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Olympic Games

XV (15th) OLYMPIAD
HELSINKI, FINLAND | Jul 19th - Aug 3rd, 1952


Helsinki, FIN

Helsinki 1952

HELSINKI, FINLAND
GAMES OF THE XVth OLYMPIAD

July 19 - August 3, 1952

Mascot - none

69 countries, 4925 athletes (518 women)

17 sports, 149 events

Opening - President M Paasikivi (FIN)

Torch lit by - Hannes Kolehmainen

Candidates: Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Athens, Lausanne, Stockholm

A shining example of the Olympic ideal

The 15th Olympiad was hosted by an instantly-recognizable sporting nation, and a real flurry of excitement descended upon Finland and its capital Helsinki as it welcomed nearly 5,000 athletes from 69 countries. The effort to guarantee success being made easier by works undertaken in 1938 following Tokyo's forfeit of the 1940 Games, competition was of high standard and the Helsinki Games were generally held in high esteem.

In the political arena, the return of the Russians - absent since the decisive outbreak of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 - proved a diplomatic and sporting success for the IOC. Also making its return to the Olympic fold, following an absence of 20 years due to accusations of professionalism, was 56-year-old Finnish legend Paavo Nurmi. He carried the Olympic flame, passing it to his compatriot Hannes Kolehmainen, who lit the Olympic bowl .

Meanwhile, Swedish IOC president Sigfrid Edstrom stood down at the end of the Games and was replaced by a rather more stout defender of amateurism, American Avery Brundage.

In the sports arena, the United States dominated athletics and swimming events, and also began their epic duel with the Soviets. Yet a true star emerged in the shape of Czechoslovakia's Emil Zatopek, hero of the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon.

Even if the issue of the Cold War was apparent, for the most part, sport remained on top of the agenda. The diplomatic Finns set up home for the Soviet Union and her satellite countries in an Olympic village a little further removed from their western rivals. Ukraine and Belarus competed under the Soviet flag, despite being regarded as independent nations by the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the Americans proudly expanded their existing account with an additional 76 medals (40 gold, 19 silver, and 17 bronze), coming first overall. The Soviet Union finished in second place with a total of 71 medals, (22 gold, 30 silver, and 19 bronze).

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1920 
1924 
1928 
1932 
1936 
1948 
1952 
1956 
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1964 
1968 
1972 
1976 
1980 
1984 
1988 
1992 
1996 
2000 
2004 
2008 

 

 

HELSINKI 1952 GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
114 Men, 25 Women, 10 Open Events
13 new events; Women's Individual Gymnastics Events introduced
1 event changed (Sailing Swallow to 5.5m)

ATHLETICS, Men
100m: Lindy Remigino, USA
200m: Andy Stanfield, USA
400m: George Rhoden, Jamaica
800m: Mal Whitfield, USA
1500m: Josy Barthel, Luxembourg
5000m: Emil Zatopek, Czechoslovakia
10000m: Emil Zatopek, Czechoslovakia
4x100m: United States
4x400m: Jamaica
110m Hurdles; Harrison Dillard, USA
400m Hurdles: Charles Moore, USA
10km Walk: John Mikaelsson, Sweden
50km Walk: Giuseppe Dordoni, Italy
3000m Steeplechase: Horace Ashenfelter, USA
Marathon: Emil Zatopek, Czechoslovakia
Discus Throw: Sim Iness, USA
Hammer Throw: Jozsef Csermak, Hungary
High Jump: Walt Davis, USA
Javelin Throw: Cy Young, USA
Long Jump: Jerome Biffle, USA
Pole Vault: Bob Richards, USA
Shot Put: Parry O'Brien, USA
Triple Jump: Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, Brazil
Decathlon: Bob Mathias, USA

ATHLETICS, Women
100m: Marjorie Jackson, Australia
200m: Marjorie Jackson, Australia
4x100m: United States
80m Hurdles: Shirley Strickland, Australia
Discus Throw: Nina Romaschkova, USSR
High Jump: Esther Brand, South Africa
Javelin Throw: Dana Zatopkova, Czechoslovakia
Long Jump: Yvette Williams, New Zealand
Shot Put; Galina Zybina, USSR

