1952 Summer Olympics / Participant (South African Union)


2	4th	4th

The South African Union took part in the 1952 Summer Olympics in the Finnish capital Helsinki with 64 athletes, 4 women and 60 men, in 59 competitions in 13 sports.

It was the tenth time a South African team had taken part in the Summer Olympics since 1904 .

Flag bearer

The athlete Schalk Booysen carried the flag of South Africa during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium .

Medalist

With two won gold, four silver and four bronze medals, the South African team finished 12th in the medals table .

gold

Surname	sport	competition
Esther Brand	athletics	high jump
Joan Harrison	swim	100 meters back

silver

Surname	sport	competition
George Estman	To go biking	4,000 meters team pursuit
Robert Fowler	To go biking	4,000 meters team pursuit
Daphne Robb Rabbit Hunter	athletics	100 meter run
Raymond Robinson	To go biking	tandem
Tommy Shardelow	To go biking	tandem
Tommy Shardelow	To go biking	4,000 meters team pursuit
Jimmy Swift	To go biking	4,000 meters team pursuit
Theunis van Schalkwyk	Boxing	Light middleweight

bronze

Surname	sport	competition
Leonard Leisching	Boxing	Featherweight
Andries Nieman	Boxing	Heavyweight
Raymond Robinson	To go biking	1,000 meters time trial
Willie Toweel	Boxing	Flyweight

Participants by sport

Boxing

Flyweight (up to 51 kg)

Willie Toweel

1st round: against Kornel Molnár from Hungary by a judge's decision (3-0)

2nd round: won against Alfredo Asuncion from the Philippines by a judge's decision (2: 1)

Quarter-finals: won against Han Su-An from South Korea by a judge's decision (3-0)

Semi-finals: eliminated by a judge's decision (0: 3) against Nathan Brooks from the United States

Rank 2

Bantam weight (up to 54 kg)

Lennie von Graevenitz

1st round: won against Pentti Hämäläinen from Finland by a judge's decision (2: 1)

2nd round: won against Ion Zlătaru from Romania by a judge's decision (2: 1)

Quarter-finals: Eliminated against Rómulo Parés from Argentina by a judge's decision (0: 3)

Rank 5

Feather weight (up to 57 kg)

Leonard Leisching

1st round: won against Emmanuel Agassi from Iran by a judge's decision (3: 0)

2nd round: won against Stevan Redli from Yugoslavia by a judge's decision (3-0)

Quarterfinals: won against Leonard Walters from Canada by a judge's decision (3-0)

Semi-finals: Eliminated against Ján Zachara from Czechoslovakia by a judge's decision (1: 2)

Rank 3

Lightweight (up to 60 kg)

Johnny van Rensburg

1st round: Eliminated against Américo Bonetti from Argentina by a judge's decision (0: 3)

Rank 17

Half welter weight (up to 63.5 kg)

Alexander Webster

1st round: won against Herbert Schilling from Germany by a judge's decision (3: 0)

2nd round: won against Peter Waterman from Great Britain by a judge's decision (3: 0)

Quarterfinals: Eliminated against Charles Adkins from the United States by a judge's decision (0: 3)

Rank 5

Welter weight (up to 67 kg)

Hendrik van der Linde

1st round: prevailed against Anwar Pasha Turki from Pakistan by technical knockout in the first round

2nd round: eliminated against Sergei Shcherbakov from the Soviet Union by knockout in the second round

Rank 9

Medium weight (up to 71 kg)

Theunis van Schalkwyk

1st round: BYE

2nd round: won against Ebbe Kops from Denmark by a judge's decision (3-0)

Quarterfinals: won against Erich Schöppner from Germany by a judge's decision (3-0)

Semi-final: prevailed against Boris Tischin from the Soviet Union by a judge's decision (3-0)

Final: won against László Papp from Hungary by a judge's decision (3-0)

Rank 2

Heavy weight (up to 81 kg)

Andries Nieman

1st round: won against Edgar Gorgas from Germany by a judge's decision (3: 0)

2nd round: BYE

Quarterfinals: won against Algirdas Šocikas from the Soviet Union by knocking out in the first round

Semi-finals: Eliminated against Ed Sanders of the United States by technical knockout in the second round

