At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.
Medal summary Men 100 metres 10.4 10.4 10.4 200 metres 20.7 20.8 20.8 400 metres 45.9 45.9 46.8 800 metres 1:49.2 1:49.4 1:49.7 1500 metres 3:45.2 3:45.2 3:45.4 5000 metres 14:06.6 14:07.4 14:08.6 10,000 metres 29:17.0 29:32.8 29:48.2 110 metres hurdles 13.7 13.7 14.1 400 metres hurdles 50.8 51.3 52.2 3000 metres steeplechase 8:45.4 8:51.6 8:51.8 4 × 100 metres relayDean SmithHarrison DillardLindy RemiginoAndy Stanfield 40.1Boris TokarevLevan KalyayevLevan SanadzeVladimir Sukharev 40.3László ZarándiGéza VarasdiGyörgy CsányiBéla Goldoványi 40.5 4 × 400 metres relayArthur WintLeslie LaingHerb McKenleyGeorge Rhoden 3:03.9 Ollie MatsonGene ColeCharles MooreMal Whitfield 3:04.0Günther SteinesHans GeisterHeinz UlzheimerKarl-Friedrich Haas 3:06.6 Marathon 2:23:03 2:25:35 2:26:07 10 kilometres walk 45:02.8 45:41.0 45:41.0 50 kilometres walk 4:28:07.8 4:30:17.8 4:31:27.2 High jump 2.04 2.01 m 1.98 m Pole vault 4.55 m 4.50 m 4.40 m Long jump 7.57 m 7.53 m 7.30 m Triple jump 16.22 m 15.98 m 15.52 m Shot put 17.41 17.39 m 17.06 m Discus throw 55.03 53.78 m 53.28 m Hammer throw 60.34 m 58.86 m 57.74 m Javelin throw 73.78 m 72.46 m 71.89 m Decathlon 7,887 pts 6,975 pts 6,788 pts
Women 100 metres 11.5 11.8 11.9 200 metres 23.7 24.2 24.2 80 metres hurdles 10.9 11.1 11.1 4 × 100 metres relayMae FaggsBarbara JonesJanet MoreauCatherine Hardy 45.9 Ursula KnabMaria SanderHelga KleinMarga Petersen 45.9Sylvia CheesemanJune FouldsJean DesforgesHeather Armitage 46.2 High jump 1.67 m 1.65 m 1.63 m Long jump 6.24 m 6.14 m 5.92 m Shot put 15.28 m 14.57 m 14.50 m Discus throw 51.42 m 47.08 m 46.29 m Javelin throw 50.47 m 50.01 m 49.76 m
Records broken During the 1952 Summer Olympic Games, 26 new Olympic records and 8 new world records were set in the athletics events.
Men's Olympic and world records Event Date Round Name Nationality Result OR WR 400 metres July 25 Final George RhodenHerb McKenley 45.9 s OR 1500 metres July 26 Final Josy BarthelBob McMillen 3:45.2 OR 5000 metres July 24 Final Emil Zátopek 14:06.6 OR 10,000 metres July 20 Final Emil Zátopek 29:17.0 OR 110 metres hurdles July 24 Final Harrison DillardJack Davis 13.7 s OR 400 metres hurdles July 21 Final Charles Moore 50.8 s OR 3000 metres steeplechase July 25 Final Horace Ashenfelter 8:45.4 s OR 4 × 400 metres relay July 27 Final Les LaingHerb McKenleyGeorge RhodenArthur Wint 3:03.9 OR WR 10 kilometres walk July 27 Final John Mikaelsson 45:02.8 OR 50 kilometres walk July 21 Final Giuseppe Dordoni 4:28:07.8 OR Marathon July 27 Final Emil Zátopek 2:23:03.2 OR WR High jump July 20 Final Walt Davis 2.04 m OR Pole vault July 22 Final Bob Richards 4.55 m OR Triple jump July 23 Final Adhemar da Silva 16.22 m OR WR Shot put July 21 Final Parry O'Brien 17.41 m OR Discus throw July 22 Final Sim Iness 55.03 m OR Javelin throw July 24 Final Cy Young 73.78 m OR Hammer throw July 24 Final József Csermák 60.34 m OR WR Decathlon July 26 Final Bob Mathias 7887 pts OR WR
Women's Olympic and world records Event Date Round Name Nationality Result OR WR 200 metres July 26 Semifinal Marjorie Jackson 23.4 s OR WR 80 metres hurdles July 24 Final Shirley Strickland de la Hunty 10.9 s OR WR 4 × 100 metres relay July 27 Final Mae FaggsCatherine HardyBarbara JonesJanet Moreau 45.9 s OR WR Long jump July 23 Final Yvette Williams 6.24 m OR Shot put July 26 Final Galina Zybina 15.28 m OR WR Discus throw July 20 Final Nina Romashkova 51.42 m OR Javelin throw July 24 Final Dana Zátopková 50.47 m OR
Medal table
Participating nations A total of 57 nations participated in the different Athletics events at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
References 1952 Summer Olympics results: athletics, from https://www.sports-reference.com/; retrieved 2010-11-08. International Olympic Committee results database