Australia at the 1956 Winter Olympics

Sporting event delegation

Australia at the
1956 Winter Olympics

IOC code| AUS
NOC| Australian Olympic Committee
Website| www.olympics.com.au
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Competitors| 8 in 3 sports
Medals|

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

Winter Olympics appearances (overview)

* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

Australia sent a delegation to compete at the 1956 Winter Olympics from the 26 January to 5 February 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This was the nation's third appearance at the Winter Olympic Games with their last appearance being in 1952.

Australia delegation consisted of eight competitors in three sports. Australia competed in alpine skiing, figure skating and speed skating. Australia best result from the 1960 Games was a seventh-place finish from Colin Hickey in the men's 500 metres and men's 1500 metres speed skating. This performance also was Australia's best result until the 1976 Winter Olympics, where Colin Coates came sixth in men's 10000 metres speed skating.

## Background

[edit]

The Australian Olympic Committee was formed on 1 January 1895 with the nation making their debut at the first Olympics in Athens with Teddy Flack being the first representative of the nation.[1][2] This was the nation's third appearance at an Winter Olympics. It was also the 15th overall Olympics that Australia had sent a delegation in.[3] The 1956 Winter Olympics was held at Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy and took place from the 26 January to 6 February: a total of 821 athletes competed from 32 nations.[4] The Australian delegation consist of eight athletes, five in the alpine skiing, two in the figure skating and one in the speedskating.[5]

## Alpine skiing

[edit]

Main article: Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics

[6]

Men

Athlete  | Event  | Run 1  | Run 2  | Final/Total

|
|
|
|

Time  | Rank  | Time  | Rank  | Time  | Diff  | Rank
Bill Day | Downhill | —  | 4:02.0  | +1:09.8  | 35
Giant slalom | —  | 3:56.9  | +56.8  | 61
Slalom | Did not finish
Tony Aslangul | Giant slalom | —  | 4:09.0  | +1:08.9  | 69
Slalom | Did not finish
Frank Prihoda | Giant slalom | —  | 4:31.2  | +1:39.0  | 80
Slalom | 2:54.3  | 60  | 2:43.2  | 51  | 5:37.5  | +2:22.8  | 54
James Walker | Giant slalom | —  | 5:21.0  | +2:20.9  | 84

Women
Athlete  | Event  | Race 1  | Race 2  | Total

|
|
|
|

Time  | Rank  | Time  | Rank  | Time  | Rank
Christine Davy | Downhill  |  | 2:01.6  | 39
Christine Davy | Giant slalom  |  | 2:17.3  | 37
Christine Davy | Slalom  | 1:26.1  | 32  | 1:21.5  | 29  | 2:47.6  | 33

## Figure skating

[edit]

Main article: Figure skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics

[6]

Athlete(s)  | Event  | CF | FS | TO | Points  | Rank

|
|
|
|
|
|

Allan Ganter | Men's | 13  | 13  | 114  | 1191.72  | 13
Charles Keeble | 16  | 14  | 137  | 1115.39  | 16

## Speed skating

[edit]

Main article: Speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics

[6]

Athlete  | Event  | Final

|
|

Time  | Rank
Colin Hickey | 500 m | 41.9  | 7
1500 m | 2:11.8  | 7
5000 m | 8:10.0  | 14
10000 m | 17:45.6  | 27

## See also

[edit]

* Australia at the Winter Olympics

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Australia". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
2. ^ "Australia at the 1896 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
3. ^ "Australia". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
4. ^ "Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
5. ^ "Australia at the 1956 Winter Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
6. ^ a b c "VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali - Rapporto ufficiale" (PDF). COMITATO OLIMPICO NAZIONALE ITALIANO. LA84 Foundation. 1956. Retrieved November 11, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Australia NOC
* Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
* "Australians at the Olympics: A definitive history" by Gary Lester ISBN 0-949853-05-4 (suspected errata listed in Errata/0949853054)
* "2002 Australian Winter Olympic Team Guide" PDF file
* "The Compendium: Official Australian Olympic Statistics 1896-2002" Australian Olympic Committee ISBN 0-7022-3425-7 (Inconsistencies in sources mentioned in Wikibooks:Errata/0702234257)
* "Winter Olympic Representatives 1924 - 2002" Ice Skating Australia

* v
* t
* e

Australia at the Olympics

| Summer Olympic Games|

* 1896
* 1900
* 1904
* 1908
* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
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* 1956
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* 1980
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|

Winter Olympic Games|

* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

Intercalated Games|

1906

Australia and New Zealand participated together as Australasia during the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. Australia hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics

* v
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Nations at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Africa|

none

America|

* Bolivia
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* Chile
* United States

Asia|

* Iran
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* South Korea
* Lebanon

Europe|

* Austria
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* Netherlands
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Oceania|

* Australia

*[CF]: Compulsory figures
*[FS]: Free skating
*[TO]: Total ordinals
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