- Percy Williams
Percy Alfred Williams, OC (May 19, 1908 - November 29, 1982) was a Canadian athlete, winner of the 100 m and 200 m races at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Williams surprised many - himself the most - when he won the Canadian trials and was sent out to the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam at age 20. To his surprise, he found out that he could easily advance to the final of the 100 m event. - Eddie Tolan
Thomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan (September 29, 1908 - January 30/31, 1967) was an American athlete and sprinter and winner of two gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics. - Janusz Kusociński
Janusz Tadeusz Kusociński was a Polish athlete, winner in the 10 000 m event at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Born in Warsaw into the family of a railroad worker, Janusz Kusociński, or "Kusy" as he was nicknamed, played football for various Warsaw clubs as a schoolboy. He took up athletics in 1928 after joining the sport club "Sarmata". His coach there was the famous Estonian, decathlete Aleksander Klumberg-Kolmpere. - Ralph Metcalfe
Ralph Harold Metcalfe was an American athlete who jointly held the world record for the 100 metre sprint. Metcalfe was known as the world’s fastest human from 1932 through 1934. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Metcalfe studied at Marquette University and equalled the record of 10.3 seconds on a number of occasions, as well as equalling the 200 metre record of 20.6 seconds. At the 1932 Summer Olympics he virtually dead-heated with his rival Eddie Tolan, … - Helene Madison
Helene Madison (born June 19, 1913 in Madison, Wisconsin - died November 27, 1970 in Seattle, Washington) was an American swimmer. She won three gold medals in freestyle at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games. In sixteen months in 1930 and 1931, she broke sixteen world records in various distances. Following the 1932 Olympics she appeared in the films "The Human Fish" and "The Warrior's Husband" and hence, as a professional, … - Luigi Beccali
Luigi Beccali (November 19, 1907 - August 29, 1990) was an Italian athlete, winner of 1500 m at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Born in Milan, Luigi Beccali, as a youth, was fascinated by cycling and track and field athletics, but choose the latter, when he met the coach Dino Nai. Luigi Beccali, an Italian champion in 1500 m from 1928 to 1931, became a national hero overnight when he won the Olympic 1500 m gold at Los Angeles. - Jean Shiley
Jean Shiley Newhouse is a former American high jumper. She was born as Jean Shiley in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Havertown, PA, where she joined the team at Haverford High School. Shiley tied with Babe Didrikson in the trials for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In the games, both cleared 5' 5¼" and failed at 5' 6". In the jump-off, they tied again at a world record height of 5' 5¾" (1.65 m). - Bill Carr
William ("Bill") Arthur Carr (October 24, 1909 - January 14, 1966) was an American athlete, a double Olympic champion in 1932. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Carr studied at Mercersburg Academy and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was coached by 1904 Olympian Lawson Robertson. Carr's favourite events were the 440 y (or 400 m), the 880 y and the long jump, but he had never managed to win a major race until 1932. - Bob Tisdall
Robert ("Bob") Morton Newburgh Tisdall (May 16, 1907 in Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon "now" Sri Lanka - July 27, 2004 in Nambour, Queensland, Australia) was an Irish athlete who won a gold medal in the 400 m hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Born to an Anglo-Irish family, Tisdall was raised in Nenagh, County Tipperary. He had run only six 400 m hurdles when he won the gold medal at the 1932 Olympic Games in a world record time of 51.7 seconds, … - Volmari Iso-Hollo
Volmari "Vomma" Fritijof Iso-Hollo was a Finnish athlete, winner of two gold medals in 3000 m steeplechase at the Olympic Games. Born in Ylöjärvi, Finland, Volmari Iso-Hollo was one of the last in a group of Finnish runners called the "Flying Finns" who dominated distance running in the period between the World Wars. As a youth, Iso-Hollo did skiing, gymnastics and boxing and took up running as he joined the army. He was successful in wide range of events, … - Juan Carlos Zabala
Juan Carlos Zabala (October 11, 1911 - January 24, 1983) was an Argentine athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Born in Rosario, Juan Carlos Zabala played football and basketball and did some swimming, before he met his future coach Alexander Stirling in 1927. Zabala ran his first marathon at the end of October, 1931. Ten days later he ran a new world record in 30 km (1:42:30.4). Later, before the 1936 Summer Olympics, … - Ben Eastman
Benjamin Bangs "Ben" Eastman (Jul 19 1911, Burlingame, California - Oct 6 2002, Hotchkiss, Colorado), alias "Blazin' Ben", was an American middle distance runner. He competed for the United States in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the 400 metres where he won the silver medal. He was the U.S. national 800 metres champion in 1934. Eastman, one of three Americans to hold the world record in both the 400 and 800 meters, … - Morgan Taylor
