1932 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event
which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid
, New York
, United States
. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United States.
s.
These were the last Winter Olympics without Alpine skiing
, which was added in 1936
.
, Estonia
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Luxembourg
, Mexico
, the Netherlands
, and Yugoslavia
did not send athletes to Lake Placid.
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United States.
Highlights
- The Games were opened by New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States later the same year.
- Irving JaffeeIrving JaffeeIrving Warren Jaffee was an American speed skater who won two gold medals at the 1932 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there along with his compatriot Jack Shea.-Early life:Jaffee, who was Jewish, was born to Jewish parents who had emigrated from Russia in 1896...
won the 5,000 m (3.1 mi.) and the 10,000 m (6.2 mi.) speedskating gold medals, beating previous champion and world record holder Ivar BallangrudIvar BallangrudIvar Ballangrud was a Norwegian speed skater, a four-time Olympic champion in Speed Skating. As the only triple gold medalists at the 1936 Winter Olympics, Ballangrud was the most successful athlete there.-Biography:Ivar Ballangrud was one of the best speed skaters in the world for a period of 15...
in the 10,000 m by 4.5 m (5 yards), mainly because the favourites were unaccustomed to the common start. - The USA won the medal tally with a total of 12 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze). Seventeen countries participated.
Events
Medals were awarded in 14 events in 5 sports (7 disciplines).- BobsleighBobsleigh at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, two bobsleigh events were contested. The competitions were held from February 9, 1932 to February 15, 1932. Events were held at the Lake Placid bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
- Figure skatingFigure skating at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Monday, February 8, 1932 to Friday, February 12, 1932...
- Ice hockeyIce hockey at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, the ice hockey tournament was contested by only four teams. The competition was held from Thursday, February 4, 1932 to Saturday, February 13, 1932...
- Nordic skiingNordic skiing at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, four Nordic skiing events were contested – two cross-country skiing events, one ski jumping event, and one nordic combined event, all for men only....
- Cross-country skiingCross-country skiing at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, two cross country skiing events were contested. The 18 km competition was held on Wednesday, February 10, 1932 while the 50 km event was held on Saturday, February 13, 1932.-Medal summary:...
- Nordic combinedNordic combined at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics one individual Nordic combined event was contested. It was held on Wednesday, February 10, 1932 and on Thursday, February 11, 1932 . Unlike today the ski jump was the last event held...
- Ski jumpingSki jumping at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics one individual ski jumping event was contested. It was held on Friday, February 12, 1932.-Medalists:-Results:The competition took place at "Intervales Hill" with a K-Point of 61 meters .-Participating nations:...
- Cross-country skiing
- Speed skatingSpeed skating at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. For the only time in the Olympic history, the speed skating were held as packstyle events, having all competitors skate at the same time. This competition form was not common in Europe and gave the runners from the United States...
Demonstration sports
The Games also included events in three demonstration sportDemonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
s.
- CurlingCurling at the 1932 Winter OlympicsCurling was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Winter Olympics. The venue was the Olympic Indoor Arena in Lake Placid, New York. Eight teams from two countries competed in this event. Only men's curling was contested at these Olympics. The matches were held on February 4th and 5th, 1932...
- Sled dog raceSled dog race at the 1932 Winter OlympicsA sled dog race was included as a demonstration event at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. 5 contestants from Canada and 7 contestants from the United States competed. The event, run under the rules of the New England Sled Dog Club, ran twice over a 25.1 mile long course...
- Speed skatingSpeed skating at the 1932 Winter OlympicsAt the 1932 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. For the only time in the Olympic history, the speed skating were held as packstyle events, having all competitors skate at the same time. This competition form was not common in Europe and gave the runners from the United States...
(women)
These were the last Winter Olympics without Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing has been contested at every Winter Olympics since 1936, when a combined event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. From 1948–80, the Winter Olympics also served as the World Championships in Olympic years...
, which was added in 1936
Alpine skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics
At the 1936 Winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, alpine skiing was arranged for the first time in the Olympics, a combined event for men and women....
.
Venues
- Intervales Ski-HillLake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping ComplexThe Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex comprises a 90- and 120-meter ski jumps towers built for the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, United States...
- Nordic combined (ski jumping), Ski jumping - Lake PlacidLake Placid, New YorkLake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
- Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing) - Mt. Van Hoevenberg Bob-Run - Bobsleigh
- Olympic ArenaHerb Brooks ArenaThe Herb Brooks Arena, known as the Olympic Center until 2005, is a 7,700-seat multi-purpose arena in Lake Placid, New York. This arena was built for the 1932 Winter Olympics, the first indoor arena used for the Winter Olympics. For the 1932 Games, it hosted the figure skating and six of the twelve...
- Figure skating, Ice hockey - Olympic Stadium - Ice hockey, Speed skating
Participating nations
Athletes from 17 nations competed in these Games, down from 25 nations at the previous Games in 1928. ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
did not send athletes to Lake Placid.
Medal count
| 1 | (host nation) | 8 | 6 | 5 | 19 |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 15 | |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |