Number of participated countries - 69
Number of events -149
Number of athletes - 4925 (4407 men, 518 -women)

Five athletes of Azerbaijan were members of the USSR national Olympic team participating in the Games - four wrestlers, and one track and field athlete.

Azerbaijani athletes who participated for the first time at the Olympic Games returned the Motherland with one silver and one bronze medal.

Rashid Mammadbayov having won the victory over all his opponents reached the final in Helsinki. As he was injured in previous bout in the fight for gold he performed on low level of his possibilities. Our athlete lost the bout to the athlete from Japan in the final in points and became the owner of silver medal of the Olympic Games. Any medal obtained at the Olympic Games is regarded as great accomplishment. Silver medal obtained by Rashid was precious as the first Olympic medal of the Azerbaijan athlete. That was the first medal in the Olympic history of Azerbaijan, the first glorious page.

Azerbaijani wrestler Ibrahimpasha Dadashov was expected to be among the medallist in Finland Games. However, Ibrahimpasha Dadashov performed on a low level of his possibilities in Helsinki Olympics. Though, he entered the first eight athletes he could not held the fight for the medal.

In the USSR national team 3 of 8 athletes on freestyle wrestling were from Azerbaijan. Athletes of Azerbaijan wrestling school who represented USSR national team proved that this sport discipline has been developed much in the republic. It is necessary to mention one more fact. That times the main candidate of the USSR national team for the Olympic medal was four time USSR champion, famous Azerbaijani wrestler Musa Babayev could not compete in the Helsinki Olympics. On the eve of preparations to the Helsinki Olympiad Musa Babayev injured his foot and was replaced by the other athlete of Azerbaijan wrestling school who took the 4th place in Finland.

In of the USSR national team, they started to Helsinki were a representative of the athletics school of the republic. One of the main candidates for the Olympic medals Khandadash Madatov should compete on long jump. Unfortunately, our athlete injured himself during the training and could not participate in the competitions.