The XVI Summer Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, Australia from November 22 to December 8, 1956. The city won the right to host the competition over Buenos Aires by one vote. The very organization of the Olympics in Australia was perceived by many controversially due to the remoteness of the continent.
Due to the remoteness of Australia and the high cost of tickets, some countries generally refused to send their athletes, some others significantly reduced their delegations. To top it off, it turned out that due to the quarantine rules for the import of animals, Melbourne will not be able to host equestrian competitions, as a result, they had to be held in Stockholm. For the first time in the history of the Olympiads, the host country faced a boycott - Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands refused to participate in the Games in protest against the suppression of the popular uprising by Soviet troops in Hungary. China did not send its athletes due to participation in the Taiwan Olympics. This was all the more surprising, since Australia had nothing to do with these events.
Despite all the difficulties, the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne nevertheless took place, 3184 athletes from 67 countries came to them. Participation in these Games for athletes from the Northern Hemisphere was associated with significant difficulties - in particular, due to the unusual timing of the Games and the need for acclimatization. Despite this, the athletes were able to demonstrate the highest level of skill and motivation. The first place in the team competition was taken by the USSR team, having won 37 gold, 29 silver and 32 bronze medals. The second line of the standings was taken by the Olympians from the United States, having received 32 gold, 25 silver and 17 bronze medals. The honorable third place went to the hosts of the Olympiad, they were able to win 13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze medals.
One of the most interesting was the football tournament, in which the Soviet national team managed to reach the final and beat the Yugoslavian team in it. At this Olympiad, the Soviet team won 6 victories, drew one match (later winning in a replay) and never lost. The most difficult, physically and mentally, were two matches with the Indonesian team, which no one took seriously before the Olympics. Physically well prepared, the Indonesians in the first match did not allow the Soviet athletes to demonstrate their skills, using very powerful pressure combined with a solid defense that did not allow the Soviet players to penetrate the penalty area. The first match ended in a draw, according to its results, the players from the USSR made the necessary conclusions, somewhat revising their tactics. In particular, they began to beat more from outside the penalty area. As a result, a convincing 4: 0 victory was won in the replay match.
Soviet track and field athletes also performed well in Melbourne. The famous runner Valery Kuts won two golds at once at distances of 5 and 10 thousand meters, setting Olympic records. But most importantly, he managed to outplay his eternal rival Englishman Gordon Peary, who was expected to win. The Soviet athletes won in javelin throw and shot put among women, and in walking 20 km among men. Vladimir Safronov became the first Soviet Olympic boxing champion. On one of the days of the Olympics, the Soviet anthem was sounded in the same hall 11 times for an hour. Gymnasts from the USSR won 11 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze awards.
Hungarian boxer Laszlo Papp won the third Olympics in a row, becoming the first athlete in the history of world boxing who managed to do this. The second Olympiad in modern pentathlon was won by the Swede Lars Hull.
At the close of the XVI Summer Olympic Games, athletes from all countries walked together, which was the birth of another Olympic tradition.
