Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics – Women's downhill

Women's downhill
at the VII Olympic Winter Games
Alpine skiing
VenueMt. Tofana,
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Date1 February 1956
Competitors44 from 16 nations
Winning time1:40.7
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Madeleine Berthod  Switzerland
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Frieda Dänzer  Switzerland
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Lucile Wheeler  Canada
← 1952
1960 →
Alpine skiing at the
1956 Winter Olympics
Downhillmenwomen
Giant slalommenwomen
Slalommenwomen
Women's Downhill
LocationCanalone –Tofana
Vertical   502 m (1,647 ft)
Top elevation2,114 m (6,936 ft)  
Base elevation1,612 m (5,289 ft)

The women's downhill event of the 1956 Winter Olympics at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, was held on Mt. Tofana on Wednesday, 1 February.

The Swiss took the top two spots as Madeleine Berthod won the gold and Frieda Dänzer took the silver; Lucile Wheeler of Canada was the bronze medalist. Forty-four women from sixteen countries finished the race.[1][2][3]

The race was held on the Canalone piste, with a starting elevation of 2,114 m (6,936 ft) above sea level with a vertical drop of 502 m (1,647 ft); the course length was 1.552 km (0.96 mi).[3] Berthoud's winning time of 100.7 seconds yielded an average speed of 55.484 km/h (34.5 mph), with an average vertical descent rate of 4.985 m/s (16.4 ft/s).

Results

Wednesday, 1 February 1956
The race was started at 11:30 local time, (UTC+1). At the starting gate, the skies were clear, the temperature was −8 °C (18 °F), and the snow condition was hard.

Rank Bib Competitor Time Difference
1st place, gold medalist(s) 6  Madeleine Berthod (SUI) 1:40.7 —
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 20  Frieda Dänzer (SUI) 1:45.4 +4.7
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4  Lucile Wheeler (CAN) 1:45.9 +5.2
4 12  Giuliana Chenal-Minuzzo (ITA) 1:47.3 +6.6
4 15  Hilde Hofherr (AUT) 1:47.3 +6.6
6 1  Carla Marchelli (ITA) 1:47.7 +7.0
7 21  Dorothea Hochleitner (AUT) 1:47.9 +7.2
8 18  Josette Nevière (FRA) 1:49.2 +8.5
9 7  Borghild Niskin (NOR) 1:49.5 +8.8
10 28  Gladys Werner (USA) 1:49.6 +8.9
11 26  Anna Pellissier (ITA) 1:49.7 +9.0
12 22  Trude Klecker (AUT) 1:50.6 +9.9
13 23  Josefine Frandl (AUT) 1:51.0 +10.3
14 51  Aleksandra Artyomenko (URS) 1:51.1 +10.4
15 30  Eivor Berglund (SWE) 1:51.6 +10.9
15 32  Rosmarie Reichenbach (SUI) 1:51.6 +10.9
17 10  Barbara Grocholska (POL) 1:51.7 +11.0
18 29  Ingrid Englund (SWE) 1:51.8 +11.1
19 11  Maria Kowalska (POL) 1:51.9 +11.2
20 16  Ossi Reichert (EUA) 1:52.3 +11.6
21 14  Marysette Agnel (FRA) 1:52.4 +11.7
22 37  Anne Heggtveit (CAN) 1:53.2 +12.5
22 31  Carlyn Kruger (CAN) 1:53.2 +12.5
24 25  Madeleine Front (FRA) 1:53.6 +12.9
25 2  Hedi Beeler (SUI) 1:54.0 +13.3
26 39  Inger Jorgensen (NOR) 1:54.3 +13.6
27 9  Astrid Sandvik (NOR) 1:54.4 +13.7
28 41  Slava Zupančič (YUG) 1:54.5 +13.8
29 13  Hannelore Glaser (EUA) 1:54.7 +14.0
30 5  Andrea Mead Lawrence (USA) 1:55.2 +14.5
31 52  Jakobína Jakobsdóttir (ISL) 1:57.2 +16.5
32 19  Sonja Sperl (EUA) 1:57.8 +17.1
33 53  Ginette Seguin (CAN) 1:58.2 +17.5
34 47  Penny Pitou (USA) 1:58.9 +18.2
35 50  Zandra Nowell (GBR) 1:59.0 +18.3
36 40  Vera Schenone (ITA) 1:59.2 +18.5
37 17  Yevgenya Sidorova (URS) 1:59.8 +19.1
38 55  Dorothy Surgenor (USA) 2:01.5 +20.8
39 54  Christine Davy (AUS) 2:01.6 +20.9
40 46  Magdalena Marotineanu (ROM) 2:04.0 +23.3
41 49  Renate Holmes (GBR) 2:05.0 +24.3
42 38  Vivi-Anne Wassdahl (SWE) 2:08.0 +27.3
43 45  Jeanne Sandford (GBR) 2:15.1 +34.4
44 48  Elena Epuran (ROM) 2:27.7 +47.0
— 3  Edith Bonlieu (FRA) INJ
8  Mirl Buchner (EUA) INJ
33  Maria Gąsienica Daniel-Szatkowska (POL) INJ

Source:[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), p. 596
  2. ^ "Alpine Skiing at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Games: Women's Downhill". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), p. 596–597

References