1932 olympics

1932 Olympics - History• Opening: 30July 1932• Closing: 14 August 1932• Host Country: USA• Known as the Games that gave birth to the modern format.• This was only the second time the Games had been held outside of

Europe, following on from the St Louis 1904 Olympics. Los Angeles, home of Hollywood and the emerging film industry, would put on a much better show.

• In 1932 the Olympic Games in Los Angeles overcame the problematic times of depression, and what was to become known as the "Hollywood Extravaganza" set the tone for the world. The tone was that Los Angeles was now on the map as a city of power and prestige, and that the Olympics was a vehicle that publicized and promoted its site as no other sporting event could.

1932 Olympics – Political Climate

• After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the largest stock market crash in American history, most of the decade was consumed by an economic downfall called The Great Depression that had an upsetting effect worldwide.

• In response, strict regimes emerged in several countries in Europe, in particular the Third Reich in Germany.

• Weaker states such as Ethiopia, China, and Poland were invaded, ultimately leading to World War II by the decade's end. The decade also saw an increase in new technologies, including intercontinental aviation, radio, and film.

1932 Olympics - Economy

• The 1932 Olympic Games were held in the middle of the Great Depression and, given the transport links of the time, in the relatively remote region of California, participation in the Games was the lowest since 1904, with only half as many athletes taking part as had in 1928. This was due mostly to the Great Depression, with the cost of travel and the logistics of distance proving difficult for many teams. Despite this, the standard of competition was excellent.

1932 Olympics – Global Events

• The Depression and the geographical isolation of California. Participation in the Games was the lowest since 1904, in spite of the excellent competition standard.

1932 Olympics – Significant Moments

• Between 1900 and 1928, no Summer Games had been shorter than 79 days, but in Los Angeles this was cut to just 16. It has remained between 15 and 18 days ever since.

• Medal winners standing on a podium with the flag of the winner being raised was first introduced.

• Entry Restrictions - The number of participants put forward by the National Olympic Committees in individual events was limited to three.

• Professionnals were not admitted - Finn Paavo Nurmi and Frenchman Jules Ladoumègue, registered as professionals, could not take part.

1932 Olympics - Highlights

• The spirit of the Olympic Games was exemplified by British fencer Judy Guinness. Contesting the final, she gallantly gave up her hopes for a gold medal when she pointed out to officials that they had not noticed two touches scored against her by her final opponent, Ellen Preis of Austria.

1932 Olympics - Controversies

• Football was completely removed from the games.

• Men and women were separated - the Olympic Village was reserved for men, and women stayed in the Chapman Park hotel.

1932 Olympics – Buildings/construction

• The Coliseum Olympic stadium stupefied the whole world by its proportions and the quality of its equipment.

1932 Olympics – Opening Ceremony

• A record crowd at the Opening Ceremony• The Coliseum Olympic stadium astonished the whole world. Its

scale and quality were beyond anything that had come before, creating the first Games we would recognise today. The crowds were also without precedent, starting with the 100,000 people who attended the Opening Ceremony.

• Los Angeles 30 July 1932. • Official opening of the Games by: Vice-President Charles Curtis• Lighting the Olympic Flame by: A symbolic fire at an Olympic

Summer Games was first lit in 1928 in Amsterdam.• Olympic Oath by: George Calnan (fencing)

1932 Olympics – Participating Nations • Argentina (32)• Australia (12)• Austria (19)• Belgium (36)• Brazil (82)• Canada (102)• China (1)• Colombia (1)• Czechoslovakia (7)• Denmark (43)• Estonia (2)• Finland (40)• France (103)• Germany (134)• Great Britain (108)• Greece (10)• Haiti (2)• Hungary (58)• India (19)

• Ireland (8)• Italy (112)• Japan (117)• Latvia (2)• Mexico (73)• Netherlands (45• )New Zealand (21)• Norway (5)• Philippines (8)• Poland (51)• Portugal (6)• South Africa (12)• Spain (6)• Sweden (81)• Switzerland (6)• United States (474)• Uruguay (1)• Yugoslavia (1)

