Australia at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Australia competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 81 competitors, 71 men and 10 women, took part in 67 events in 12 sports.^[1] Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games. As the country hosted the next Olympics in Melbourne, the flag of Australia was flown at the closing ceremony.

Australia at the 1952 Summer Olympics
IOC code	AUS
NOC	Australian Olympic Committee
Website	www.olympics.com.au
in Helsinki
Competitors	81 (71 men, 10 women) in 12 sports
Flag bearer	Mervyn Wood
Medals Ranked 9th	Gold 6 Silver 2 Bronze 3 Total 11
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games ––––  Australasia (1908–1912)

Medalists

Gold

• Marjorie Jackson-Nelson — Athletics, Women's 100 metres
• Marjorie Jackson-Nelson — Athletics, Women's 200 metres
• Shirley Strickland — Athletics, Women's 80m Hurdles
• Russell Mockridge — Cycling, Men's 1000m Time Trial
• Lionel Cox and Russell Mockridge — Cycling, Men's 2000m Tandem
• John Davies — Swimming, Men's 200m Breaststroke

Silver

• Lionel Cox — Cycling, Men's 1000m Sprint (Scratch)
• Mervyn Wood — Rowing, Men's Single Sculls

Bronze

• Shirley Strickland — Athletics, Women's 100 metres
• David Anderson, Phil Cayzer, Ernest Chapman, Tom Chessel, Mervyn Finlay, Nimrod Greenwood, Edward Pain, Bob Tinning, and Geoff Williamson — Rowing, Men's Eights
• Vern Barberis — Weightlifting, Men's Lightweight

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Men

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
John Treloar	100 m	10.92	1 Q	10.84	2 Q	10.76	3 Q	10.91	6
Edwin Carr	200 m	22.19	1 Q	21.98	3	did not advance
John Treloar		21.75	1 Q	21.86	1 Q	DNF		did not advance
Edwin Carr	400 m	48.23	3	did not advance
Morris Curotta		48.87	2 Q	48.86	4	did not advance
Don MacMillan	800 m	1:55.0	3 Q	—		1:58.4	8	did not advance
John Landy	1500 m	3:57.0	5	—		did not advance
Don MacMillan		3:52.0	4 Q			3:50.8	3 Q	3:49.6	9
John Landy	5000 m	14:56.4	10	—				did not advance
Les Perry		14:27.0	4 Q					14:23.6	6
	10,000 m	—						DNF
Ken Doubleday	110 m hurdles	14.5	1 Q	—		14.5	3 Q	14.82	5
Ray Weinberg		14.4	1 Q			14.5	3 Q	15.15	6
Ken Doubleday	400 m hurdles	55.4	3 Q	1:00.2	6	did not advance
Edwin Carr Morris Curotta Ken Doubleday Ray Weinberg	4 × 100 m relay	42.3	5	—		did not advance
Edwin Carr Morris Curotta Ken Doubleday Ray Weinberg	4 × 400 m relay	3:16.00	5	—				did not advance
Robert Prentice	Marathon	—						2:43:13.4	37
Claude Smeal								2:52:23.0	45
Don Keane	10 km walk	46:55.2	5 Q	—				47:37.0	10

Field events

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Distance	Position	Distance	Position
Pat Leane	Long jump	6.40	24	did not advance
	High jump	1.87	25 Q	1.80	24
Ian Reed	Discus throw	45.00	21	did not advance

Combined events – Decathlon

Athlete	Event	100 m	LJ	SP	HJ	400 m	110H	DT	PV	JT	1500 m	Final	Rank
Pat Leane	Result	11.82	5.22	DNS	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	DNF
	Points	623	341	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Women

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Winsome Cripps	100 m	12.0	1 Q	12.1	3 Q	12.0	2 Q	11.9	4
Marjorie Jackson		11.6	1 Q	11.6	1 Q	11.5	1 Q	11.5
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty		12.0	1 Q	12.0	3 Q	11.9	2 Q	11.9
Winsome Cripps	200 m	24.4	2 Q	—		24.3	2 Q	24.2	4
Marjorie Jackson		23.6	1 Q			23.4	1 Q	23.7
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	80 m hurdles	11.0	1 Q	—		10.8	1 Q	10.9
Winsome Cripps Marjorie Jackson Verna Johnston Shirley Strickland de la Hunty	4 × 100 m relay	46.1	1 Q	—				46.6	5

Field events

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Distance	Position	Distance	Position
Verna Johnston	Long jump	5.58	10 Q	5.74	8

Boxing

Main article: Boxing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Ronald Gower	Bantamweight	Niedźwiedzki (POL) L TKO	did not advance
Donald McDonnell	Featherweight	Roth (GER) L PTS	did not advance
Norman Jones	Light welterweight	Mednov (URS) L TKO	did not advance
Tony Madigan	Middleweight	Bye	Silchev (URS) W PTS	Sjölin (SWE) L PTS	did not advance		5
Carl Fitzgerald	Heavyweight	Bye	Netuka (TCH) L PTS	did not advance

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Road races

Individual times added together for team race, 3 times needed for team event.

Cyclist	Event	Final
		Result	Rank
Peter Pryor	Individual road race	5:22:33.5	34
Jim Nevin		5:22:33.6	35
Ken Caves		did not finish
Peter Nelson		did not finish
Peter Pryor Jim Nevin Ken Caves Peter Nelson	Team road race	did not finish

Track

Ranks given are within the heat.

Cyclist	Event	First round		First repechage		Quarterfinals		Second repechage		Semifinals		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Lionel Cox	Sprint	11.9	1 Q	Directly advanced		12.5	1 Q	Directly advanced		11.6	1 Q
Russell Mockridge	Time trial	n/a										1:11.1
Lionel Cox Russell Mockridge	Tandem	11.4	1 Q	Directly advanced		11.1	1 Q	Directly advanced		11.0	1 Q	11.0
Jim Nevin Ken Caves Peter Nelson Peter Pryor	Team pursuit	5:11.1	17	did not advance

Diving

Main article: Diving at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Men

Athlete	Event	Preliminaries		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Ronald Faulds	3 m springboard	59.90	24	did not advance
Francis Murphy		48.82	34	did not advance
	10 m platform	64.10	21	did not advance

Fencing

Main article: Fencing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Six fencers, four men and two women, represented Australia in 1952.

Men

Fencer	Event	First round		Quarterfinals		Semifinals		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
John Fethers	Foil	5–2	1T Q	2–3	6	did not advance
Ivan Lund		3–3	5	did not advance
Jock Gibson		1–4	6	did not advance
John Fethers	Épée	3–4	4 Q	4–4	5	did not advance
Ivan Lund		5–2	1 Q	1–6	8	did not advance
Charles Stanmore		1–6	8	did not advance
John Fethers	Sabre	2–6	6	did not advance
Jock Gibson		2–5	7	did not advance
Ivan Lund		4–4	8	did not advance
Charles Stanmore Jock Gibson John Fethers Ivan Lund	Team sabre	0–2	3	did not advance
Jock Gibson Charles Stanmore John Fethers Ivan Lund	Team épée	0–2	3	did not advance
Charles Stanmore John Fethers Jock Gibson Ivan Lund	Team foil	0–2	3	did not advance

Women

Fencer	Event	First round		Quarterfinals		Semifinals		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Catherine Pym	Foil	1–4	5	did not advance
Patricia Norford		0–5	6	did not advance

Modern pentathlon

Main article: Modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics

One male pentathlete represented Australia in 1952.

Athlete	Event	Riding (cross-country steeplechase)		Fencing (épée)		Shooting (Rapid fire pistol)		Swimming (300 m freestyle)		Running (4000 m cross-country)		Total points	Final rank
		Time	Rank	Wins	Rank	Points	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Forbes Carlile	Individual	10:14.2	13	16	45	180	21	4:31.0	10	16:35.2	34	123	25

Rowing

Main article: Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Australian Olympic rowing squad for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics

Men

Athlete	Event	First round		First repechage		Semifinals		Second repechage		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Mervyn Wood	Single sculls	7:44.1	1 Q	Bye		8:02.5	2 R	7:45.5	1 Q	8:14.5
John Rogers Murray Riley	Double sculls	7:16.7	3 R	7:03.0	1 Q	Bye		7:13.1	3	did not advance
Don Palmer Vic Middleton	Coxless pair	8:06.4	1 Q	Bye		7:46.8	2 R	7:50.5	3	did not advance
Bob Tinning Ernest Chapman Nimrod Greenwood David Anderson Geoff Williamson Mervyn Finlay Edward Pain Phil Cayzer Tom Chessell	Eights	6:07.2	2 Q	Bye		6:44.5	3 R	6:09.6	1 Q	6:33.1

Sailing

Main article: Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Athlete	Event	Race							Net points	Final rank
		I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
Peter Attrill	Finn	507	293	0	548	293	0	372	2013	22
Barton Harvey Kevin Wilson	Star	277	122	520	168	144	344	122	1697	18
Jock Sturrock Bevan Worcester Douglas Buxton	Dragon	331	185	632	331	252	185	185	2101	12

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Rex Aubrey	100 m freestyle	58.2	=6 Q	57.8	=3 Q	58.7	6
Frank O'Neill		1:00.6	29	did not advance
Garrick Agnew	400 m freestyle	4:55.5	24	did not advance
John Marshall		4:46.8	11 Q	4:50.3	15	did not advance
Garrick Agnew	1500 m freestyle	20:03.8	24	—		did not advance
John Marshall		19:09.2	6 Q			19:53.4	8
Frank O'Neill	100 m backstroke	1:10.5	=21	did not advance
John Davies	200 m breaststroke	2:39.7	7 Q	2:36.8	1 Q	2:34.4
David Hawkins		2:41.2	11 Q	2:39.8	10	did not advance
Garrick Agnew Rex Aubrey John Marshall Frank O'Neill	4 × 200 m freestyle relay	9:01.4	9	—		did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Denise Norton	100 m freestyle	1:11.8	28	did not advance
Marjorie McQuade		1:07.9	11 Q	1:08.2	=12	did not advance
Judy Davies	400 m freestyle	5:21.2	6 Q	5:25.6	10	did not advance
Denise Norton		5:28.5	14 Q	5:30.9	14	did not advance
Nancy Lyons	200 m breaststroke	3:04.4	13 Q	3:05.6	15	did not advance

Water polo

Main article: Water polo at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Australia failed to advance to the pool stage after losing both qualifiers.

Roster

Doug Laing Raymond Smee Jake Foster Peter Bennett

Frank Jordan Malcolm Hastie William Orchard

Qualifying

July 25, 1952	Australia	2–10	Yugoslavia

July 26, 1952	Australia	0–6	Austria

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Lifter	Event	Press		Snatch		Jerk		Final
		Kg	Rank	Kg	Rank	Kg	Rank	Kg	Rank
Vern Barberis	Lightweight	105.0	1T	105.0	6T	140.0	2T	350.0
Fred Giffin	Middleweight	107.5	7T	100.0	15T	127.5	16T	335.0	15
Ken MacDonald	Middle–heavyweight	107.5	11T	125.0	2T	152.5	5	385.0	6

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Key:

• VT – Victory by Fall.
• VB – Victory by injury.
• PP – Decision by Points – the loser with technical points.
• PO – Decision by Points – the loser without technical points.
• ST – Technical superiority – the loser without technical points and a margin of victory of at least 8 (Greco-Roman) or 10 (freestyle) points.

Men's freestyle

Athlete	Event	Round one	Round two	Round three	Round four	Round five	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Richard Elliott	Featherweight	Mammana (ARG) L 1–3 PP	Henson (USA) L 0–3 VT	did not advance
Dick Garrard	Lightweight	Vard (IRL) W 3–1 PP	Blasi (ARG) W 3–1 PP	Shimotori (JPN) L 1–3 PP	did not advance
Bev Scott	Welterweight	Don Irvine (GBR) W 3–1 PP	Leclerc (FRA) W 3–1 PP	Mojtabavi (IRN) L 1–3 PP	did not advance
Kevin Coote	Light-heavyweight	Palm (SWE) L 1–3 PP	Zandi (IRN) L 1–3 PP	did not advance