| | Event type
110 metres Hurdles, Men
| Date | 23 – 24 July 1952 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Helsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki |
| Participants | 30 from 20 countries |
In 1948, Harrison Dillard had been a huge pre-Olympic favorite for gold until he faltered in the US Olympic Trials, hitting a hurdle and not finishing the final. He had then entered the 100 metres, made the team in that event and won the gold medal. He continued hurdling and was still considered the best in the world in 1952. The world record holder was Dick Attlesey (USA), but he hurt his foot in the heats of the US Olympic Trials, and did not make the team. But led by Dillard, the Americans again swept the medals, as they had in 1948. The finish was close between Dillard and Jack Davis, Davis having been slowed by a poor start, likely due to being charged with a false start.
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1002 | Harrison Dillard |  USA | 13.9 (1 h1) | 14.0 (1 h1) | 13.7 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 1003 | Jack Davis | USA | 14.0 (1 h3) | 14.4 (1 h2) | 13.7 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 1004 | Art Barnard | USA | 14.4 (1 h6) | 14.2 (2 h1) | 14.1 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 432 | Yevgeny Bulanchik |  URS | 14.4 (1 h2) | 14.5 (2 h2) | 14.5 (4) | |||
| 5 | 26 | Ken Doubleday |  AUS | 14.5 (1 h4) | 14.5 (3 h1) | 14.7 (5) | |||
| 6 | 19 | Ray Weinberg | AUS | 14.4 (1 h5) | 14.6 (3 h2) | 14.8 (6) | |||
| 4 h1 r2/3 | 434 | Sergey Popov | URS | 14.8 (2 h1) | 14.7 (4 h1) | – | |||
| 4 h2 r2/3 | 327 | Stanko Lorger |  YUG | 14.8 (2 h3) | 14.9 (4 h2) | – | |||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | 614 | Edmond Roudnitska |  FRA | 14.9 (2 h2) | 14.9 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 5 h2 r2/3 | 792 | Väinö Suvivuo |  FIN | 14.9 (2 h5) | 14.9 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | 188 | Peter Hildreth |  GBR | 14.7 (2 h6) | 14.9 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | 189 | Jack Parker | GBR | 14.8 (2 h4) | 15.0 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 3 h1 r1/3 | 854 | Olivier Bernard |  SUI | 15.1 (3 h1) | – | – | |||
| 3 h2 r1/3 | 8 | Estanislao Kocourek |  ARG | 15.0 (3 h2) | – | – | |||
| 3 h3 r1/3 | 401 | Samuel Andersón |  CUB | 15.1 (3 h3) | – | – | |||
| 3 h4 r1/3 | 355 | Gordon Crosby |  CAN | 14.8 (3 h4) | – | – | |||
| 3 h5 r1/3 | 79 | Jörn Gevert |  CHI | 15.2 (3 h5) | – | – | |||
| 3 h6 r1/3 | 310 | Michitaka Kinami |  JPN | 15.0 (3 h6) | – | – | |||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | 923 | Erdal Barkay |  TUR | 15.2 (4 h1) | – | – | |||
| 4 h2 r1/3 | 793 | Risto Syrjänen | FIN | 15.4 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| 4 h3 r1/3 | 743 | Wolfgang Troßbach |  GER | 15.1 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 4 h4 r1/3 | 545 | Téofilo Colón |  PUR | 15.2 (4 h4) | – | – | |||
| 4 h6 r1/3 | 159 | Ingi Þorsteinsson |  ISL | 15.6 (4 h6) | – | – | |||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | 78 | Edmundo Ohaco | CHI | 15.4 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 5 h2 r1/3 | 544 | Juan Lebrón | PUR | 15.4 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | 975 | Téofilo Davis |  VEN | 15.7 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 5 h6 r1/3 | 613 | Jacques Dohen | FRA | 15.7 (5 h6) | – | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | 794 | Olli Alho | FIN | 15.4 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/3 | 95 | Fouad Yazgi |  EGY | 16.1 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 6 h6 r1/3 | 405 | Johnny Fonck |  LUX | 16.1 (6 h6) | – | – | |||
| 100 | Sebastián Junqueras |  ESP | – (DNS h3) | – | – | ||||
| 378 | Michail Michail |  GRE | – (DNS h4) | – | – | ||||
| 945 | Imre Retezar |  HUN | – (DNS h4) | – | – | ||||
| 922 | Hakan Eper | TUR | – (DNS h5) | – | – | ||||
| 60 | Wilson Gomes |  BRA | – (DNS h5) | – | – |
Round One (23 July 1952 — 15:00)
Top two in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.
Heat One
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Harrison Dillard | USA | 13.9 | 14.03 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Sergey Popov | URS | 14.8 | 14.99 | |||
| 3 | 6 | Olivier Bernard | SUI | 15.1 | 15.29 | |||
| 4 | 1 | Erdal Barkay | TUR | 15.2 | 15.34 | |||
| 5 | 4 | Edmundo Ohaco | CHI | 15.4 | 15.61 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Olli Alho | FIN | 15.4 | 15.63 |
Heat Two
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Yevgeny Bulanchik | URS | 14.4 | 14.65 | |||
| 2 | 6 | Edmond Roudnitska | FRA | 14.9 | 15.11 | |||
| 3 | 3 | Estanislao Kocourek | ARG | 15.0 | 15.20 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Risto Syrjänen | FIN | 15.4 | 15.63 | |||
| 5 | 1 | Juan Lebrón | PUR | 15.4 | 15.71 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Fouad Yazgi | EGY | 16.1 | 16.26 |
Heat Three
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jack Davis | USA | 14.0 | 14.23 | |||
| 2 | 6 | Stanko Lorger | YUG | 14.8 | 15.08 | |||
| 3 | 1 | Samuel Andersón | CUB | 15.1 | 15.24 | |||
| 4 | 4 | Wolfgang Troßbach | GER | 15.1 | 15.24 | |||
| 5 | 2 | Téofilo Davis | VEN | 15.7 | 15.96 | |||
| 5 | Sebastián Junqueras | ESP | – | – |
Heat Four
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Ken Doubleday | AUS | 14.5 | 14.65 | |||
| 2 | 6 | Jack Parker | GBR | 14.8 | 15.08 | |||
| 3 | 2 | Gordon Crosby | CAN | 14.8 | 15.11 | |||
| 4 | 5 | Téofilo Colón | PUR | 15.2 | 15.48 | |||
| 1 | Michail Michail | GRE | – | – | ||||
| 3 | Imre Retezar | HUN | – | – |
Heat Five
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Ray Weinberg | AUS | 14.4 | 14.62 | |||
| 2 | 5 | Väinö Suvivuo | FIN | 14.9 | 15.21 | |||
| 3 | 4 | Jörn Gevert | CHI | 15.2 | 15.44 | |||
| 2 | Hakan Eper | TUR | – | – | ||||
| 1 | Wilson Gomes | BRA | – | – |
Heat Six
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Art Barnard | USA | 14.4 | 14.61 | |||
| 2 | 4 | Peter Hildreth | GBR | 14.7 | 14.94 | |||
| 3 | 5 | Michitaka Kinami | JPN | 15.0 | 15.31 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Ingi Þorsteinsson | ISL | 15.6 | 15.76 | |||
| 5 | 1 | Jacques Dohen | FRA | 15.7 | 16.02 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Johnny Fonck | LUX | 16.1 | 16.35 |
Semi-Finals (24 July 1952 — 15:00)
Top three in each heat advanced to the final.
Heat One
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Harrison Dillard | USA | 14.0 | 14.15 | |||
| 2 | 6 | Art Barnard | USA | 14.2 | 14.44 | |||
| 3 | 5 | Ken Doubleday | AUS | 14.5 | 14.74 | |||
| 4 | 1 | Sergey Popov | URS | 14.7 | 15.04 | |||
| 5 | 3 | Edmond Roudnitska | FRA | 14.9 | 15.15 | |||
| 6 | 2 | Peter Hildreth | GBR | 14.9 | 15.15 |
Heat Two
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jack Davis | USA | 14.4 | 14.62 | |||
| 2 | 1 | Yevgeny Bulanchik | URS | 14.5 | 14.70 | |||
| 3 | 6 | Ray Weinberg | AUS | 14.6 | 14.99 | |||
| 4 | 5 | Stanko Lorger | YUG | 14.9 | 15.09 | |||
| 5 | 4 | Väinö Suvivuo | FIN | 14.9 | 15.31 | |||
| 6 | 2 | Jack Parker | GBR | 15.0 | 15.31 |
Final (24 July 1952 — 18:20)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (H) | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Harrison Dillard | USA | 13.7 | 13.91 | |||
| 2 | 1 | Jack Davis | USA | 13.7 | 14.00 | |||
| 3 | 5 | Art Barnard | USA | 14.1 | 14.40 | |||
| 4 | 2 | Yevgeny Bulanchik | URS | 14.5 | 14.73 | |||
| 5 | 3 | Ken Doubleday | AUS | 14.7 | 14.82 | |||
| 6 | 6 | Ray Weinberg | AUS | 14.8 | 15.15 |