1932 Olympics – Events Held

• Artistic Gymnastics• Athletics• Boxing• Cycling Road• Cycling Track• Diving• Equestrian / Dressage• Equestrian / Eventing• Equestrian / Jumping• Fencing

• Hockey• Modern Pentathlon• Rowing• Sailing• Shooting• Swimming• Water polo• Weightlifting• Wrestling Freestyle• Wrestling Greco-Roman

1932 Olympics –Notable Events

• Football was completely removed from the games - Following Henri Delaunay's proposal in 1929 to initiate a professional World Championship of Football, the sport was dropped from the 1932 Los Angeles Games in an attempt to promote the growing sport of American football in the United States.

• Football returned at the 1936 Berlin Games. The German organisers were intent on the return of the game to the Olympic movement since it guaranteed vital income into the organisation's coffers.

• Sixteen world and Olympic records fell in men's track and field alone.

1932 Olympics – Australia

• As at the 1928 Games, Australia competed in five sports in Los Angeles: aquatics (swimming), athletics, cycling, rowing and wrestling.

• The Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony was carried by swimming legend Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton. However, unlike the previous two Games of 1924 and 1928, Charlton did not win a medal in Los Angeles, his performance affected by illness

1932 Olympics - Athletes

• The Los Angeles Games of 1932 featured less nations and almost half as many athletes as the previous Games in Amsterdam.

• Still, more than 1400 athletes from 37 nations competed at the Games.

1932 Olympics – Australian Athletes

• The 12-strong Australian team returned from the Los Angeles Games with five medals: three gold, one silver and a bronze.

• The three gold, won by cyclist Edgar ‘Dunc’ Gray, rower Henry ‘Bobby’ Pearce and teenage swimmer Clare Dennis, matched the record total from Paris in 1924.

• The silver medal was won by swimmer Philomena ‘Bonnie’ Mealing in the women’s 100m backstroke, while Eddie Scarf’s bronze in freestyle wrestling was the first Australian medal in the sport.

• The other Australians competing were athletes Bill Barwick, George Golding, Alex Hillhouse and Eileen Wearne, and swimmers Noel Ryan and Frances Bult.

1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesClare Dennis

• Dennis was the youngest woman to win a gold medal in Los Angeles. Aged 16, she won the 200m breaststroke to become an instant celebrity because of her age and ability. She would later be one of the first women to compete for Australia at the Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games.

• Clare Dennis was 16 years old when she won the 200 metres breaststroke at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games, becoming Australia’s first female Olympic champion since Fanny Durack (in 1912). She was the youngest female swimmer at the Games. Her swimming career began at the age of seven, when she tricked her father into allowing her to join the Sydney Ladies’ Swimming Club. After some pestering, he agreed that she could join the club if she could swim the 33 metres across her home beach of Clovelly Bay, Sydney. In fact she touched bottom, but faked a swimming action.

• In 1931, at 14, she won the state 220 yards breaststroke title, and in January 1932 set a world record for the distance at the Domain Baths. At the Olympics she faced the Japanese champion Hideko Maehata and Else Jacobsen of Denmark, who had held the world record. All three won their heats, but Dennis’ time was the fastest, an Olympic record. Before the final the American champion (and later film Tarzan) Buster Crabbe advised her to swim three strokes underwater after her starting dive, and attempt to touch at each turn ahead of the others. She followed his instructions - and won the final, lowering her Olympic record.

• Clare Dennis broke the world record for 100 metres backstroke in 1933, and went on - in London in 1934 - to become the first Australian woman to win gold at the British Empire Games. In 1942 she married George Golding, a track athlete in the 1932 team. She died in 1971.


