# Wrestling at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle featherweight

The men's freestyle featherweight competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne took place from 28 November to 1 December at the Royal Exhibition Building. Nations were limited to one competitor. Featherweight was the third-lightest category, including wrestlers weighing 57 to 62 kilograms (125.7 to 136.7 lb).

## Competition format

This freestyle wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, as modified in 1952 (adding medal rounds and making all losses worth 3 points—from 1936 to 1948 losses by split decision only cost 2). Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points. The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated. This elimination continued until the medal rounds, which began when 3 wrestlers remained. These 3 wrestlers each faced each other in a round-robin medal round (with earlier results counting, if any had wrestled another before); record within the medal round determined medals, with bad points breaking ties.

## Results
### Round 1
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Decision, 3–0 | Muhammad Nazir | Pakistan |
| Bayram Şit | Turkey | Fall | John Elliott | Australia |
| Myron Roderick | United States | Decision, 3–0 | Bálint Galántai | Hungary |
| Nasser Givehchi | Iran | Decision, 3–0 | Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa |
| Erkki Penttilä | Finland | Fall | Herbie Hall | Great Britain |
| Jef Mewis | Belgium | Decision, 3–0 | Ram Sarup | India |
| Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Erkki Penttilä | Finland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Bayram Şit | Turkey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Jef Mewis | Belgium | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Myron Roderick | United States | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Shozo Sasahara | Japan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | John Elliott | Australia | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Bálint Galántai | Hungary | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Herbie Hall | Great Britain | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Muhammad Nazir | Pakistan | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Ram Sarup | India | 0 | 3 | 3 |

### Round 2
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Decision, 2–1 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union |
| Bayram Şit | Turkey | Decision, 2–1 | Muhammad Nazir | Pakistan |
| Myron Roderick | United States | Fall | John Elliott | Australia |
| Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa | Decision, 3–0 | Bálint Galántai | Hungary |
| Nasser Givehchi | Iran | Fall | Herbie Hall | Great Britain |
| Jef Mewis | Belgium | Decision, 3–0 | Erkki Penttilä | Finland |
| Ram Sarup | India | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Myron Roderick | United States | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Bayram Şit | Turkey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Jef Mewis | Belgium | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Shozo Sasahara | Japan | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Erkki Penttilä | Finland | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Ram Sarup | India | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | John Elliott | Australia | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Bálint Galántai | Hungary | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Herbie Hall | Great Britain | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Muhammad Nazir | Pakistan | 3 | 3 | 6 |

### Round 3
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | Decision, 3–0 | Ram Sarup | India |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Decision, 3–0 | Bayram Şit | Turkey |
| Myron Roderick | United States | Decision, 3–0 | Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa |
| Erkki Penttilä | Finland | Decision, 2–1 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran |
| Jef Mewis | Belgium | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Jef Mewis | Belgium | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1 | Myron Roderick | United States | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Shozo Sasahara | Japan | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Erkki Penttilä | Finland | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Bayram Şit | Turkey | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | Ram Sarup | India | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 9 | Abe Geldenhuys | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 7 |

### Round 4
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Jef Mewis | Belgium | Decision, 3–0 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Decision, 3–0 | Myron Roderick | United States |
| Bayram Şit | Turkey | Decision, 3–0 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran |
| Erkki Penttilä | Finland | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Jef Mewis | Belgium | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Erkki Penttilä | Finland | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Shozo Sasahara | Japan | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Myron Roderick | United States | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Bayram Şit | Turkey | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Nasser Givehchi | Iran | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | Linar Salimullin | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 7 |

### Medal rounds

Mewis's round 2 victory over Penttilä counted for the medal rounds. Sasahara received a walkover victory over Penttilä, then defeated Mewis by decision to go 2–0 against the other medalists and win the gold medal. Mewis's 1–1 record against Sasahara and Penttilä gave the Belgian silver. Penttilä finished with bronze, 0–2 against the other two medalists.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Walkover | Erkki Penttilä | Finland |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | Decision | Jef Mewis | Belgium |

#### Points

| Wrestler | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| Shozo Sasahara | Japan | 2 | 0 |
| Jef Mewis | Belgium | 1 | 1 |
| Erkki Penttilä | Finland | 0 | 2 |