- Rafer Johnson
Rafer Lewis Johnson (born August 18, 1935) is a former American decathlete. Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, but moved to Kingsburg, California at age 9. In high school, he played on the school's football, baseball and basketball teams. As a versatile athlete, he was attracted to the decathlon after seeing double Olympic Champion Bob Mathias compete and told his coach "I could have beaten most of those guys in that meet". He competed in his first meet in 1954, … - Betty Cuthbert
Elizabeth ("Betty") Cuthbert (born April 20, 1938 in Merrylands, New South Wales) is an Australian athlete, and a four-fold Olympic champion. Betty Alyse Cuthbert sisters with Madeleine Carlisle (now married) began sprinting in high school. At age 18, with the 1956 Summer Olympics to be held in Melbourne, Cuthbert set a World Record in the 200 m, making her a big favourite for a gold in that event. - Shirley Strickland
Shirley Barbara Strickland (July 18, 1925 - February 11, 2004), later Shirley Strickland de la Hunty, was an Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals than any other Australian in the running sports. - Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23 1940 - November 12 1994) was an American athlete, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, despite running on a sprained ankle. The powerful sprinter emerged from the 1960 Rome Olympics as "The Tennessee Tornado," the fastest woman on earth. - Galina Zybina
Galina Ivanovna Zybina (born January 22, 1931 in Leningrad, USSR) was a Russian shot-putter and javelin thrower who won three Olympic medals. She trained at VSS Zenit and later at VSS Trud. Her fame rests primarily on eight consecutive world records in the shot put (1952 - 1956). - Josy Barthel
Joseph ("Josy") Barthel (born April 24, 1927 - died July 7, 1992) was a Luxembourg athlete, surprise winner of 1500 m at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Born in Mamer, Josy Barthel's abilities as a middle-distance runner was discovered during the World War II. His first fame came by winning the 800 m at the Military World Championships in Berlin in 1947. The next year at Military World Championships in Brussels he won both 800 m and 1500 m. At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, … - Emil Zátopek
Emil Zátopek (September 19, 1922 - November 22, 2000) was a Czech athlete probably best known for his amazing feat of winning three gold medals in athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in the 5 km and 10 km runs, but his final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the first marathon of his life. Zátopek was the first athlete to break the 29-minute barrier in the 10 km run (in 1954). - Martin Lauer
Karl Martin Lauer (born January 2, 1937) is a former West German athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Born in Cologne, Lauer was a German champion in 110 m hurdles from 1956 to 1960 and in decathlon in 1956. At the 1956 Summer Olympics, Lauer finished fourth in 110 m hurdles and was fifth in decathlon. At the 1958 European Championships, Lauer won the gold in 110 m hurdles. In 1958 Lauer also ran his first world record, … - Gert Fredriksson
Gert Fredriksson (November 21, 1919 - July 5 2006) was a Swedish kayaker. He was the most successful male canoeist ever, having gained medals in a succession of Swedish, Nordic, World and Olympic championships from 1942 - 1960. Fredriksson remains the most successful Swede at the Olympics, winning six gold medals at four Olympics. Fredriksson won his first Olympic gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics winning the 1,000 and 10,000 metre events. - Gianmario Roveraro
Gianmario Roveraro (born May 24 1936 - died ? July 5, 2006) was an Italian banker who founded Akros Finanziaria. He went missing on July 5, 2006 following an Opus Dei meeting. It is thought that he was kidnapped, although no ransom was made. He contacted his family twice: once to call his wife and tell her he had to resolve an issue in Austria and later to request 1 million euros. He was interviewed about the collapse of Italian food giant Parmalat, … - Mamo Wolde
Demisse ("Mamo") Wolde (June 12, 1932 - May 26, 2002) was an Ethiopian long distance track and road running athlete and was winner of the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Wolde was born in Diri Jille to an Oromo family. In 1951, he moved to Addis Ababa and joined the Imperial Bodyguard. Wolde later served as a peacekeeper in Korea from 1953 to 1955. At his first Olympic appearance in 1956, Wolde competed in the 800 m, 1,500 m and the 4x400 relay. - Vladimir Kuts
Vladimir Petrovich Kuts was a Soviet long distance runner. He is alternatively known as Volodymyr Kuts, the Ukrainian spelling, as Kuts was born in Aleksino, which is in present-day Ukraine. Kuts, who was an army officer during his sportive career, was first noticed internationally in 1954. - Murray Halberg
Sir Murray Gordon Halberg, MBE, (born July 7, 1933 in Eketahuna) is a former New Zealand middle distance runner. A rugby player in his youth, Halberg suffered a severe injury during a game, leaving his left arm crippled. The next year, he took up running, seemingly being only more motivated by his handicap. Three years later, Halberg broke through, winning his first national title on the senior level, … - Christopher Chataway
Sir Christopher John Chataway (born January 31, 1931) was a British athlete, television news broadcaster, and a Conservative politician. - Yang Chuan-Kwang
Yang Chuan-kwang, or C.K. Yang (born 10 July 1933 in Taitung, Taiwan - died January 27, 2007 in California, United States) was an Olympic decathlete from Taiwan. Known as the "Iron Man of Asia," Yang won the gold for Taiwan in decathlon at the 1954 Asian Games. His most memorable competition was a duel with his friend and fellow UCLA schoolmate Rafer Johnson at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Going into the final event of the decathlon, … - Louis Jones
Louis ("Lou") Woodard Jones (born January 15, 1932 - died February 3, 2006) is a former American athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in New Rochelle, New York, Lou Jones won the 400 m at the 1955 Pan-American Games, where he set a new world record of 45.4. He was also a member of the gold medal winning American 4x400 m relay team. Just four months before the Melbourne Olympics, Jones ran over his 400 m world record, … - Egil Danielsen
Egil Danielsen (born November 9, 1933 in Hamar) is a former Norwegian javelin thrower. He represented Hamar IL. He won the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics with a throw of 85.71 metres. This was a new world record as well as a career best for Danielsen. The world record stood until June 1959, when Al Cantello improved it to 86.04 m. In addition Danielsen finished tenth at the 1954 European Championships and won a silver medal at the 1958 European Championships. - Alain Mimoun
Alain ("Ali") Mimoun (born January 1, 1921) is a French Olympic marathon champion. Born in El Telagh, Algeria, Mimoun lost several years of competition to World War II. After the war, he was several times French champion in the 5000 metres and 10000 metres. His path to an Olympic gold medal was blocked in both 1948 and 1952 by the Czech champion Emil Zátopek. Mimoun won silver medals in 10000 metres in 1948 and 1952 as well as another silver medal in 5000 metres in 1952. - Gordon Pirie
Douglas Alistair Gordon Pirie (born February 10 1931, Leeds - died 1991) was a middle-distance runner and orienteerer from England. In 1955 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He won silver in the 1956 Summer Olympics in the men's 5.000 metres. - Irene MacDonald
Irene Margaret MacDonald (November 22 1931 - June 20 2002) was a Canadian athlete, sports executive and broadcaster from Hamilton, Ontario. She won Canada's first-ever Olympic medal, a bronze, in diving at the 1956 Summer Olympics. She won a Bronze medal in 3 Metres Springboard Diving at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and a Silver medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. She also competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics. - Derek Johnson
Derek Johnson (born January 5, 1933 - died August 30, 2004) was a British athlete, who was born in Chigwell, Essex. He did his National Service in Egypt before going up to Lincoln College, Oxford to read medicine in 1953. Whilst at Oxford, he pursued an athletics career and, in the 1954 Empire Games won gold medals both in the 800 m and the 4x400 m relay. Johnson went on to win a silver medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, in the 800 metres. - Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu was a Romanian discus thrower who competed at a record six Summer Olympics, winning three discus medals. Manoliu not only became the first track and field athlete to compete at six Olympic Games, but she also represented her country with distinction, winning medals on three of the six occasions. Lia started her Olympic odyssey at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, where she finished 6th with a throw of 42,64m. - Kenneth Box
Kenneth James Box (born December 1, 1930) is a retired track and field sprinter, who represented Great Britain in the men's 100m and men's 4x100m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He won the silver medal at the 1954 European Championships in Berne, Switzerland in the men's 4x100 metres relay, alongside George Ellis, Kenneth Jones and Brian Shenton. - Derek Ibbotson
George Derek Ibbotson (born June 17, 1932 in Huddersfield, England) is an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s. His most famous achievement was setting a new world record in the mile in 1957. Ibbotson was born in Huddersfield and studied at King James's Grammar School in Almondbury. He was of the generation that included other great British milers such as Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher, and Christopher Chataway. - Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6 ft 9 in Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, … - Al Oerter
Alfred Adolf "Al" Oerter, Jr. (born September 19, 1936) is a former American athlete, four times Olympic Champion in the discus throw. In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Born in Astoria, New York, Al Oerter grew up in New Hyde Park and attended Sewanhaka High School. He began his career at the age of 15 when a discus landed at his feet and he threw it back past the crowd of throwers. - Abdon Pamich
Abdon Pamich (born October 3, 1933 in Fiume) is a former Italian race walker, who won two Olympic medals, and was the nation's flagbearer at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also set a world best time over 50 km with 4:03:02 on October 16, 1960 in Ponte San Pietro. The best time was lowered to 4:01:39 the next year by Grigoriy Klimov. - Mae Faggs
