dillion![]() |
53.28 m |
Hammer throw |
József Csermák![]() |
60.34 m | Karl Storch![]() |
58.86 m | Imre Németh![]() |
57.74 m |
Javelin throw |
Cy Young![]() |
73.78 m | Bill Miller![]() |
72.46 m | Toivo Hyytiäinen![]() |
71.89 m |
Decathlon |
Bob Mathias![]() |
7,887 pts | Milt Campbell![]() |
6,975 pts | Floyd Simmons![]() |
6,788 pts |
Women[]
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 metres |
Marjorie Jackson![]() |
11.5 | Daphne Hasenjager![]() |
11.8 | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty![]() |
11.9 |
200 metres |
Marjorie Jackson![]() |
23.7 | Bertha Brouwer![]() |
24.2 | Nadezhda Khnykina-Dvalishvili![]() |
24.2 |
80 metres hurdles |
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty![]() |
10.9 | Mariya Golubnichaya![]() |
11.1 | Maria Sander![]() |
11.1 |
4 × 100 metres relay |
![]() Mae Faggs Barbara Jones Janet Moreau Catherine Hardy |
45.9 | ![]() Ursula Knab Maria Sander Helga Klein Marga Petersen |
45.9 | ![]() Sylvia Cheeseman June Foulds Jean Desforges Heather Armitage |
46.2 |
High jump |
Esther Brand![]() |
1.67 m | Sheila Lerwill![]() |
1.65 m | Aleksandra Chudina![]() |
1.63 m |
Long jump |
Yvette Williams![]() |
6.24 m | Aleksandra Chudina![]() |
6.14 m | Shirley Cawley![]() |
5.92 m |
Shot put |
Galina Zybina![]() |
15.28 m | Marianne Werner![]() |
14.57 m | Klavdia Tochonova![]() |
14.50 m |
Discus throw |
Nina Romashkova![]() |
51.42 m | Elizaveta Bagryantseva![]() |
47.08 m | Nina Dumbadze![]() |
46.29 m |
Javelin throw |
Dana Zátopková![]() |
50.47 m | Aleksandra Chudina![]() |
50.01 m | Yelena Gorchakova![]() |
49.76 m |
Records broken[]
During the 1952 Summer Olympic Games, 26 new Olympic records and 8 new world records were set in the athletics events.
Men's Olympic and world records[]
Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
400 metres | July 25 | Final | George Rhoden Herb McKenley |
![]() |
45.9 s | OR | |
1500 metres | July 26 | Final | Josy Barthel Bob McMillen |
![]() ![]() |
3:45.2 | OR | |
5000 metres | July 24 | Final | Emil Zátopek | ![]() |
14:06.6 | OR | |
10,000 metres | July 20 | Final | Emil Zátopek | ![]() |
29:17.0 | OR | |
110 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | Harrison Dillard Jack Davis |
![]() |
13.7 s | OR | |
400 metres hurdles | July 21 | Final | Charles Moore | ![]() |
50.8 s | OR | |
3000 metres steeplechase | July 25 | Final | Horace Ashenfelter | ![]() |
8:45.4 s | OR | |
4 x 400 metres relay | July 27 | Final | Les Laing Herb McKenley George Rhoden Arthur Wint |
![]() |
3:03.9 | OR | WR |
10 kilometres walk | July 27 | Final | John Mikaelsson | ![]() |
45:02.8 | OR | |
50 kilometres walk | July 21 | Final | Giuseppe Dordoni | ![]() |
4:28:07.8 | OR | |
Marathon | July 27 | Final | Emil Zátopek | ![]() |
2:23:03.2 | OR | WR |
High jump | July 20 | Final | Walt Davis | ![]() |
2.04 m | OR | |
Pole vault | July 22 | Final | Bob Richards | ![]() |
4.55 m | OR | |
Triple jump | July 23 | Final | Adhemar da Silva | ![]() |
16.22 m | OR | WR |
Shot put | July 21 | Final | Parry O'Brien | ![]() |
17.41 m | OR | |
Discus throw | July 22 | Final | Sim Iness | ![]() |
55.03 m | OR | |
Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | Cy Young | ![]() |
73.78 m | OR | |
Hammer throw | July 24 | Final | József Csermák | ![]() |
60.34 m | OR | WR |
Decathlon | July 26 | Final | Bob Mathias | ![]() |
7887 pts | OR | WR |
Women's Olympic and world records[]
Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
200 metres | July 26 | Semifinal | Marjorie Jackson | ![]() |
23.4 s | OR | WR |
80 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty | ![]() |
10.9 s | OR | WR |
4 x 100 metres relay | July 27 | Final | Mae Faggs Catherine Hardy Barbara Jones Janet Moreau |
![]() |
45.9 s | OR | WR |
Long jump | July 23 | Final | Yvette Williams | ![]() |
6.24 m | OR | |
Shot put | July 26 | Final | Galina Zybina | ![]() |
15.28 m | OR | WR |
Discus throw | July 20 | Final | Nina Romashkova | ![]() |
51.42 m | OR | |
Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | Dana Zátopková | ![]() |
50.47 m | OR |
Medal table[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 15 | 10 | 6 | 31 |
2 | ![]() | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
3 | ![]() | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
4 | ![]() | 2 | 8 | 7 | 17 |
5 | ![]() | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
6 | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
8 | ![]() | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
9 | ![]() | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
10 | ![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
12 | ![]() | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
13 | ![]() | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
14 | ![]() | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
15 | ![]() | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
16 | ![]() | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
19 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (20 nations) | 33 | 33 | 33 | 99 |
Participating nations[]
A total of 57 nations participated in the different Athletics events at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Argentina (16 athletes)
Australia (17)
Austria (15)
Belgium (21)
Bermuda (2)
Brazil (10)
Bulgaria (4)
Canada (22)
Ceylon (1)
Chile (15)
Cuba (5)
Czechoslovakia (20)
Denmark (11)
Egypt (7)
Finland (69)
France (54)
Germany (39)
Ghana (7)
Great Britain (66)
Greece (11)
Guatemala (6)
Hungary (35)
Iceland (9)
India (8)
Indonesia (1)
Iran (1)
Ireland (2)
Israel (7)
Italy (33)
Jamaica (7)
Japan (19)
Luxembourg (7)
Mexico (2)
Netherlands (10)
New Zealand (4)
Nigeria (9)
Norway (19)
Pakistan (16)
Philippines (1)
Poland (29)
Portugal (7)
Puerto Rico (10)
Romania (12)
Saar (6)
Singapore (1)
South Africa (13)
South Korea (6)
Soviet Union (77)
Sweden (45)
Switzerland (28)
Thailand (8)
Turkey (13)
United States (71)
Uruguay (2)
Venezuela (7)
Vietnam (1)
Yugoslavia (19)
References[]
Categories:
- Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics
- 1952 Summer Olympics events
- 1952 in athletics (track and field)
- Athletics at the Summer Olympics
- Athletics in Helsinki