Rank 3

Weightlifting

Feather weight (up to 60 kg)

James van Rensburg
Final: 285.0 kg, 18th place

Military press: 87.5 kg, rank 12

Snatch: 87.5 kg, 17th place

Push: 110.0 kg, 18th place

Lightweight (up to 67.5 kg)

Barrie Engelbrecht
Final: 315.0 kg, 13th place

Military press: 95.0 kg, rank 11

Tear: 97.5 kg, rank 12

Push: 122.5 kg, 13th place

Lightweight (up to 82.5 kg)

Isadore Bloomberg
Final: 327.5 kg, rank 14

Military press: 105.0 kg, rank 6

Snatch: 97.5 kg, 17th place

Push: 125.0 kg, rank 14

Medium weight (up to 90 kg)

Theunis Jonck
Final: 367.5 kg, rank 8

Military press: 112.5 kg, 5th rank

Snatch: 110.0 kg, rank 11

Push: 145.0 kg, rank 9

athletics

Women

100 m

Edna Maskell

Preliminary runs: in run 12 (rank 1) qualified for the next round, 11.9 s (hand-stopped), 12.26 s (automatically stopped)

Quarterfinals: Eliminated in run 4 (rank 5), 11.2 s (hand-stopped), 12.38 s (automatically stopped)

Daphne Robb Rabbit Hunter

Prelims: in run 10 (rank 1) qualified for the quarter-finals, 11.9 s (hand-stopped), 12.16 s (automatically stopped)

Quarter-finals: Qualified for the semi-finals in run 3 (rank 1), 12.0 s (hand-stopped), 12.19 s (automatically stopped)

Semi-finals: qualified for the final in run 2 (rank 1), 11.9 s (hand-stopped), 12.13 s (automatically stopped)

Finale: 11.8 s (hand-stopped), 12.05 s (automatically stopped)

Rank 2

200 m

Daphne Robb Rabbit Hunter

Prelims: in run 6 (rank 1) qualified for the semi-finals, 24.4 s (hand-stopped), 24.58 s (automatically stopped)

Semi-finals: Qualified for the finals in run 1 (3rd place), 24.4 s (hand-stopped), 24.60 s (automatically stopped)

Finale: 24.6 s (hand-stopped), 24.72 s (automatically stopped)

Rank 6

80 meter hurdles

Edna Maskell

Preliminaries: in run 2 (rank 2) qualified for the next round, 11.6 s (hand-stopped), 11.80 s (automatically stopped)

Semi-finals: eliminated in run 1 (rank 5), 11.2 s (hand-stopped), 11.50 s (automatically stopped)

high jump

Esther Brand
Final: 1.67 m , 1st place

1.35 m: left out

1.40 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.45 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.50 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.55 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.58 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.61 m: valid without a failed attempt

1.63 m: valid with one failed attempt

1.65 m: valid with one failed attempt

1.67 m: valid with two failed attempts

1.69 m: invalid with three failed attempts

Discus throw

Esther Brand
Qualifying round: 34.18 m, 20th place, eliminated

1st litter: invalid

2nd litter: no distance

3rd litter: 34.18 m

Men

200 m

Schalk Booysen

Prelims: in run 11 (rank 1) qualified for the next round, 21.8 s (hand-stopped), 22.03 s (automatically stopped)

Quarterfinals: Eliminated in run 3 (rank 4), 21.9 s (hand-stopped), 22.09 s (automatically stopped)

400 m

John Anderton
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 2 (rank 5), 50.3 s (hand-stopped), 50.35 s (automatically stopped)

Louis van Biljon

Preliminaries: in run 5 (rank 2) qualified for the next round, 48.1 s (hand-stopped), 48.31 s (automatically stopped)

Quarterfinals: Eliminated in run 3 (4th place), 48.5 s (hand-stopped), 48.63 s (automatically stopped)

Schalk Booysen
Prelims: Eliminated in run 12 (rank 4), 49.0 s (hand-stopped), 49.17 s (automatically stopped)

1,500 m

Athol Jennings
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 3 (rank 6), 3: 55.4 minutes (hand-stopped), 3: 55.69 minutes (automatically stopped)

10,000 m

William Keith

32: 32.4 minutes

Rank 28

marathon

Wally Hayward

2: 31: 50.2 hours

Rank 10

William Keith

2: 34: 38.0 hours

Rank 19

Syd Luyt

2: 32: 41.0 hours

Rank 11

400 m hurdles

Peter Ronald Wilkie

Prelims: in run 5 (rank 1) qualified for the next round, 54.5 s (hand-stopped)

Quarterfinals: Eliminated in run 3 (rank 5), 54.5 s (hand-stopped), 54.76 s (automatically stopped)

4 × 400 m relay

John Anderton , Louis van Biljon , Bill Chivell and Peter Ronald Wilkie
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 2 (rank 5), 3: 14.8 minutes (hand-stopped), 3: 15.09 minutes (automatically stopped)

Long jump

Neville Price

Qualifying round: Group B, 7.36 m, rank 1, overall rank 3, qualified for the final

1st jump: invalid

2nd jump: 7.11 m

3rd jump: 7.36 m

Final round: 6.40 m, 11th place

4th jump: 6.40 m

5th jump: invalid

6th jump: invalid

Modern pentathlon

singles

Harry Schmidt
Final: 226 points, rank 50

Epee fencing: 20 duels won - five draws, rank 32

Pistol shooting: 135 points, 17 hits, ranked 48th

Cross-country run: 17: 59.3 minutes, 47th place

Swimming: competition not finished (DNF)

Show jumping: competition not finished (DNF)

Cycling

train

sprint

Raymond Robinson

1st round: eliminated in run 8 (rank 2)

1st round, hope run: qualified for the quarter-finals in run 4 (rank 1), 12.3 s

Quarter-finals: eliminated in run 1 (rank 2)

Quarter-finals, hope run: qualified for the semi-finals in run 1 (rank 1), 11.8 s

Semi-finals: eliminated in race 1 (rank 2)

Semi-finals, hope run: eliminated (3rd place)

Overall rank 5

1,000 m time trial

Raymond Robinson

Final: 1: 13.0 min.

Rank 3

tandem

Raymond Robinson and Tommy Shardelow

1st round: in run 1 (rank 1) qualified for the quarter-finals, 10.6 s

Quarter-finals: Qualified for the semi-finals in run 4 (rank 1), 10.5 s

Semi-finals: Qualified for the finals in run 2 (rank 1)

Final: against Australia inferior

Rank 2

4,000 m team pursuit

George Estman , Robert Fowler , Tommy Shardelow and Jimmy Swift

Qualifying round: 4: 53.8 min. , 4th place, qualified for the quarter-finals

Quarter-finals: Qualified for semi-finals in run 4 (rank 1), 4: 50.6 min.

Semi-finals: Qualified for the final in run 2 (rank 1), 4: 41.2 min.

Final: defeated against Italy , 4: 53.6 min.

Rank 2

Road racing

Individual evaluation (190.4 km)

George Estman
Race not finished (DNF)

Robert Fowler
Race not finished (DNF)

Jimmy Swift
Race not finished (DNF)

Team competition (190.4 km)

George Estman , Robert Fowler and Jimmy Swift
Race not finished (DNF)

Wrestling

Freestyle

Flyweight (up to 52 kg)

Louis Baise
eliminated after round 4 with seven minus points, rank 6

1st round: won against Rodolfo Dávila from Mexico (3-0)

2nd round: lost to Mahmoud Mollaghassemi from Iran (opponent wins over the shoulders)

3rd round: continue without a fight

4th round: lost to Yūshū Kitano from Japan (opponent wins over the shoulders)

Lightweight (up to 67 kg)

Godfrey Pienaar
eliminated after round 4 with seven minus points

1st round: won without a fight

2nd round: lost to Tevfik Yüce from Turkey (0: 3)

3rd round: lost to Paul Besson from Switzerland (3-0)

4th round: lost to Risto Talosela from Finland (0: 3)

Welter weight (up to 73 kg)

Cyril Martin
eliminated after round 3 with seven minus points

1st round: won against Vladislav Sekal from Czechoslovakia (3-0)

2nd round: lost to Mohamed Hassan Moussa from Egypt (opponent wins over the shoulders)

