| | Event type

Sprint, Men

Date	28 – 31 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Velodromi, Helsinki
Participants	27 from 27 countries
Format	1,000 metres.

With Russell Mockridge (AUS) opting to compete in only the kilo and the tandem, Italy’s Enzo Sacchi became the heavy favorite. Sacchi was World Champion in 1951 and would win the world title later in 1952 as well. For the first time since 1928, all matches were only a single race, rather than racing the medal rounds as best two of three. Twenty-seven cyclists came to the line in the first round. There were eight first round heats and four repêchages to qualify 12 riders for four quarter-finals. The second quarter-final repêchage had four competitors – Antonio Giménez, Béla Szekeres, Stéphan Martens, and Franck le Normand. Giménez led on the last turn when le Normand attempted to come around the pack, only to catch the rear wheel of Martens, with both of them going to the track. A re-race was ordered but le Normand could not compete and was taken to the hospital. Martens did start the re-race but could not put up much a battle, as the race was won by Giménez.

Two semi-finals qualified Sacchi and Australia’s Lionel Cox for the final. Werner Potzernheim (GER) also made the final via a repêchage after the semis. Sacchi won the final by what the 1952 Official Report termed a “narrow, but safe margin”. Cox placed second and the bronze went to Potzernheim. Potzernheim would again win sprint bronze at the 1954 World Championships. Sacchi turned professional after the Olympics, and competed until 1965. He never managed a professional world title, but in the sprint was second in 1953, third in 1954, and again second in 1958. Shortly after the final of the sprint, Cox teamed with Mockridge to win the tandem sprint gold medal.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	R1	R1 Rep	QF	Quarter-Finals Repêchage	SF	Semi-Finals Repêchage	Final
1	Enzo Sacchi	ITA	12.4 (1 h5)	–	12.0 (1 h3)	–	12.1 (1 h1)	–	12.0 (1 h1)	Gold
2	Lionel Cox	AUS	11.9 (1 h1)	–	12.5 (1 h1)	–	11.6 (1 h2)	–	– (2 h1)	Silver
3	Werner Potzernheim	GER	– (2 h1)	11.7 (1 h1)	11.6 (1 h4)	–	– (3 h1)	11.6 (1)	– (3 h1)	Bronze
4	Cyril Peacock	GBR	11.7 (1 h6)	–	11.7 (1 h2)	–	– (2 h2)	– (2)	–
5	Ray Robinson	RSA	– (2 h8)	12.3 (1 h4)	– (2 h1)	11.8 (1 h1)	– (2 h1)	– (3)	–
6	Béla Szekeres	HUN	11.9 (1 h7)	–	– (3 h3)	– (2 h2)	– (3 h2)	– (4)	–
2 h2 r4/7	Antonio Giménez	ARG	12.8 (1 h4)	–	– (2 h4)	12.3 (1 h2)	–	–	–
2 h1 r4/7	John Millman	CAN	– (2 h7)	11.7 (1 h3)	– (3 h2)	– (2 h1)	–	–	–
3 h1 r4/7	Jan Hijzelendoorn	NED	12.1 (1 h8)	–	– (3 h4)	– (3 h1)	–	–	–
4 h1 r4/7	Ove Krogh Rants	DEN	– (2 h6)	12.3 (1 h2)	– (2 h3)	– (4 h1)	–	–	–
3 h2 r4/7	Stefaan Martens	BEL	12.9 (1 h2)	–	– (3 h1)	– (DNF h2)	–	–	–
AC h2 r4/7	Franck Le Normand	FRA	12.6 (1 h3)	–	– (2 h2)	– (DNF h2)	–	–	–		DNF
2 h1 r2/7	Otar Dadunashvili	URS	– (3 h3)	– (2 h1)	–	–	–	–	–
2 h2 r2/7	Fritz Siegenthaler	SUI	– (3 h7)	– (2 h2)	–	–	–	–	–
2 h3 r2/7	Kurt Nemetz	AUT	– (2 h2)	– (2 h3)	–	–	–	–	–
2 h4 r2/7	Hernán Masanés	CHI	– (3 h1)	– (2 h4)	–	–	–	–	–
3 h1 r2/7	Luis Toro	VEN	– (4 h8)	– (3 h1)	–	–	–	–	–
3 h2 r2/7	Zdeněk Košta	TCH	– (2 h5)	– (3 h2)	–	–	–	–	–
3 h3 r2/7	Muhammad Naqi Mallick	PAK	– (3 h5)	– (3 h3)	–	–	–	–	–
3 h4 r2/7	Colin Dickinson	NZL	– (4 h7)	– (3 h4)	–	–	–	–	–
4 h1 r2/7	Steve Hromjak	USA	– (3 h8)	– (4 h1)	–	–	–	–	–
4 h2 r2/7	Kihei Tomioka	JPN	– (3 h4)	– (4 h2)	–	–	–	–	–
4 h4 r2/7	Ken Farnum	JAM	– (2 h3)	– (4 h4)	–	–	–	–	–
5 h1 r2/7	Helge Törn	FIN	– (2 h4)	– (5 h1)	–	–	–	–	–
5 h4 r2/7	Ion Ioniță	ROU	– (3 h6)	– (5 h4)	–	–	–	–	–
3 h2 r1/7	Netai Bysack	IND	– (3 h2)	–	–	–	–	–	–
4 h6 r1/7	Gustavo Martínez	GUA	– (4 h6)	–	–	–	–	–	–