Frederick Morgan Taylor (April 17, 1903 - February 16, 1975) was an American hurdler, winner of three Olympic medals. Morgan Taylor, from Sioux City, Iowa, competed in both track and field and football at Grinnell College. At the American trials for the 1924 Summer Olympics, he broke the world record in the 400 m hurdles on two occasions, making him a favourite for the Olympic gold. In Paris, he broke his World Record again, with a margin of 1.4 seconds to win the gold. - Thomas Hampson
Thomas Hampson (October 28, 1907 - September 4, 1965) was an English athlete, winner of the 800 metres at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Hampson, a native of Clapham (London), didn't take up running seriously until the last year of his studies at Oxford University. After completing his education, he became a teacher in 1930 (at St Albans School). That same year, he won the British AAA championships over 880 yd (805 m), a title he would also claim in 1931 and 1932. - Frank Wykoff
Frank Clifford Wykoff (October 29, 1909 - January 1, 1980) was an American athlete, triple gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay at the Olympic Games. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Wykoff has a place in track and field history by being the first man to ever win three Olympic relay gold medals, all in world record time. Wykoff made his debut at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, where he finished fourth in the 100 m and ran an opening leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, … - Harry Larva
Harri ("Harry") Edvin Larva was a Finnish athlete, winner of 1500 m at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Born in Turku, Harry Larva was forced to change his last name from Lagerström to Larva in 1928 by a young president of Finnish Athletics Union and known nationalist Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, because his name didn't sound as Finnish. Larva, a Finnish champion in 800 m from 1928 to 1930 and in 1934, won only one bronze (1927) in his favourite distance 1500 m at Finnish Championships. - Dhyan Chand
Major Dhyan Chand Singh was a former Indian hockey player and is often regarded as the greatest player ever to play the game. He was part of the Gold winning Indian team in three Olympic Games (1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles, 1936 Berlin). He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, in 1956. He got the title "Chand" or (moon) from his first coach, Pankaj Gupta, who had predicted that he would one day shine like a "chand" or moon. - Ivan Fuqua
Ivan William Fuqua (August 9, 1909 - January 14, 1994) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Fuqua was an AAU champion in 400 m in 1933 and 1934. At the Los Angeles Olympics, Fuqua ran the opening leg in the American 4x400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3.08.2. Ivan Fuqua died in Raleigh, North Carolina, aged 84. <br> <br> - Godfrey Rampling
Godfrey Lionel Rampling (born May 14, 1909) is a former English athlete and army officer, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Born in London, Godfrey Rampling won the British AAA championships in 440 yd in 1931 and 1934. At the 1932 Summer Olympics, Rampling was fourth in his semifinal and didn't reached to the final, but helped, as an anchor, the British 4x400 m relay team to win a silver medal, behind the United States. - Takeichi Nishi
Baron Takeichi Nishi (July 12 1902 - March 22 1945 (?)) was a Japanese Imperial Army officer, equestrian show jumper, and Olympic Gold Medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. He was a tank commander at the Battle of Iwo Jima and was killed in action during the defense of the island. - Glenn Hardin
Glenn Foster "Slats" Hardin (July 1, 1910 - March 6, 1975) was an American athlete, winner of 400 m hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Born in Derma, Mississippi, Glenn Hardin was the world's dominant 400 m hurdler in the 1930s and was equally as tough in the 400 m flat race. Hardin's rise began at the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he finished second in the 400 m hurdles in 52.0 but was given credit for a world record when the winner, Bob Tisdall from Ireland, … - Karl Warner
Karl DeWitt Warner (June 23, 1908 - September 5, 1995) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. At the Los Angeles Olympics, Karl Warner ran the third leg in the American 4x400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3.08.2. Karl Warner died in Rochester, New York, aged 87. - Hector Dyer
Hector Monroe "Hec" Dyer (June 2, 1910 - May 19, 1990) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Born in Los Angeles, California, Hector Dyer enrolled at the Stanford University and won the IC4A championships in 220 yd in 1930. At the Los Angeles Olympics, Dyer ran the third leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 40.0. Hector Dyer died in Fullerton, California, aged 79. - Lauri Lehtinen
Lauri Aleksanteri Lehtinen (August 10, 1908 - December 4, 1973) was a Finnish athlete, winner of a controversial 5000 m at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Born in Porvoo, Finland, Lauri Lehtinen ran a new world record in 5000 m (14:17.0) just a month prior to the Olympics, thus becoming a main favourite to the Olympic 5000 m Champion title. In the final, the Finns Lehtinen and Lauri Virtanen led early. - Edgar Ablowich
Edgar Allen Ablowich (April 29, 1913 - April 6, 1998) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Born in Greenville, Texas, Edgar Ablowich ran the second leg in the American 4x400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3.08.2 at the Los Angeles Olympics. After his running career, Ablowich was an associate professor in business at the University of Wyoming. - Eleanor Holm