3rd round: lost to Tsugio Yamazaki from Japan (1: 2)

Middle weight (up to 79 kg)

Calie Reitz

eliminated after round 4 with seven minus points, rank 6

1st round: won against Pio Chirinos from Venezuela (shoulder win)

2nd round: won against Felix Neuhaus from Switzerland (3-0)

3rd round: lost to Haydar Zafer from Turkey (0: 3)

4th round: lost to György Gurics from Hungary (1: 2)

Light heavyweight (up to 87 kg)

Jacob Theron
eliminated after round 3 with five minus points, rank 6

1st round: won against Shirang Jadav from India (2: 1)

2nd round: won against Robert Steckle from Canada (3-0)

3rd round: lost to Adil Atan from Turkey (opponent wins over the shoulders)

rowing

One

Ian Stephen

Preliminary runs: in run 1 (rank 2) moved into the semifinals, 7: 47.7 min.

Semi-finals: failed in run 2 (3rd place), 8: 02.3 min.

Semi-finals, hope run: qualified for the final in run 3 (1st place), 7: 38.6 min.

Final: 8: 31.4 min., 5th place

Foursome without a helmsman

Donald Dyke-Wells , Damian Nichol , Christopher Veitch and John Webb

Preliminary runs: failed in run 3 (4th place), 6: 53.3 min.

Preliminary runs, hope run: eliminated in run 1 (3rd place), 7: 00.4 min.

shoot

Small caliber lying

William Murless

Final: 393 points, 18 hits in the middle, 34th place

1st round: 98 points, 31st place

2nd round: 99 points, 16th place

3rd round: 96 points, rank 50

4th round: 100 points, 1st place

swim

Women

100 m freestyle

Joan Harrison

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 4 (1st place), 1: 06.5 min.

Semi-finals: prevailed in run 2 (1st place), 1: 07.2 min.

Final: 1: 07.1 min., 4th place

400 m freestyle

Joan Harrison

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 4 (3rd place), 5: 21.8 min.

Semi-finals: eliminated in run 1 (5th place), 5: 23.1 min.

100 m back

Joan Harrison

Preliminary runs: in run 3 (1st place) prevailed, 1: 14.7 min.

Final: 1: 14.3 min., 1st place

Men

100 m freestyle

John Durr

Preliminary runs: in run 3 (rank 4) prevailed, 1: 00.0 min.

Semi-finals: eliminated in run 2 (rank 6), 1: 00.2 min.

Dennis Ford
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 8 (4th place), 1: 01.3 min.

400 m freestyle

Peter Duncan

Prelims: prevailed in run 8 (rank 2), 4: 44.0 min.

Semi-finals: prevailed in run 3 (rank 2), 4: 41.7 min,

Final: 4: 37.9 min., 4th place

Dennis Ford

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 3 (rank 2), 4: 50.2 min.

Semi-finals: eliminated in run 2 (5th place), 4: 53.6 min.

Graham Johnston

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 4 (rank 2), 4: 52.3 min.

Semi-finals: eliminated in run 1 (5th place), 4: 45.5 min.

1,500 m freestyle

Peter Duncan

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 6 (rank 1), 19: 03.5 min.

Final: 19: 12.1 min., 7th place

Dennis Ford
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 5 (3rd place), 19: 27.6 min.

Graham Johnston
Preliminary runs: eliminated in run 1 (5th place), 19: 27.1 min.

100 m back

Nicolaas Meiring

Preliminary runs: prevailed in run 4 (rank 2), 1: 08.5 min.

Semi-finals: prevailed in run 2 (3rd place), 1: 07.6 min.

Final: 1: 08.3 min., 8th place

4 × 200 m freestyle

Peter Duncan, John Durr, Dennis Ford and Graham Johnston

Prelims: prevailed in run 2 (3rd place), 8: 58.7 min. (Graham Johnston 2: 15.3 min., Dennis Ford 2: 14.0 min., John Durr 2: 17.7 min., Peter Duncan 2:11, 7 min.)