Round One

Date	28 July 1952 — 11:00
Format	Winner of each heat advanced to the quarter-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Lionel Cox	AUS	11.9	Q
2	Werner Potzernheim	GER	–
3	Hernán Masanés	CHI	–

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Stefaan Martens	BEL	12.9	Q
2	Kurt Nemetz	AUT	–
3	Netai Bysack	IND	–

Heat #3

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Franck Le Normand	FRA	12.6	Q
2	Ken Farnum	JAM	–
3	Otar Dadunashvili	URS	–

Heat #4

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Antonio Giménez	ARG	12.8	Q
2	Helge Törn	FIN	–
3	Kihei Tomioka	JPN	–

Heat #5

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Enzo Sacchi	ITA	12.4	Q
2	Zdeněk Košta	TCH	–
3	Muhammad Naqi Mallick	PAK	–

Heat #6

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Cyril Peacock	GBR	11.7	QOR
2	Ove Krogh Rants	DEN	–
3	Ion Ioniță	ROU	–
4	Gustavo Martínez	GUA	–

Heat #7

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Béla Szekeres	HUN	11.9	Q
2	John Millman	CAN	–
3	Fritz Siegenthaler	SUI	–
4	Colin Dickinson	NZL	–

Heat #8

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Jan Hijzelendoorn	NED	12.1	Q
2	Ray Robinson	RSA	–
3	Steve Hromjak	USA	–
4	Luis Toro	VEN	–

Round One Repêchage

Date	28 July 1952
Format	Winner of each heat advanced to the quarter-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Werner Potzernheim	GER	11.7	Q=OR
2	Otar Dadunashvili	URS	–
3	Luis Toro	VEN	–
4	Steve Hromjak	USA	–
5	Helge Törn	FIN	–

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Ove Krogh Rants	DEN	12.3	Q
2	Fritz Siegenthaler	SUI	–
3	Zdeněk Košta	TCH	–
4	Kihei Tomioka	JPN	–

Heat #3

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	John Millman	CAN	11.7	Q=OR
2	Kurt Nemetz	AUT	–
3	Muhammad Naqi Mallick	PAK	–

Heat #4

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Ray Robinson	RSA	12.3	Q
2	Hernán Masanés	CHI	–
3	Colin Dickinson	NZL	–
4	Ken Farnum	JAM	–
5	Ion Ioniță	ROU	–

Quarter-Finals

Date	29 July 1952 — 11:00
Format	Winner of each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Lionel Cox	AUS	12.5	Q
2	Ray Robinson	RSA	–
3	Stefaan Martens	BEL	–

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Cyril Peacock	GBR	11.7	Q=OR
2	Franck Le Normand	FRA	–
3	John Millman	CAN	–

Heat #3

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Enzo Sacchi	ITA	12.0	Q
2	Ove Krogh Rants	DEN	–
3	Béla Szekeres	HUN	–

Heat #4

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Werner Potzernheim	GER	11.6	QOR
2	Antonio Giménez	ARG	–
3	Jan Hijzelendoorn	NED	–

Quarter-Finals Repêchage

Date	29 July 1952
Format	Winner of each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Ray Robinson	RSA	11.8	Q
2	John Millman	CAN	–
3	Jan Hijzelendoorn	NED	–
4	Ove Krogh Rants	DEN	–

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Antonio Giménez	ARG	12.3	1
2	Béla Szekeres	HUN	–
DNF	Stefaan Martens	BEL	–
DNF	Franck Le Normand	FRA	–

Heat #2 Re-run

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Béla Szekeres	HUN	11.8	Q
2	Antonio Giménez	ARG	–
3	Stefaan Martens	BEL	–

Semi-Finals

Date	29 July 1952 — 18:00
Format	Winner of each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Enzo Sacchi	ITA	12.1	Q
2	Ray Robinson	RSA	–
3	Werner Potzernheim	GER	–

Heat #2

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Lionel Cox	AUS	11.6	Q=OR
2	Cyril Peacock	GBR	–
3	Béla Szekeres	HUN	–

Semi-Finals Repêchage

Date	29 July 1952

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Werner Potzernheim	GER	11.6	Q=OR
2	Cyril Peacock	GBR	–
3	Ray Robinson	RSA	–
4	Béla Szekeres	HUN	–

Final Round

Date	31 July 1952 — 18:00

Heat 1/2

Time	18:00

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time
1	Enzo Sacchi	ITA	12.0
2	Lionel Cox	AUS	–
3	Werner Potzernheim	GER	–