Till stor glädje för den finländska publiken tändes den olympiska elden av två ärrade kämpar, långdistanslöparna Paavo Nurmi och Hannes Kolehmainen.
För första gången i olympiska spelens historia deltog en trupp från Sovjetunionen.
Efter att ha varit utestängda från deltagande 1948 tilläts tyska idrottsutövare att åter tävla, men endast tävlande från Västtyskland och Saarland deltog.
Reglerna i hästsporten hade nu ändrats så att också kvinnor fick deltaga, även underofficerare fick numera deltaga, tidigare hade dessa räknats som professionella. Lis Hartel från Danmark blev den första kvinnan som erövrade en medalj i en olympisk ryttartävling, genom att ta silver i dressyr. Hartels prestation var desto mer anmärkningsvärd, eftersom hon var förlamad från knäna och nedåt efter att ha drabbats av polio åtta år tidigare.
Bob Mathias från USA blev den förste att försvara sin titel i tiokamp.
1924 hade amerikanen Bill Havens blivit uttagen att representera USA i roddtävlingarnas åtta. Han avstod på grund av att hans hustru skulle nedkomma med deras förstfödde, som nu i stället tog hem en guldmedalj till familjen, Frank Havens i kanot C1 10 000 m.
Jamaicas lag i friidrottens långa stafett 4 x 400 m, Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley och George Rhoden fick äntligen revansch. 1948 fick de bryta efter att Wint skadat sig på tredje sträckan. Nu var samma kvartett tillbaka och tog ett efterlängtat OS-guld.
Svenske boxaren Ingemar Johansson blev diskvalificerad för "passiv boxning" i tungviktsfinalen mot hårtslående amerikanen Ed Sanders. Denne Sanders avled 12 december 1954 i sviterna efter de skador han fick i sin nionde boxningsmatch som proffs. Det skulle dröja 30 år innan Ingemar Johansson fick sin silvermedalj, vilket skedde 1982, då det hade upptäckts att IOK inte hade rätt att frånta en idrottare dennes medalj.[1]
Tyskland och Japan fick återigen delta i spelen efter att inte bjudits in 1948 som en följd av andra världskriget. På grund av delningen av Tyskland så deltog Saarland som ett eget lag för första och sista gången. Det tyska laget bestod enbart av deltagare från Västtyskland då Östtyskland vägrade delta i ett gemensamt lag. Folkrepubliken Kinas delegation vann inga medaljer, eftersom de ankom för sent.[2]
Wrestling pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Wrestling. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Cycling (road) pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Cycling (road). This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Athletics pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports – . This is an unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Gymnastics (artistic) pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Gymnastics (artistic). This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Sailing pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Sailing. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Swimming pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Swimming. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Shooting pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Shooting. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Water polo pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Water polo. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Flag of Israel.svg Flag of Israel. Shows a Magen David (“Shield of David”) between two stripes. The Shield of David is a traditional Jewish symbol. The stripes symbolize a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit).
This image has compared for accuracy (mainly colors) using an image from World Statesmen. The only change is making the maple leaves green from red. This image has compared for accuracy (mainly colors) using an image from World Statesmen. The most recent version of this image has changed the harp into one with a female figure; see [http://flagspot.net/flags/ca-1921.html FOTW
Flag of Portugal.svg Flag of Portugal, created by Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (1857–1929), officially adopted by Portuguese government in June 30th 1911 (in use since about November 1910). Color shades matching the RGB values officially reccomended here. (PMS values should be used for direct ink or textile; CMYK for 4-color offset printing on paper; this is an image for screen display, RGB should be used.)
Flag of South Africa (1928–1994).svg Flag of South Africa, used between 1928 and 1982. It is identical to the 1982 to 1994 version except that the shade of blue is darker. It is also known as the "Oranje-Blanje-Blou".
Olympic rings.svg Olympic Rings without "rims" (gaps between the rings), As used, eg. in the logos of the 2008 and 2016 Olympics. The colour scheme applied here was specified in 2023 guidelines.
Olympic rings without rims.svg Olympic Rings without "rims" (gaps between the rings), As used, eg. in the logos of the 2008 and 2016 Olympics. The colour scheme applied here was specified in 2023 guidelines.
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Flag of South Africa, used between 1928 and 1982. It is identical to the 1982 to 1994 version except that the shade of blue is darker. It is also known as the "Oranje-Blanje-Blou".
Flag of Romania (28 March 1948 - 24 September 1952)
Construction sheet of the Flag of Romania as depicted in Decree nr. 972 from 5 November 1968.
l = 2/3 × L
C = 1/3 × L
S = 2/5 × l
Basketball pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Basketball. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Boxing pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Boxing. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Cycling pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Cycling (road). This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Modern pentathlon pictogram (pre-2025).svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Modern pentathlon. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Field hockey pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Field hockey. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Football pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Football. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Fencing pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Fencing. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Canoeing (flatwater) pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Canoeing (flatwater). This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Olympia-1952.jpg Postage stamp depicting the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Stadium
Weightlifting pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Weightlifting. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Diving pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Diving. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
Rowing pictogram.svg Pictograms of Olympic sports - Rowing. This is unofficial sample picture. Images of official Olympic pictograms for 1948 Summer Olympics and all Summer Olympics since 1964 can be found in corresponding Official Reports.
This image has compared for accuracy (mainly colors) using an image from World Statesmen. The only change is making the maple leaves green from red. This image has compared for accuracy (mainly colors) using an image from World Statesmen. The most recent version of this image has changed the harp into one with a female figure; see [http://flagspot.net/flags/ca-1921.html FOTW
Finland
USA
Sovjetunionen
Ungern
Sverige
Italien
Tjeckoslovakien
Frankrike
Australien
Norge
Wikimedia Commons har media som rör Olympiska sommarspelen 1952.
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