PHILOMENA JOHNSTON (MEALING)

• Whilst still a teenager, Bonnie Mealing competed without success in the freestyle and backstroke events at Amsterdam 1928. In February 1930, she set a world record of 1 min 20.6 sec for the 100 metres backstroke. Somewhat surprisingly, she was not selected for the inaugural Empire Games at Hamilton, Canada that year. Indeed, no Australian women were sent to Hamilton, where swimming was the only sport that afforded events for females. At Los Angeles 1932, Mealing won a silver medal in the 100 metres backstroke, behind the glamorous and talented Eleanor Holm of the United States. Britain’s Joyce Cooper, who in Mealing’s absence had won the backstroke at Hamilton, finished sixth. Mealing did not compete internationally again after Los Angeles. She lived a long life, dying in her 90th year in 2002.


Henry ‘Bobby’ Pearce • Gold medallists Pearce won medals at the

previous Games in Amsterdam in 1928. Pearce, again the only rower on the Australian team, successfully defended his single scull title


Edgar ‘Dunc’ Gray • Gold medallists Gray won medals at the

previous Games in Amsterdam in 1928. • Gray improved on his 1928 bronze to win the

1000m time trial, Australia’s first cycling gold. The Sydney 2000 Olympic velodrome was named in his honour.


Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton, • Australia’s golden boy of the pool at the 1924

Olympics, returned to the Games and won two silver medals, in the 400m freestyle and 1500m freestyle. The bronze medal was won by cyclist Edgar ‘Dunc’ Gray in the 1000m time trial, an event he would be crowned the Olympic champion in at Los Angeles in four years time.

1932 Olympics – Australian Athletes• Eddie Scarf

Light heavyweightRound 1 Defeated H. Madison (CAN)

Round 2 Defeated by T. Sjostedt (SWE)

Round 3 Defeated by P. Mehrimger (USA)

Final (3rd)

Final Placing 3

1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesAlex Hillhouse

10000m - MenFinal DNC

1500m - Men

Qualfying DNC

5000m - MenRound 1 15:14.0 6thFinal 15:15.0 10th

Final Placing 10 / 18

1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesErnest Barwick

10000m - MenFinal DNC

1500m - MenRound 1 4:03.5 (7th)

5000m - Men

Final DNC

1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesGeorge Golding

110m Hurdles - Men

Qualfying DNC

400m - MenRound 1 49.0 (2nd)

Quarter Final 48.6 (3rd)

Semi Final 48.0 (3rd)

Final 48.8 (6th)


400m Hurdles - MenQualfying 55.2 (3rd)

Semi Final 53.1 (4th)



Eilenn Wearne

100m - WomenRound 1 12.5 (4th)

1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesNoel Ryan

400m Freestyle - MenTrials 5:01.9 1stSemi Final 4:59.7 5th


100m Freestyle - MenTrials 1:02.9 4th


1500m Freestyle - MenTrials 20:12.6 2ndSemi Final 19:52.5 3rdFinal 19:45.1 4th


1932 Olympics – Australian AthletesFrances Vorrath (Bult)

100m Freestyle - WomenTrials 1:11.4 3rdSemi Final 1:10.2 2ndFinal 1:09.9 5th


400m Freestyle - WomenTrials 6:03.0 4th


1932 Olympics – Medals

• The United States were the dominant team, their 41 gold medals more than treble that of the second nation on the medal tally, Italy, which won 12 gold medals.

• The host nation was led by sprinter Eddie Tolan, who won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

• American Buster Crabbe won the 400m freestyle gold and would later become the Olympics’ second Tarzan, playing the jungle hero in movies.

• In the pool, Japan was the leading nation

1932 Olympics – Medal Tally

Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total

United States 41 32 30 103

Italy 12 12 12 36

France 10 5 4 19

Sweden 9 5 9 23

Japan 7 7 4 18

Hungary 6 4 5 15

Finland 5 8 12 25

Britain 4 7 5 16

Germany 3 12 5 20

Australia 3 1 1 5

1932 Olympics – Australia’s Medal Tally

Medal Name Sport Event

Gold Edgar Gray Cycling 1000m time trial

Gold Henry Pearce Rowing Single Scull

Gold Claire Dennis Swimming 200m Breaststroke

Silver Philomena Mealing Swimming 100m Backstroke

Bronze Eddie Scarf Wrestling Light Heavy Weight

1932 Olympics - Closing Ceremony

1932 olympics

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