At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women. There was a total of 235 participants from 33 countries competing. For the first time, the butterfly stroke was contested as a separate event. Australia dominated the medal standings with a total of 8 out of a possible 13 gold medals, eventually finishing with 14 medals overall.
Medal table
Medalists
Men's events 100 m freestyle 55.4 (WR) 55.8 56.7 400 m freestyle 4:27.3 (WR) 4:30.4 4:32.5 1500 m freestyle 17:58.9 18:00.3 18:08.2 100 m backstroke 1:02.2 (WR) 1:03.2 1:04.5 200 m breaststroke 2:34.7 2:36.7 2:36.8 200 m butterfly 2:19.3 2:23.8 2:23.9 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay Kevin O'HalloranJohn DevittMurray RoseJon Henricks 8:23.6 (WR) Dick HanleyGeorge BreenBill WoolseyFord Konno 8:31.5 Vitaly SorokinVladimir StruzhanovGennady NikolayevBoris Nikitin 8:34.7
Women's events 100 m freestyle 1:02.0 (WR) 1:02.3 1:05.1 400 m freestyle 4:54.6 (OR) 5:02.5 5:07.1 100 m backstroke 1:12.9 (WR) 1:12.9 (WR) 1:13.1 200 m breaststroke 2:53.1 (OR) 2:54.8 2:55.1 100 m butterfly 1:11.0 (OR) 1:11.9 1:14.4 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay Dawn FraserFaith LeechSandra MorganLorraine Crapp 4:17.1 (WR) Sylvia RuuskaShelley MannNancy SimonsJoan Rosazza 4:19.2 Natalie MyburghSusan RobertsMoira AbernethyJeanette Myburgh 4:25.7
Participating nations 235 swimmers from 33 nations competed.
References