Paula Deubel-Phillips was a member of the U.S Women’s Track and Field Team as a shot putter in the 1956 Melbourne Games. She was born in Swansea, Massachusetts, on June 24, 1935. Although a Massachusetts resident, she trained with and competed for the Little Rhody AC, a local track club that pioneered women’s competition in track and field. In 1954, competing for Springfield College, Paula Deubel was the national collegiate champion in both the indoor and outdoor shotput events. She was the US Junior Champion in 1953 and won the 1954 AAU indoors with the shot. She was the first Springfield College Woman to make a US Olympic Team when she was selected in 1956.
Nine teams boycotted the 1956 Olympic Games for various reasons. Four teams (Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia, and Lebanon) boycotted in response to the Suez Crisis, in which Israel, England, and France invaded Egypt. Four teams (the Netherlands, Spain, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland) boycotted in response to the Soviet invasion of Hungary, and the People’s Republic of China‘s boycott was in response to a dispute with the Republic of China over the right to represent China.
One of the most notable events of the games was a controversial water polo match between the Soviet Union and the defending champions, Hungary. The Soviet Union had recently suppressed an anti-authoritarian revolution in Hungary, and violence broke out between the teams during the match, resulting in numerous injuries. When Hungary’s Ervin Zádor suffered bleeding after being punched by Soviet Union’s Valentin Prokopov, spectators attempted to join the violence, but police blocked them. The match was cancelled, with Hungary being declared the winner because they were in the lead.
The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals, including the shot put, in which they won the gold and silver. Her teammate, Lois Testa Lynch, finished in 14th place, but Paula Phillipps failed to qualify for the finals.
In a much-publicized Olympic romance, American hammer throw champion Hal Connolly would marry Czechoslovak discus throw champion Olga Fikotová. After moving to the United States, Olga wanted to continue representing Czechoslovakia, but the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee would not allow her to do so. Thereafter, as Olga Connolly, she took part in every Olympics until 1972,competing for the U.S. She was the flag bearer for the U.S. team at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Despite the international tensions of 1956—or perhaps because of them—a young Melburnian, John Ian Wing, came up with a new idea for the closing ceremony. Instead of marching as separate teams behind their national flags, the athletes mingled together as they paraded into and around the arena for a final appearance before the spectators. It started an Olympic tradition that has been followed ever since.
Paula Deubel-Phillips died in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 21, 1993. She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1968 with her friend, Lois Testa Lynch. She became a member of the Springfield College Hall of Fame in 1971.
For additional reading:
Olympic Games Book, Women’s Shot Put, Harold Adams, Prentice-Hall, page 144.
Athletes at the 1956 Melbourne Games, Women’s Shot Put, Jan. 6, 2018.