Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics – Women's downhill
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.
The race was held on the Canalone piste, with a starting elevation of above sea level with a vertical drop of ; the course length was. Berthoud's winning time of 100.7 seconds yielded an average speed of, with an average vertical descent rate of.Results
Wednesday, 1 February 1956
The race was started at 11:30 local time,. At the starting gate, the skies were clear, the temperature was, and the snow condition was hard.
Rank | Bib | Competitor | Time | Difference |
| 6 | | 1:40.7 | — |
| 20 | | 1:45.4 | +4.7 |
| 4 | | 1:45.9 | +5.2 |
4 | 12 | | 1:47.3 | +6.6 |
4 | 15 | | 1:47.3 | +6.6 |
6 | 1 | | 1:47.7 | +7.0 |
7 | 21 | | 1:47.9 | +7.2 |
8 | 18 | | 1:49.2 | +8.5 |
9 | 7 | | 1:49.5 | +8.8 |
10 | 28 | | 1:49.6 | +8.9 |
11 | 26 | | 1:49.7 | +9.0 |
12 | 22 | | 1:50.6 | +9.9 |
13 | 23 | | 1:51.0 | +10.3 |
14 | 51 | | 1:51.1 | +10.4 |
15 | 30 | | 1:51.6 | +10.9 |
15 | 32 | | 1:51.6 | +10.9 |
17 | 10 | | 1:51.7 | +11.0 |
18 | 29 | | 1:51.8 | +11.1 |
19 | 11 | | 1:51.9 | +11.2 |
20 | 16 | | 1:52.3 | +11.6 |
21 | 14 | | 1:52.4 | +11.7 |
22 | 37 | | 1:53.2 | +12.5 |
22 | 31 | | 1:53.2 | +12.5 |
24 | 25 | | 1:53.6 | +12.9 |
25 | 2 | | 1:54.0 | +13.3 |
26 | 39 | | 1:54.3 | +13.6 |
27 | 9 | | 1:54.4 | +13.7 |
28 | 41 | | 1:54.5 | +13.8 |
29 | 13 | | 1:54.7 | +14.0 |
30 | 5 | | 1:55.2 | +14.5 |
31 | 52 | | 1:57.2 | +16.5 |
32 | 19 | | 1:57.8 | +17.1 |
33 | 53 | | 1:58.2 | +17.5 |
34 | 47 | | 1:58.9 | +18.2 |
35 | 50 | | 1:59.0 | +18.3 |
36 | 40 | | 1:59.2 | +18.5 |
37 | 17 | | 1:59.8 | +19.1 |
38 | 55 | | 2:01.5 | +20.8 |
39 | 54 | | 2:01.6 | +20.9 |
40 | 46 | | 2:04.0 | +23.3 |
41 | 49 | | 2:05.0 | +24.3 |
42 | 38 | | 2:08.0 | +27.3 |
43 | 45 | | 2:15.1 | +34.4 |
44 | 48 | | 2:27.7 | +47.0 |
— | 3 | | INJ | |
— | 8 | | INJ | |
— | 33 | | INJ | |
Source: