| | Event type

Javelin Throw, Women

Date	28 November 1956
Status	Olympic
Location	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants	19 from 12 countries

The first and second places in Melbourne were big surprises. Soviet Latvian Inese Jaunzeme had no major record and her best finish at the Soviet Championships was third in 1956. But she dominated the 1956 Olympic competition, leading after her first throw, and never relinguishing the lead. She improved to 53.40 (175-2½) in round four and her best mark of 53.86 (176-8½) came in the final round, with four of her throws good enough for the gold medal. Silver medalist Marlene Ahrens of Chile also had no international record to that date. She remains the only Chilean female to win an Olympic medal – in any sport through 2008. She would later win gold medals at the 1959 and 1963 Pan-American Games in the javelin.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	616	Inese Jaunzeme	URS	46.19 (6)	53.86 (1)	Gold	OR
2	607	Marlene Ahrens	CHI	46.43 (5)	50.38 (2)	Silver
3	617	Nadezhda Konyayeva	URS	47.19 (3)	50.28 (3)	Bronze
4	606	Dana Zátopková	TCH	47.05 (4)	49.83 (4)
5	613	Ingrid Almqvist	SWE	43.47 (14)	49.74 (5)
6	611	Urszula Figwer	POL	47.76 (2)	48.16 (6)
7	662	Erzsébet Vígh	HUN	44.60 (9)	48.07 (7)
8	614	Karen Anderson	USA	49.64 (1)	48.00 (8)
9	612	Anna Wojtaszek	POL	44.08 (12)	46.92 (9)
10	609	Erika Raue	GER	43.85 (13)	45.87 (10)
11	598	Marjorie Larney	USA	45.80 (7)	45.27 (11)
12	610	Yoriko Shida	JPN	45.37 (8)	44.96 (12)
13	594	Almut Brömmel	GER	44.55 (10)	44.67 (13)
14	615	Amelia Wershoven	USA	44.39 (11)	44.29 (14)
15 r1/2	561	Paola Paternoster	ITA	42.68 (15)	–
16 r1/2	605	Margaret George	CAN	39.73 (16)	–
17 r1/2	603	Maureen Wright	AUS	38.81 (17)	–
18 r1/2	604	Heather Innes	AUS	38.72 (18)	–
19 r1/2	602	June Heath	AUS	38.10 (19)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	28 November 1956 — 10:00
Format	All those reaching 43.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance
1	614	Karen Anderson	USA	49.64	49.64	-	-	Q
2	611	Urszula Figwer	POL	47.76	47.76	-	-	Q
3	617	Nadezhda Konyayeva	URS	47.19	47.19	-	-	Q
4	606	Dana Zátopková	TCH	47.05	47.05	-	-	Q
5	607	Marlene Ahrens	CHI	46.43	46.43	-	-	Q
6	616	Inese Jaunzeme	URS	46.19	46.19	-	-	Q
7	598	Marjorie Larney	USA	45.80	39.04	36.89	45.80	Q
8	610	Yoriko Shida	JPN	45.37	38.50	45.37	-	Q
9	662	Erzsébet Vígh	HUN	44.60	44.60	-	-	Q
10	594	Almut Brömmel	GER	44.55	44.55	-	-	Q
11	615	Amelia Wershoven	USA	44.39	44.39	-	-	Q
12	612	Anna Wojtaszek	POL	44.08	44.08	-	-	Q
13	609	Erika Raue	GER	43.85	43.85	-	-	Q
14	613	Ingrid Almqvist	SWE	43.47	43.47	-	-	Q
15	561	Paola Paternoster	ITA	42.68	39.69	42.68	41.25
16	605	Margaret George	CAN	39.73	33.56	36.62	39.73
17	603	Maureen Wright	AUS	38.81	36.75	38.81	36.91
18	604	Heather Innes	AUS	38.72	38.72	35.57	x
19	602	June Heath	AUS	38.10	35.76	38.10	x

Final Round

Date	28 November 1956 — 15:30

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	616	Inese Jaunzeme	URS	53.86	51.63	46.62	50.46	53.40	49.08	53.86	OR
2	607	Marlene Ahrens	CHI	50.38	47.47	49.36	44.68	46.30	50.38	39.31
3	617	Nadezhda Konyayeva	URS	50.28	49.48	50.28	46.24	47.39	44.51	44.40
4	606	Dana Zátopková	TCH	49.83	43.52	49.83	47.07	47.59	49.81	41.59
5	613	Ingrid Almqvist	SWE	49.74	49.74	43.58	45.06	48.24	43.06	41.17
6	611	Urszula Figwer	POL	48.16	44.28	48.16	42.54	42.81	43.02	45.64
7	662	Erzsébet Vígh	HUN	48.07	46.69	48.07	47.38	–	–	–
8	614	Karen Anderson	USA	48.00	47.28	48.00	41.76	–	–	–
9	612	Anna Wojtaszek	POL	46.92	46.92	46.27	45.36	–	–	–
10	609	Erika Raue	GER	45.87	43.27	x	45.87	–	–	–
11	598	Marjorie Larney	USA	45.27	41.44	45.27	42.09	–	–	–
12	610	Yoriko Shida	JPN	44.96	44.96	43.34	37.20	–	–	–
13	594	Almut Brömmel	GER	44.67	40.72	42.37	44.67	–	–	–
14	615	Amelia Wershoven	USA	44.29	44.29	40.45	32.59	–	–	–