| Date | 1 December 1956 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Participants | 36 from 9 countries |
Australia had the fastest woman sprinter in the world in Betty Cuthbert, who had won the 100 and 200. She would run the anchor and their team would be started off by Shirley Strickland-de la Hunty, who had defended her 80 metre hurdles gold medal. In the first round, Australia bettered the world record with 44.9. But in the final, the British team had very clean passes, and still held the lead as June Foulds-Paul passed off to Heather Armitage, with Cuthbert a metre in arrears. But Cuthbert, the “Golden Girl,” caught Armitage by 50 metres and won by half a metre.
| Date | 1 December 1956 — 15:30 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 3 in each heat advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Team | NOC | Time (automatic) | Time (hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |  AUS | 45.00 | 44.9 | ||
| 2 | Unified Team of Germany |  GER | 45.07 | 44.9 | ||
| 3 | Great Britain |  GBR | 45.38 | 45.3 | ||
| 4 | United States |  USA | 45.52 | 45.4 | ||
| 5 | Italy |  ITA | 45.91 | 45.9 | ||
| 6 | Soviet Union |  URS | 46.20 | 46.1 | ||
| 7 | France |  FRA | 46.39 | 46.3 | ||
| 8 | Poland |  POL | 46.58 | 46.5 | ||
| 9 | Canada |  CAN | 46.79 | 46.6 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 44.9 | 45.00 | ||
| Lead-Off | 469 | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 511 | Norma Croker | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Fleur Mellor | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 468 | Betty Cuthbert | – | – | |||
| 2 | 5 | Unified Team of Germany | GER | 44.9 | 45.07 | ||
| Lead-Off | 526 | Maria Sander | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 484 | Christa Stubnick | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 482 | Gisela Köhler | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Bärbel Mayer | – | – | |||
| 3 | 4 | Italy | ITA | 45.9 | 45.91 | ||
| Lead-Off | 514 | Letizia Bertoni | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 529 | Milena Greppi | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 491 | Giuseppina Leone | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 492 | Maria Musso | – | – | |||
| 4 | 2 | France | FRA | 46.3 | 46.39 | ||
| Lead-Off | 479 | Catherine Capdevielle | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 480 | Micheline Fluchot | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 512 | Simone Henry | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 524 | Angèle Picado | – | – | |||
| 5 | 1 | Canada | CAN | 46.6 | 46.79 | ||
| Lead-Off | 472 | Eleanor Haslam | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 541 | Dorothy Kozak | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 473 | Diane Matheson | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 474 | Maureen Rever | – | – |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Great Britain | GBR | 45.3 | 45.38 | ||
| Lead-Off | 485 | Anne Pashley | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 513 | Jean Scrivens | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 486 | June Paul | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 487 | Heather Armitage | – | – | |||
| 2 | 1 | United States | USA | 45.4 | 45.52 | ||
| Lead-Off | 504 | Mae Faggs | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 549 | Margaret Matthews | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 517 | Wilma Rudolph | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 503 | Isabelle Daniels | – | – | |||
| 3 | 2 | Soviet Union | URS | 46.1 | 46.20 | ||
| Lead-Off | 507 | Vera Krepkina | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 506 | Galina Rezchikova | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 518 | Mariya Itkina | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Irina Bochkaryova | – | – | |||
| 4 | 3 | Poland | POL | 46.5 | 46.58 | ||
| Lead-Off | 499 | Maria Kusion | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 500 | Barbara Lerczak | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 515 | Genowefa Minicka | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 498 | Halina Richter | – | – |
| Date | 1 December 1956 — 16:50 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 44.5 | 44.65 | ||
| Lead-Off | 469 | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 511 | Norma Croker | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Fleur Mellor | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 468 | Betty Cuthbert | – | – | |||
| 2 | 4 | Great Britain | GBR | 44.7 | 44.70 | ||
| Lead-Off | 485 | Anne Pashley | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 513 | Jean Scrivens | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 486 | June Paul | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 487 | Heather Armitage | – | – | |||
| 3 | 1 | United States | USA | 44.9 | 45.04 | ||
| Lead-Off | 504 | Mae Faggs | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 549 | Margaret Matthews | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 517 | Wilma Rudolph | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 503 | Isabelle Daniels | – | – | |||
| 4 | 5 | Soviet Union | URS | 45.6 | 45.81 | ||
| Lead-Off | 507 | Vera Krepkina | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 506 | Galina Rezchikova | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 518 | Mariya Itkina | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Irina Bochkaryova | – | – | |||
| 5 | 6 | Italy | ITA | 45.7 | 45.90 | ||
| Lead-Off | 514 | Letizia Bertoni | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 529 | Milena Greppi | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 491 | Giuseppina Leone | – | – | |||
| Anchor | 492 | Maria Musso | – | – | |||
| 6 | 2 | Unified Team of Germany | GER | 47.2 | 47.29 | ||
| Lead-Off | 526 | Maria Sander | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 484 | Christa Stubnick | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 482 | Gisela Köhler | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Bärbel Mayer | – | – |
