# Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics

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

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres details | Lindy Remigino United States | 10.4 | Herb McKenley Jamaica | 10.4 | McDonald Bailey Great Britain | 10.4 |
| 200 metres details | Andy Stanfield United States | 20.7 | Thane Baker United States | 20.8 | James Gathers United States | 20.8 |
| 400 metres details | George Rhoden Jamaica | 45.9 OR | Herb McKenley Jamaica | 45.9 | Ollie Matson United States | 46.8 |
| 800 metres details | Mal Whitfield United States | 1:49.2 | Arthur Wint Jamaica | 1:49.4 | Heinz Ulzheimer Germany | 1:49.7 |
| 1500 metres details | Josy Barthel Luxembourg | 3:45.2 OR | Bob McMillen United States | 3:45.2 | Werner Lueg Germany | 3:45.4 |
| 5000 metres details | Emil Zátopek Czechoslovakia | 14:06.6 OR | Alain Mimoun France | 14:07.4 | Herbert Schade Germany | 14:08.6 |
| 10,000 metres details | Emil Zátopek Czechoslovakia | 29:17.0 WR | Alain Mimoun France | 29:32.8 | Aleksandr Anufriyev Soviet Union | 29:48.2 |
| 110 metres hurdles details | Harrison Dillard United States | 13.7 | Jack Davis United States | 13.7 | Arthur Barnard United States | 14.1 |
| 400 metres hurdles details | Charles Moore United States | 50.8 OR | Yuriy Lituyev Soviet Union | 51.3 | John Holland New Zealand | 52.2 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase details | Horace Ashenfelter United States | 8:45.4 WR | Vladimir Kazantsev Soviet Union | 8:51.6 | John Disley Great Britain | 8:51.8 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay details | United States (USA) Dean Smith Harrison Dillard Lindy Remigino Andy Stanfield | 40.1 | Soviet Union (URS) Boris Tokarev Levan Kalyayev Levan Sanadze Vladimir Sukharev | 40.3 | Hungary (HUN) László Zarándi Géza Varasdi György Csányi Béla Goldoványi | 40.5 |
| 4 × 400 metres relay details | Jamaica (JAM) Arthur Wint Leslie Laing Herb McKenley George Rhoden | 3:03.9 WR | United States (USA) Ollie Matson Gene Cole Charles Moore Mal Whitfield | 3:04.0 | Germany (GER) Günther Steines Hans Geister Heinz Ulzheimer Karl-Friedrich Haas | 3:06.6 |
| Marathon details | Emil Zátopek Czechoslovakia | 2:23:03 OR | Reinaldo Gorno Argentina | 2:25:35 | Gustaf Jansson Sweden | 2:26:07 |
| 10 kilometres walk details | John Mikaelsson Sweden | 45:02.8 OR | Fritz Schwab Switzerland | 45:41.0 | Bruno Junk Soviet Union | 45:41.0 |
| 50 kilometres walk details | Pino Dordoni Italy | 4:28:07.8 OR | Josef Doležal Czechoslovakia | 4:30:17.8 | Antal Róka Hungary | 4:31:27.2 |
| High jump details | Walt Davis United States | 2.04 OR | Ken Wiesner United States | 2.01 m | José da Conceição Brazil | 1.98 m |
| Pole vault details | Bob Richards United States | 4.55 m OR | Don Laz United States | 4.50 m | Ragnar Lundberg Sweden | 4.40 m |
| Long jump details | Jerome Biffle United States | 7.57 m | Meredith Gourdine United States | 7.53 m | Ödön Földessy Hungary | 7.30 m |
| Triple jump details | Adhemar da Silva Brazil | 16.22 m WR | Leonid Shcherbakov Soviet Union | 15.98 m | Asnoldo Devonish Venezuela | 15.52 m |
| Shot put details | Parry O'Brien United States | 17.41 OR | Darrow Hooper United States | 17.39 m | Jim Fuchs United States | 17.06 m |
| Discus throw details | Sim Iness United States | 55.03 OR | Adolfo Consolini Italy | 53.78 m | James Dillion United States | 53.28 m |
| Hammer throw details | József Csermák Hungary | 60.34 m WR | Karl Storch Germany | 58.86 m | Imre Németh Hungary | 57.74 m |
| Javelin throw details | Cy Young United States | 73.78 m OR | Bill Miller United States | 72.46 m | Toivo Hyytiäinen Finland | 71.89 m |
| Decathlon details | Bob Mathias United States | 7,887 pts WR | Milt Campbell United States | 6,975 pts | Floyd Simmons United States | 6,788 pts |