Final: 8: 55.1 min., 7th place (Graham Johnston 2: 14.7 min., Dennis Ford 2: 14.7 min., John Durr 2: 15.6 min., Peter Duncan 2: 10.1 Min.)

sailing

Finn dinghy

Hellmut Stauch
Final: 3130 points, rank 16

1st race: 0469 points, 1:24:17 hours , 12th place

2nd race: 1071 points, 1:47:20 hours, 03rd place

3rd race: 0247 points, 1:30:24 hours, 20th place

4th race: 0594 points, 1:22:14 hours, 09th place

5th race: 0269 points, 1:33:12 hours, 19th place

6th race: 0293 points, 1:27:51 hours, 18th place

7th race: 0434 points, 1:29:00 hours, 13th place

5.5 mR class

Eric Beningfield , Joseph Ellis-Brown and Noel Horsfield
Final: 3338 points, 7th place

1st race: 226 points, 2:44:27 hours, 12th place

2nd race: 191 points, 3:30:56 hours, 13th place

3rd race: 828 points, 2:37:35 hours, 03rd place

4th race: 527 points, 3:02:39 hours, 06th place

5th race: 527 points, 3:02:24 hours, 06th place

6th race: 828 points, 2:48:53 hours, 03rd place

7th race: 402 points, 3:28:02 hours, 08th place

do gymnastics

Individual all-around

Ronnie Lombard
Final: 94.55 points (47.80 points compulsory - 46.75 points freestyle), rank 139

Bars: 15.05 points (8.05 points compulsory - 7.00 points freestyle), rank 163

Floor exercise: 14.80 points (7.80 points compulsory - 7.00 points freestyle), rank 164

Horse jump: 17.95 points (9.05 points compulsory - 8.90 points freestyle), 98th place

Horizontal bar: 17.00 points (8.40 points compulsory - 8.60 points freestyle), 98th place

Rings: 14.70 points (6.70 points compulsory - 8.00 points freestyle), rank 163

Pommel horse: 15.05 points (7.80 points compulsory - 7.25 points freestyle), 129th place

John Wells
Final: 85.90 points (42.50 points compulsory - 43.40 points freestyle), rank 169

Bars: 13.25 points (7.70 points compulsory - 5.55 points freestyle), rank 173

Floor exercise: 14.75 points (5.50 points compulsory - 9.25 points freestyle), rank 166

Horse jump: 18.15 points (7.05 points compulsory - 11.10 points freestyle), 79th place

Horizontal bar: 12.55 points (7.60 points compulsory - 4.95 points freestyle), rank 166

Rings: 15.65 points (7.65 points compulsory - 8.00 points freestyle), rank 147

Pommel horse: 11.55 points (7.00 points compulsory - 4.55 points freestyle), rank 168

Rolf Yelseth
Final: 85.65 points (45.70 points compulsory - 39.95 points freestyle), rank 171

Bars: 15.20 points (8.25 points compulsory - 6.95 points freestyle), rank 161

Floor exercise: 12.25 points (7.70 points compulsory - 4.55 points freestyle), rank 177

Horse jump: 14.40 points (9.10 points compulsory - 5.30 points freestyle), rank 174

Horizontal bar: 15.40 points (6.45 points compulsory - 8.95 points freestyle), rank 141

Rings: 16.15 points (7.40 points compulsory - 8.75 points freestyle), rank 127

Pommel horse: 12.25 points (6.80 points compulsory - 5.45 points freestyle), rank 162

Water polo

Men's tournament , overall rank 9

William Aucamp , Desmond Cohen , Gerald Goddard , Johnnie van Gent , Douglas Melville , Ronald Meredith , Dennis Pappas and Solomon Yach

1st qualifying round: 5: 6 defeat against Belgium

Second qualifying round: 4-0 win over Mexico

Preliminary round, group D

1: 3 defeat against Spain

0: 4 defeat against Belgium

9-2 win against Brazil

Diving

Jump 3 m

Willie Welgemoed
Final: 61.64 points, 22nd place

1st jump: 10.20 points, 21st place

2nd jump: 10.54 points, rank 12

3rd jump: 08.74 points, 31st place

4th jump: 07.56 points, rank 28

5th jump: 10.92 points, 23rd place

6th jump: 13.68 points, rank 09

Web links

Helsinki 1952 - Official Site of the Olympic Movement (English) .
South African Olympic team 1952 in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original ).


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