View source for Wrestling at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight

{{short description|Wrestling at the Olympics}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox Olympic event
|event = Men's freestyle middleweight
|games = 1956 Summer
|image =
|caption =
|venue = [[Royal Exhibition Building]]
|dates = 28 November–1 December
|competitors = 15
|nations = 15
|gold        = [[Nikola Stanchev]]
|goldNOC     = BUL
|silver      = [[Dan Hodge]]
|silverNOC   = USA
|bronze      = [[Georgy Skhirtladze]]
|bronzeNOC   = URS
|prev = [[Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight|1952]]
|next = [[Wrestling at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight|1960]]
}}
{{WrestlingAt1956SummerOlympics}}
The '''men's freestyle middleweight''' 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.<ref name="SR">{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1956/WRE/mens-middleweight-freestyle.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418130408/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1956/WRE/mens-middleweight-freestyle.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Wrestling at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games: Men's Freestyle Middleweight |work=Sports Reference |access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> [[Middleweight]] was the third-heaviest category, including wrestlers weighing {{convert|73|to|79|kg|lbs|1}}.{{sfn|Official Report|1958|p=668}}
==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.{{sfn|Official Report|1958|p=668}}<ref name=SR/>
==Results==
===Round 1===
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[Viljo Punkari]] || {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Faiz Muhammad|Muhammad Faiz]] || {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[George Farquhar (wrestler)|George Farquhar]] || {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Bakshish Singh (wrestler)|Bakshish Singh]] || {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[William Davies (wrestler)|William Davies]] || {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Bengt Lindblad]] || {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Manie van Zyl]] || {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Hans Sterr]] || {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Nicolas Arcales]] || {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Nikola Stanchev]] || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Abbas Zandi]] || {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Kazuo Katsuramoto]] || {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[İsmet Atlı]] || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || Bye || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Start || Earned || Total
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|İsmet|Atlı}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Viljo|Punkari}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Hans|Sterr}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bengt|Lindblad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bakshish|Singh|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Abbas|Zandi}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nicolas|Arcales}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|William|Davies|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Muhammad|Faiz|Faiz Muhammad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|George|Farquhar|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Kazuo|Katsuramoto}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Manie|van Zyl}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|}
===Round 2===
Punkari withdrew after his bout.
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[İsmet Atlı]] || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Faiz Muhammad|Muhammad Faiz]] || {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Viljo Punkari]] || {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[William Davies (wrestler)|William Davies]] || {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[George Farquhar (wrestler)|George Farquhar]] || {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Manie van Zyl]] || {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Bakshish Singh (wrestler)|Bakshish Singh]] || {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Hans Sterr]] || {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Bengt Lindblad]] || {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Nicolas Arcales]] || {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Kazuo Katsuramoto]] || {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Nikola Stanchev]] || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Abbas Zandi]] || {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || Bye || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Start || Earned || Total
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|İsmet|Atlı}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Hans|Sterr}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Abbas|Zandi}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 0 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Kazuo|Katsuramoto}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 0 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 0 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|William|Davies|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 1 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bengt|Lindblad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 3 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bakshish|Singh|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 3 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 3 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Manie|van Zyl}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 1 || 4
|-
| 12 ||align=left| {{sortname|Viljo|Punkari}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|FIN|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3*
|-
| 13 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nicolas|Arcales}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|PHI|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 3 || 6
|-
| 13 ||align=left| {{sortname|Muhammad|Faiz|Faiz Muhammad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|PAK|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 3 || 6
|-
| 13 ||align=left| {{sortname|George|Farquhar|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|GBR|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 3 || 6
|}
===Round 3===
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[İsmet Atlı]] || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Abbas Zandi]] || {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[William Davies (wrestler)|William Davies]] || {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Bengt Lindblad]] || {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Bakshish Singh (wrestler)|Bakshish Singh]] || {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Manie van Zyl]] || {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Nikola Stanchev]] || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Hans Sterr]] || {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Kazuo Katsuramoto]] || {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || Bye || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Start || Earned || Total
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|İsmet|Atlı}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 1 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 0 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Kazuo|Katsuramoto}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 0 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 0 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Hans|Sterr}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 3 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 6 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bengt|Lindblad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 0 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 6 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 0 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 6 ||align=left| {{sortname|Abbas|Zandi}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 3 || 4
|-
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|William|Davies|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|AUS|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 3 || 7
|-
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bakshish|Singh|dab=wrestler}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IND|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 3 || 7
|-
| 9 ||align=left| {{sortname|Manie|van Zyl}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|RSA|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 3 || 7
|}
===Round 4===
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[İsmet Atlı]] || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 3–0 || [[Kazuo Katsuramoto]] || {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Abbas Zandi]] || {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Nikola Stanchev]] || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Bengt Lindblad]] || {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Hans Sterr]] || {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}}
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Start || Earned || Total
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 0 || 1
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 2 ||align=left| {{sortname|İsmet|Atlı}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 1 || 2
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 3 ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 0 || 3
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 4 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 0 || 4
|-
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Kazuo|Katsuramoto}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|JPN|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 3 || 6
|-
| 5 ||align=left| {{sortname|Hans|Sterr}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|EUA|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 3 || 6
|-
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Bengt|Lindblad}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|SWE|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 3 || 7
|-
| 7 ||align=left| {{sortname|Abbas|Zandi}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|IRI|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 3 || 7
|}
===Round 5===
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || Decision, 2–1 || [[İsmet Atlı]] || {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}}
|-
| [[Nikola Stanchev]] || {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}}
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Start || Earned || Total
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 3 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 3 || 1 || 4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
| 1 ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 4 || 0 || 4
|-
| 4 ||align=left| {{sortname|İsmet|Atlı}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|TUR|1956 Summer}} || 2 || 3 || 5
|}
===Medal rounds===
Stanchev's victories over Skhirtladze in round 1 and Hodge in round 5 counted for the medal rounds, giving the Bulgarian wrestler the gold medal with a 2–0 record against the other medalists. Hodge defeated Skhirtladze in a ''de facto'' silver medal match.
; Bouts
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! Winner || Nation || Victory Type || Loser || Nation
|-
| [[Dan Hodge]] || {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || Fall || [[Georgy Skhirtladze]] || {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}}
|}
; Points
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Rank || Wrestler || Nation || Wins || Losses
|-
| {{gold01}} ||align=left| {{sortname|Nikola|Stanchev}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|BUL|1956 Summer}} || 2 || 0
|-
| {{silver02}} ||align=left| {{sortname|Dan|Hodge}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|USA|1956 Summer}} || 1 || 1
|-
| {{bronze03}} ||align=left| {{sortname|Georgy|Skhirtladze}} ||align=left| {{flagIOC|URS|1956 Summer}} || 0 || 2
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
'''General'''
* {{Cite book |title=The Official Report of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XVI Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956 |year=1956 |publisher=W. M. Houston |location=[[Melbourne]] |publication-date=1958 |url=https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/16475/rec/23 |ref={{sfnref|Official Report|1958}} }}
{{Footer Olympic Champions freestyle wrestling middleweight}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrestling at the 1956 Summer Olympics - Men's freestyle middleweight}}
[[Category:Wrestling at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]