John's Story
Western Australian athlete John Goodman emerged as one of Australia’s leading young 400-metre runners during the build-up to the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games. He finished equal second in the 440 yards at the 1955-56 Australian Championships, recording 49 seconds, before securing Olympic selection through the national trials. Born in 1937, Goodman was 19 when he competed at his home Games. At Melbourne 1956, Goodman contested the men’s 400 metres. He recorded 48.5 seconds to finish fourth in his opening-round heat. Goodman did not progress to the quarterfinals and was placed 25th overall. Goodman later joined other Western Australian Olympians in commemorating the 60th anniversary of Melbourne 1956, recalling the camaraderie and humour that accompanied Australia’s first home Olympic Games.