BASKETBALL
Team, men: United States

BOXING
51kg: Nathan Brooks, USA
54kg: Pentti Hamalainen, Finland
57kg: Jan Zachara, Czechoslovakia
60kg: Aureliano Bolognesi, Italy
63.5kg: Charles Adkins, USA
67kg: Zygmunt Chychia, Poland
71kg: Laszlo Papp, Hungary
75kg: Floyd Patterson, USA
81kg: Norvel Lee, USA
81+kg: Hayes Edward Sanders, USA

CANOE/KAYAK
M\C1 1000m: Josef Holecek, Czechoslovakia
M\C1 10000m: Frank Havens, USA
M\C2 1000m: Bent Peder Rasch/Finn Haunstoft, Denmark
M\C2 10000m: Georges Turlier/Jean Laudet, France
M\K1 1000m: Gert Frederiksson, Sweden
M\K1 10000m: Thorvald Stromberg, Finland
M\K2 1000m: Kurt Wires/Yrjo Hietanen, Finland
M\K2 10000m: Kurt Wires/Yrjo Hietanen, Finland
W\K1 500m: Sylvi Saimo, Finland

CYCLING, Men
Road Race: Andre Noyelle, Belgium
Team Road Race: Belgium
1km Time Trial: Russell Mockridge, Australia
2000m Tandem Sprint: Lionel Cox/Russell Moctridge, AUS
Sprint: Enzo Sacchi, Italy
Team Pursuit: Italy

EQUESTRIAN, Open
Individual Dressage: Henri Saint Cyr, Sweden
Individual Jumping: Pierre Jonqueres d'Oriola, France
Individual 3-Day Event: Hans von Blixen-Finecke Jr., Sweden
Team Dressage: Sweden
Team Jumping: Great Britain
Team 3-Day Event: Sweden

FENCING
M\Individual Epee: Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italy
M\Individual Foil: Christian D'Oriola, France
M\Individual Sabre: Pal Kovacs, Hungary
M\Team Epee: Italy
M\Team Foil: France
M\Team Sabre: Hungary
W\Individual Foil: Irene Camber, Italy

FOOTBALL
 Team, men: Hungary

GYMNASTICS
M\Floor Exercise: William Thoresson, Sweden
M\Horizontal Bar: Jack Gunthard, Switzerland
M\Parallel Bars: Hans Eugster, Switzerland
M\Pommel Horse: Viktor Chukarin, USSR
M\Rings: Grant Shaginyan, USSR
M\Vault: Viktor Chukarin, USSR
M\Individual All-Around: Viktor Chukarin, USSR
M\Team: Soviet Union
W\Balance Beam: NIna Bocharova, USSR
W\Floor Exercise: Agnes Keleti, Hungary
W\Uneven Bars: Margit Korondi, Hungary
W\Vault: Yekaterina Kalinchuk, USSR
W\Individual All-Around: Maria Gorokhovskaya, USSR
W\Team: Soviet Union
W\Team - Portable Apparatus: Sweden

HOCKEY
 Team, men: India

MODERN PENTATHLON
Individual: Lars Hall, Sweden
Team: Hungary

ROWING, Men
Single Sculls: Yuriy Tyukalov, USSR
Double Sculls: Eduardo Guerrero/Tranquilo Cappozzo, ARG
Coxless Pair: Charles Logg/Thomas Price, USA
Coxed Pair: France
Coxless Four: Yugoslavia
Coxed Four: Czechoslovakia
Eight: United States

SAILING
X\5.5m Class: United States
X\6m Class: United States
X\Dragon: Norway
X\Star: Italy
M\Finn: Paul Elvstrom, Denmark

SHOOTING, Men
25m Rapid Fire Pistol: Karoly Takacs, Hungary
300m Free Rifle 3x40: Anatoly Bogdanov, USSR
50m Free Pistol: Huelet Benner, USA
50m R/Deer Single/Double Shot: John Larsen, Norway
50m Small-Bore Rifle 3x40: Erling Kongshaug, Norway
50m Small-Bore Rifle prone: Iosif Sirbu, Romania
Trap: George Genereux, Canada

SWIMMING, Men
100m Freestyle: Clarke Scholes, USA
400m Freestyle: Jean Boiteux, France
1500m Freestyle: Ford Konno, USA
100m Backstroke: Yoshinobu Oyakawa, Japan
200m Breaststroke: John Davies, Australia
4x200m Freestyle Relay: United States
3m Springboard: David Browning, USA
10m Platform: Samuel Lee, USA
WATER POLO: Hungary

SWIMMING, Women
100m Freestyle: Katalin Szoke, Hungary
400m Freestyle: Valeria Gyenge, Hungary
100m Backstroke: Joan Harrison, South Africa
200m Breaststroke: Eva Szekely, Hungary
4x100m Freestyle Relay: Hungary
3m Springboard: Patricia McCormick, USA
10m Platform: Patricia McCormick, USA

WEIGHTLIFTING
56kg: Ivan Udodov, USSR
60kg: Rafael Chimishkyan, USSR
67.5kg: Tommy Kono, USA
75kg: Peter George, USA
82.5kg: Trofim Lomakin, USSR
90kg: Norbert Schemansky, USA
90+kg: John Davis, USA

WRESTLING, FREESTYLE
52kg: Hasan Gemici, Turkey
57kg: Shohachi Ishii, Japan
62kg: Bayram Sit, Turkey
67kg: Olle Anderberg, Sweden
73kg: William Thomas Smith, USA
79kg: Dawid Zimakuridse, USSR
87kg: Viking Palm, Sweden
87+kg: Arsen Mekokischwili, USSR

WRESTLING, GRECO-ROMAN
52kg: Boris Gurewitsch, USSR
57kg: Imre Hodos, Hungary
62kg: Jakow Punkin, USSR
67kg: Shazam Safin, USSR
73kg: Miklos Szilvasy, Hungary
79kg: Axel Gronberg, Sweden
87kg: Kelpo Olavi Grondahl, Finland
87+kg: Johannes Kotkas, USSR

17 Sports, 149 events

U
S
A

U
R
S

H
U
N

S
W
E

I
T
A

T
C
H

F
R
A

F
I
N

A
U
S

N
O
R

  

Athletics (BRA, JAM x2, LUX, NZL, RSA)

15

2

1

1

1

4

    

3

  

33

Basketball

1

                  

1

Boxing (POL)

5

  

1

  

1

1

  

1

    

10

Canoe/Kayak (DEN)

1

    

1

  

1

1

4

    

9

Cycling (BEL x2)

        

2

      

2

  

6

Equestrian (GBR)

      

4

    

1

      

6

Fencing

    

2

  

3

  

2

      

7

Football

    

1

              

1

Gymnastics (SUI x2)

  

9

2

2

            

15

Hockey (IND)

                    

1

Modern Pentathlon

    

1

1

            

2

Rowing (ARG, YUG)

2

1

      

1

1

      

7

Sailing (DEN)

2

      

1

        

1

5

Shooting (ROM, CAN)

1

1

1

            

2

7

Swimming (Diving & Water Polo) (RSA)

8

  

5

      

1

  

1

  

16

Weightlifting

4

3

                

7

Wrestling (JPN, TUR x2)

1

6

2

3

      

1

    

16

TOTAL

40

22

16

12

8

7

6

6

6

3

149

 

HELSINKI 1952 MEDAL TALLY

Country

G

S

B

TTL

United States

40

19

17

76

USSR

22

30

19

71

Hungary

16

10

16

42

Sweden

12

13

10

35

Italy

8

9

4

21

Czechoslovakia

7

3

3

13

France

6

6

6

18

Finland

6

3

13

22

Australia

6

2

3

11

Norway

3

2

0

5

Switzerland

2

6

6

14

South Africa

2

4

4

10

Jamaica

2

3

0

5

Belgium

2

2

0

4

Denmark

2

1

3

6

Turkey

2

0

1

3

Japan

1

6

2

9

Great Britain

1

2

8

11

Argentina

1

2

2

5

Poland

1

2

1

4

Canada

1

2

0

3

Yugoslavia

1

2

0

3

Romania

1

1

2

4

Brazil

1

0

2

3

New Zealand

1

0

2

3

India

1

0

1

2

Luxembourg

1

0

0

1

Germany

0

7

17

24

Netherlands

0

5

0

5

Iran

0

3

4

7

Chile

0

2

0

2

Austria

0

1

1

2

Lebanon

0

1

1

2

Ireland

0

1

0

1

Mexico

0

1

0

1

Spain

0

1

0

1

South Korea

0

0

2

2

Trinidad and Tobago

0

0

2

2

Uruguay

0

0

2

2

BUL, EGY, POR, VEN

0

0

1

4

Total

149

152

158

459

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