Aeriwentha ("Mae") Faggs Starr (born April 10, 1932 in Bayside, New York - died January 27 2000 in Cincinnati) was an American athlete who mainly competed in the sprint events. She competed for the United States in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland where she won the gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres with her team mates Barbara Jones, Janet Moreau and Catherine Hardy. - Chris Brasher
Chris Brasher CBE (21 August 1928 – 28 February 2003) was a British athlete, sports journalist and co-founder of the London Marathon. Christopher William Brasher was born in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. Brasher was a student of the Duke of York's Royal Military School and later a graduate of St John's College, Cambridge. In 1954, he acted as pacemaker for Roger Bannister when the latter ran the first sub-four-minute mile at the Iffley Road Stadium in Oxford. - Marianne Werner
Marianne Werner is a retired West German athlete who mainly competed in the shot put events. Werner competed for West Germany in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland in the Women's Shot Put, where she won the silver medal. Four years later she returned with the United Team of Germany to Melbourne for the 1956 Summer Olympics where she won the bronze medal one place behind Soviet Galina Zybina for the second Olympics and eventual winner, … - Gisela Birkemeyer
Gisela Birkemeyer, born Köhler (* December 22 1931 in Fahsendorf/Ore Mountains, Saxony), is a former athlete and Olympia participant, who was a part of the best athlets at the 80m hurdling. Gisela won with the GDR championships in gold at the 80m hurds in the years 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. At the 200m sprint and won gold in the years 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. At the 80m hurds she won continuous the GDR masters in the years 1953 to 1961. - William Dellinger
William ("Bill") Dellinger (born March 23, 1934 in Grants Pass, Oregon) was a three time Olympian. He won a bronze medal in the 5.000 meters at Tokyo in 1964. He lettered in track at the University of Oregon in 1954, 1955, and 1956. After retiring, Dellinger was an assistant coach to Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon. He became head coach after Bowerman's retirement in 1972. In 25 years as coach, Dellinger won five NCAA titles, coached 108 All Americans, … - Brian Shenton
Brian Shenton (born March 15, 1927) is a former track and field sprinter, who represented Great Britain in the men's 200m and men's 4x100m relay at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1952. He won the silver medal at the 1954 European Championships in Berne, Switzerland in the men's 4x100 metres relay, alongside George Ellis, Kenneth Jones and Kenneth Box. - Thane Baker
Walter Thane Baker (born October 4, 1931 in Elkhart, Kansas) is a former American athlete and winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, with a new world record of 39.5 seconds. At those Olympics Baker also won a silver medal in the 100-meter and a bronze in the 200-meter. At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter. In 1953, as a Kansas State University student, … - Nina Romashkova
Nina Apollonovna Romashkova (Ponomaryova) (Russian: Нина Аполлоновна Ромашкова (Пономарёва)) (born April 27 1929 in Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR) was a Soviet/Russian discus thrower, the first Soviet Olympic Champion. Born Ponomaryova (Romashkova after marriage), she became interested in athletics since 1947, when she entered the Physical Training Faculty of the Stavropol Pedagogical Institute. - Adhemar Da da Silva
Adhemar Ferreira da Silva is a former Brazilian athlete who competed in the triple jump. He won two Olympic gold medals and set four athletic world records, the last being 16,56 metres in 1955 Pan American Games. He was born in São Paulo, in a poor family, and began in the triple jump in 1947. Under the coaching of German Dietrich Gerner, he soon showed his talent, breaking the national record and taking a place in the Brazilian athletics team to 1948 Olympics, … - Maria Golubnichaya
Maria Golubnichaya (b. February 24 1924) is a former Soviet athlete who mainly competed in the 80 metre Hurdles. She trained at the Burevestnik sports society in Moscow. She competed for the USSR in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland in the 80 metre hurdles where she won the Silver medal. - Horace Ashenfelter
Horace Ashenfelter, III (born January 23, 1923 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania) was an American athlete. He competed in international athletics from 1947 to 1956 after service in World War II and the completion of his degree at Penn State. Ashenfelter was one of America's finest runners during his career but he was outpaced by many international performers. During his career he won 15 national AAU titles and three collegiate national titles. - Veikko Karvonen
Veikko Leo Karvonen (born 5 January, 1926 in Sakkola) was a Finnish athlete, who mainly competed in the marathon. He competed in the men's marathon for Finland at the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia, where he won the bronze medal. Two years earlier he claimed the European title in Bern, Switzerland. <br> <br> - Tom Courtney
Thomas ("Tom") William Courtney (born August 17, 1933) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Tom Courtney came into national prominence while a student at Fordham University, winning the 1955 NCAA 880 yd (805 m) title. An AAU champion in 400 m at 1956 and in 880 yd (805 m) at 1957 and 1958, Courtney had a memorable duel with Derek Johnson of Great Britain in the 1956 Olympic 800 m final.
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