The 1932 Summer Olympics were a fascinating event in sporting history. There were many dramatic story lines that took place both in and around the Olympic events. Due to their natural appeal to a worldwide audience, a great deal of information is known about Olympic games, but here are seven things you don’t know about the 1932 Summer Olympics.
1. The 1932 Summer Olympics was the first Olympics where the head of the host nation did not appear at the games. Herbert Hoover was the President of the United States during this time and he chose not to travel to Los Angeles where the games were being held.
2. The 1932 Summer Olympics were the first Olympic Games where an Olympic Village had been built to house the athletes.
3. The 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles were the first Olympics where a victory podium was used for the medal presentations.
4. The USA won a bronze medal in field hockey in the 1932 Summer Olympics, this was mainly due to the fact that only three countries competed in the sport that year.
5. Japan’s Takeichi Nishi would win the gold medal in the equestrian event, individual show jumping. This would be the only equestrian gold medal that Japan would ever win. Nishi would go on to fight for Japan in World War II and die defending Iwo Jima.
6. American football was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
7. The USA finished first in the medal count with 103 different medals won during the 1932 Summer Olympics, Italy finished second with 36 and Finland was third with 25.
The 1932 Summer Olympics were an important event during their time and affected more than just the sporting world. The entire world focused on Los Angeles during those summer days in the early part of the last century, and people were not disappointed as some great drama unfolded both inside and outside of the main coliseum. The Summer Olympics have the ability to capture the imagination and wonder of the entire world’s population every four years. It is no wonder that they are some of the most watched events in recent world history.