| | Event type

Discus Throw, Women

Date	23 November 1956
Status	Olympic
Location	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants	22 from 12 countries

Nina Romashkova was the defending champion, the 1954 European Champion, and the favorite. Her teammate Irina Beglyakova had finished second to her at the 1954 Europeans and was expected to medal. The qualifying leader was Czechoslovak Olga Fikotová who took the lead in the final with 52.04 (170-9) in round three. But Beglyakova surpassed her later in the round with 52.54 (172-4½). Fikotová regained the lead and won the gold medal with her fifth round throw of 53.69 (176-1¾), Beglyakova holding on for the silver. Romashkova never really factored for the gold but won the bronze. Fikotová also made headlines during the Olympics because she began a much publicized East-West romance with American hammer thrower, Hal Connolly. Overcoming what was described as “mountains of red tape” they fell in love and were married in Praha three months after the Olympics, with Czech distance running legend Emil Zátopek serving as best man, although Connolly and Fikotová would divorce in 1973. Fikotová-Connolly would eventually compete in five Olympics, the next four representing the United States.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	592	Olga Fikotová	TCH	50.77 (1)	53.69 (1)	Gold	OR
2	600	Irina Beglyakova	URS	47.65 (3)	52.54 (2)	Silver	OR
3	601	Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova	URS	48.34 (2)	52.02 (3)	Bronze
4	580	Earlene Brown	USA	43.90 (=6)	51.35 (4)
5	599	Albina Yelkina	URS	43.90 (=6)	48.20 (5)
6	588	Isabel Avellán	ARG	43.66 (9)	46.73 (6)
7	557	Jiřina Vobořilová	TCH	44.42 (5)	45.84 (7)
8	593	Štěpánka Mertová	TCH	46.26 (4)	45.78 (8)
9	596	Lia Manoliu	ROU	43.87 (8)	43.90 (9)
10	577	Marianne Werner	GER	43.41 (10)	43.34 (10)
11	561	Paola Paternoster	ITA	42.88 (11)	42.83 (11)
12	586	Nada Kotlušek	YUG	42.45 (12)	42.16 (12)
13	590	Lois Jackman	AUS	42.21 (13)	40.84 (13)
14 r1/2	578	Suzanne Allday	GBR	41.45 (14)	–
15 r1/2	575	Anne-Chatrine Lafrenz	GER	41.18 (15)	–
16 r1/2	595	Toyoko Yoshino	JPN	40.91 (16)	–
17 r1/2	589	Shirley Cotton	AUS	40.76 (17)	–
18 r1/2	597	Pam Kurrell	USA	40.49 (18)	–
19 r1/2	574	Jackie MacDonald	CAN	40.41 (19)	–
20 r1/2	598	Marjorie Larney	USA	39.91 (20)	–
21 r1/2	591	Valerie Lawrence	AUS	36.61 (21)	–
22 r1/2	594	Almut Brömmel	GER	35.47 (22)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	23 November 1956 — 10:00
Format	All those reaching 42.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance
1	592	Olga Fikotová	TCH	50.77	28.60	50.77	-	Q
2	601	Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova	URS	48.34	48.34	-	-	Q
3	600	Irina Beglyakova	URS	47.65	40.77	47.65	-	Q
4	593	Štěpánka Mertová	TCH	46.26	40.51	46.26	-	Q
5	557	Jiřina Vobořilová	TCH	44.42	44.42	-	-	Q
=6	580	Earlene Brown	USA	43.90	43.90	-	-	Q
=6	599	Albina Yelkina	URS	43.90	43.90	-	-	Q
8	596	Lia Manoliu	ROU	43.87	43.87	-	-	Q
9	588	Isabel Avellán	ARG	43.66	40.91	43.66	-	Q
10	577	Marianne Werner	GER	43.41	40.78	43.41	-	Q
11	561	Paola Paternoster	ITA	42.88	42.88	-	-	Q
12	586	Nada Kotlušek	YUG	42.45	40.73	42.45	-	Q
13	590	Lois Jackman	AUS	42.21	39.25	41.68	42.21	Q
14	578	Suzanne Allday	GBR	41.45	39.39	38.89	41.45
15	575	Anne-Chatrine Lafrenz	GER	41.18	33.72	41.18	41.16
16	595	Toyoko Yoshino	JPN	40.91	40.77	36.47	40.91
17	589	Shirley Cotton	AUS	40.76	37.74	40.76	39.36
18	597	Pam Kurrell	USA	40.49	38.01	40.49	39.92
19	574	Jackie MacDonald	CAN	40.41	33.77	33.93	40.41
20	598	Marjorie Larney	USA	39.91	39.91	38.04	x
21	591	Valerie Lawrence	AUS	36.61	33.84	35.76	36.61
22	594	Almut Brömmel	GER	35.47	x	x	35.47

Final Round

Date	23 November 1956 — 16:10

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance	Round #4 Distance	Round #5 Distance	Round #6 Distance
1	592	Olga Fikotová	TCH	53.69	46.56	50.09	52.04	52.28	53.69	49.98	OR
2	600	Irina Beglyakova	URS	52.54	51.74	51.01	52.54	50.32	48.22	48.31	OR
3	601	Nina Romashkova-Ponomaryova	URS	52.02	51.03	51.61	50.17	47.22	52.02	51.10
4	580	Earlene Brown	USA	51.35	51.35	42.55	x	x	40.45	44.79
5	599	Albina Yelkina	URS	48.20	47.87	x	48.20	45.18	45.45	47.92
6	588	Isabel Avellán	ARG	46.73	46.73	44.84	42.69	46.31	43.88	44.35
7	557	Jiřina Vobořilová	TCH	45.84	45.57	x	45.84	–	–	–
8	593	Štěpánka Mertová	TCH	45.78	41.96	45.78	43.41	–	–	–
9	596	Lia Manoliu	ROU	43.90	43.90	43.76	42.72	–	–	–
10	577	Marianne Werner	GER	43.34	43.34	41.89	x	–	–	–
11	561	Paola Paternoster	ITA	42.83	42.83	40.89	x	–	–	–
12	586	Nada Kotlušek	YUG	42.16	41.79	39.89	42.16	–	–	–
13	590	Lois Jackman	AUS	40.84	40.84	40.28	40.64	–	–	–