Venezuela competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia, and in the equestrian events held in Stockholm, Sweden. Twenty-two competitors, all men, were selected by the Venezuelan Olympic Committee to take part in sixteen events across five sports. The delegation featured no female competitors, for the second time, and won no medals. While most of the Venezuelan athletes did not advance past the qualifying rounds of their sports, there were some good placings in the shooting, with Germán Briceño and Carlos Monteverde finishing in the top 10 of their events. Background Venezuela competed at the Summer Olympic Games for the third time in 1956. For the Melbourne/Stockholm Games, Venezuela had representation with a member on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Julio Bustamante. The IOC provided a total of 130 event handbooks to be distributed by the Venezuelan Olympic Committee (VOC), including 15 each for fencing and shooting, events it had sent many athletes to compete in at the last Games. Handbooks were offered in English, French, or Spanish, with Venezuela receiving Spanish copies. In Melbourne, Venezuela's Olympic attaché was a Miss. W. Bond. Competitors For the 1956 Summer Olympic Games, the Venezuelan delegation sent 22 athletes, fewer than at the 1952 Games. All of the athletes were men, something that has happened on four occasions, first in 1948, and later in 1968 and 1980. Until the 2000s, female participation was low. The 1956 Games was the first time, and one of only three times, a Venezuelan equestrian representation was sent to a Summer Olympic Games; the nation did not send another equestrian team until 1988. Nineteen Venezuelan athletes competed in Melbourne. The delegation, of 28 men, arrived on 15 November and were housed at the Olympic Village in Heidelberg. Their blocks were situated in the eastern side of the Village between those of Chile and Portugal. With kitchens cooking separately for nations of "similar eating habits", the Venezuelan delegation was grouped with those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Peru and Uruguay. Athletics In Athletics, 718 athletes of 59 countries competed in 33 events between 23 November and 1 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Four athletes represented Venezuela in three events. Track Rafael Romero and Clive Bonas competed in the first round of the 100 metres event on 23 November. Romero placed fourth in the third heat, with a time of 10.9 seconds. Bonas placed