1956 Olympic Games Canoeing/Kayak Events

ABOUT THIS ITEM

Additional InformationThe canoeing/Kayak events at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics was held over two days: 30 November and 1 December 1956. All events took place at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Victoria.

30 November 1956 10,000m Events: Men's K-1, K-2, C-1, and C-2
1 December 1956 1,000m & 500m Events: Men's K-1, K-2, C-1, C-2 (1,000m) and Women's K-1 (500m)

Historic Medal: On 30 November, Australians Dennis Green and Walter Brown won a bronze medal in the men's K-2 10,000m, marking Australia's first-ever Olympic medal in canoeing.

Venue: Lake Wendouree was the only Olympic venue located outside the immediate Melbourne metropolitan area during the 1956 Games.

Competition Format: The program consisted of nine events, featuring eight for men and one for women (Kayak Singles 500m), a structure that remained unchanged from the 1948 and 1952 Olympics

Participants: A total of 113 athletes from 17 nations competed in nine sprint canoe racing events.

The Australian Canoe Team included Bryan Harper - see oral history in Noosa's Sporting History Project.DateNovember 1956

Photograph

1956 Olympic Games Canoeing/Kayak Events

IDENTIFIERS

Subject (Keywords)CanoesKayaksSportOlympic GamesWater Sports

CONNECTIONS

PersonBryan HarperCollectionOlympic Games CollectionMenuDecade | 1950-1959Topic | Sport & Recreation