### Women

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres details | Marjorie Jackson Australia | 11.5 | Daphne Hasenjäger South Africa | 11.8 | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty Australia | 11.9 |
| 200 metres details | Marjorie Jackson Australia | 23.7 | Bertha Brouwer Netherlands | 24.2 | Nadezhda Khnykina-Dvalishvili Soviet Union | 24.2 |
| 80 metres hurdles details | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty Australia | 10.9 WR | Mariya Golubnichaya Soviet Union | 11.1 | Maria Sander Germany | 11.1 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay details | United States (USA) Mae Faggs Barbara Jones Janet Moreau Catherine Hardy | 45.9 WR | Germany (GER) Ursula Knab Maria Sander Helga Klein Marga Petersen | 45.9 | Great Britain (GBR) Sylvia Cheeseman June Foulds Jean Desforges Heather Armitage | 46.2 |
| High jump details | Esther Brand South Africa | 1.67 m | Sheila Lerwill Great Britain | 1.65 m | Aleksandra Chudina Soviet Union | 1.63 m |
| Long jump details | Yvette Williams New Zealand | 6.24 m OR | Aleksandra Chudina Soviet Union | 6.14 m | Shirley Cawley Great Britain | 5.92 m |
| Shot put details | Galina Zybina Soviet Union | 15.28 m WR | Marianne Werner Germany | 14.57 m | Klavdia Tochonova Soviet Union | 14.50 m |
| Discus throw details | Nina Romashkova Soviet Union | 51.42 m OR | Elizaveta Bagryantseva Soviet Union | 47.08 m | Nina Dumbadze Soviet Union | 46.29 m |
| Javelin throw details | Dana Zátopková Czechoslovakia | 50.47 m OR | Aleksandra Chudina Soviet Union | 50.01 m | Yelena Gorchakova Soviet Union | 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 Rhoden Herb McKenley | Jamaica | 45.9 s | OR | |
| 1500 metres | July 26 | Final | Josy Barthel Bob McMillen | Luxembourg United States | 3:45.2 | OR | |
| 5000 metres | July 24 | Final | Emil Zátopek | Czechoslovakia | 14:06.6 | OR | |
| 10,000 metres | July 20 | Final | Emil Zátopek | Czechoslovakia | 29:17.0 | OR | |
| 110 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | Harrison Dillard Jack Davis | United States | 13.7 s | OR | |
| 400 metres hurdles | July 21 | Final | Charles Moore | United States | 50.8 s | OR | |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | July 25 | Final | Horace Ashenfelter | United States | 8:45.4 s | OR | |
| 4 x 400 metres relay | July 27 | Final | Les Laing Herb McKenley George Rhoden Arthur Wint | Jamaica | 3:03.9 | OR | WR |
| 10 kilometres walk | July 27 | Final | John Mikaelsson | Sweden | 45:02.8 | OR | |
| 50 kilometres walk | July 21 | Final | Giuseppe Dordoni | Italy | 4:28:07.8 | OR | |
| Marathon | July 27 | Final | Emil Zátopek | Czechoslovakia | 2:23:03.2 | OR | WR |
| High jump | July 20 | Final | Walt Davis | United States | 2.04 m | OR | |
| Pole vault | July 22 | Final | Bob Richards | United States | 4.55 m | OR | |
| Triple jump | July 23 | Final | Adhemar da Silva | Brazil | 16.22 m | OR | WR |
| Shot put | July 21 | Final | Parry O'Brien | United States | 17.41 m | OR | |
| Discus throw | July 22 | Final | Sim Iness | United States | 55.03 m | OR | |
| Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | Cy Young | United States | 73.78 m | OR | |
| Hammer throw | July 24 | Final | József Csermák | Hungary | 60.34 m | OR | WR |
| Decathlon | July 26 | Final | Bob Mathias | United States | 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 | Australia | 23.4 s | OR | WR |
| 80 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | Shirley Strickland de la Hunty | Australia | 10.9 s | OR | WR |
| 4 x 100 metres relay | July 27 | Final | Mae Faggs Catherine Hardy Barbara Jones Janet Moreau | United States | 45.9 s | OR | WR |
| Long jump | July 23 | Final | Yvette Williams | New Zealand | 6.24 m | OR | |
| Shot put | July 26 | Final | Galina Zybina | Soviet Union | 15.28 m | OR | WR |
| Discus throw | July 20 | Final | Nina Romashkova | Soviet Union | 51.42 m | OR | |
| Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | Dana Zátopková | Czechoslovakia | 50.47 m | OR | |

## Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States (USA) | 15 | 10 | 6 | 31 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Australia (AUS) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Soviet Union (URS) | 2 | 8 | 7 | 17 |
| 5 | Jamaica (JAM) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | South Africa (RSA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Hungary (HUN) | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 9 | Sweden (SWE) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Brazil (BRA) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | New Zealand (NZL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | Luxembourg (LUX) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 14 | France (FRA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 | Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 16 | Argentina (ARG) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Finland (FIN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Venezuela (VEN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (20 entries) | Totals (20 entries) | 33 | 33 | 33 | 99 |

## Participating nations

A total of 57 nations participated in the different Athletics events at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
* Argentina (16)
* Australia (17)
* Austria (15)
* Belgium (21)
* Bermuda (2)
* Brazil (10)
* Bulgaria (4)
* Canada (22)
* Ceylon (1)
* Chile (15)
* Cuba (5)
* Czechoslovakia (20)
* Denmark (11)
* Egypt (7)
* Finland (69)
* France (54)
* Germany (39)
* Ghana (7)
* Great Britain (66)
* Greece (11)
* Guatemala (6)
* Hungary (35)
* Iceland (9)
* India (8)
* Indonesia (1)
* Iran (1)
* Ireland (2)
* Israel (7)
* Italy (33)
* Jamaica (7)
* Japan (19)
* Luxembourg (7)
* Mexico (2)
* Netherlands (10)
* New Zealand (4)
* Nigeria (9)
* Norway (19)
* Pakistan (16)
* Philippines (1)
* Poland (29)
* Portugal (7)
* Puerto Rico (10)
* Romania (12)
* Saar (6)
* Singapore (1)
* South Africa (13)
* South Korea (6)
* Soviet Union (77)
* Sweden (45)
* Switzerland (28)
* Thailand (8)
* Turkey (13)
* United States (71)
* Uruguay (2)
* Venezuela (7)
* Vietnam (1)
* Yugoslavia (19)