Eleanor G. Holm was an American swimmer. An Olympic champion, she is best known for having been suspended from the 1936 Olympic team. Born the daughter of a fireman in Brooklyn, New York, Holm learned swimming while very young. Winning her first national swimming title at age 13, she was selected to compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics, where she finished fifth in her specialty, the 100-meter backstroke. She was talented in several other strokes as well, … - Arthur Jonath
Arthur Jonath was a German athlete. He won the bronze medal in the 100 metres (10.4 seconds) and the silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay (40.9 seconds; along with Helmut Körnig, Friedrich Hendrix, and Erich Borchmeyer) at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. - Ray Lewis
Raymond ("Ray") Gray Lewis, C.M. (October 8, 1910 - November 15, 2003) was a track and field athlete, and the first Canadian-born black Olympic medalist. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Lewis was nicknamed "Rapid Ray" for his speed on the track. While excelling in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metre distances in high school, Lewis was subjected to racism from coaches, teachers and the public. - Robert Kiesel
Robert A. "Bob" Kiesel (August 30, 1911 - August 6, 1993) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. As an University of California student, Robert Kiesel won the IC4A championships in both 100 m and 200 m in 1934 and 220 yd in 1932. At the Los Angeles Olympics, Kiesel ran the opening leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 40.0. Robert Kiesel died in Boise, Idaho, aged 81. - Clare Dennis
Clara "Clare" Dennis (March 7 1916 - June 5 1971) was an Australian breaststroke swimmer of the 1930s who won the gold medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Born in Burwood, New South Wales (a suburb of Sydney) as one of six children of Alec Dennis, a policeman who acted as a police prosecutor, Clare and her siblings were taught to swim by their father, himself an amateur swimmer, … - Emmett Toppino
Martin Emmett Toppino (July 1, 1909 - September 8, 1971) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics. At the Los Angeles Olympics, Emmett Toppino from New Orleans, ran the second leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 40.0. Emmett Toppino died in New Orleans, aged 62. - Duncan McNaughton
Duncan Anderson McNaughton (Dec 7 1910 - Jan 15 1998) was a Canadian athlete who competed mainly in the high jump. He competed for Canada in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the high jump where he won the gold medal. - Matti Järvinen
Matti Henrikki Järvinen was a Finnish javelin thrower. He won the Olympic gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics ahead of two other Finns, Matti Sippala and Eino Penttilä. The Finns considered other competitors' throwing styles naive, and didn't bother to take off their tracksuits during the event. Besides his Olympic gold, Järvinen is remembered for his numerous world records. During the years from 1930 to 1934, he broke the javelin throw world record 10 times in a row, … - José Villanueva
José Villanueva is an amateur boxer from the Philippines who competed at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in the Bantamweight (54 kg) division winning the bronze medal in a lost bout in the semifinals. - Lillian Copeland
Lillian Copeland (November 25, 1904 - July 7, 1964) was an American athlete, who excelled in the throwing events. Copeland was born in New York to Polish Jewish immigrants. Her father died when she was young, and her mother remarried and they moved to Los Angeles. - James Ball
James A. Ball (born May 7, 1903 in Dauphin, Manitoba - died July 2, 1988) was a Canadian athlete, who competed mainly in the 400 metres. He competed for Canada in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in the 400 metres where he won the Silver medal. He then aided the Canadian team containing Alex Wilson, Phil Edwards and Stanley Glover to a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay. - Horace Gwynne
Horace ("Lefty") Gwynne (October 5 1913, Toronto - April 16 2001, Toronto) was a bantamweight professional boxer from Canada, who competed in the 1930s and won the gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was still an amateur when he won the gold medal. Gwynne left school after grade 8, weighing only 65 lb (29.5 kg). When he started to grow, he began working out in Stokley's Gym in Toronto to lose weight in order to become a jockey. - Simeon Toribio
Simeon G. Toribio (born 3 September 1905) was a Filipino athlete, who won the bronze medal in the high jump at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. He represented the Philippines in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1928. In 1930, Toribio was awarded the Helms World Trophy for being Asia's greatest athlete. He became a lawyer and a congressman representing Bohol province where he later settled. - Tilly Fleischer
Ottilie ("Tilly") Fleischer (born October 2, 1911 in Frankfurt am Main - died July 14, 2005 in Lahr, Schwarzwald) was a German athlete who competed mainly in the javelin. She competed for Germany in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the Javelin where she won the bronze medal. Four years later in her home country she won the javelin at the 1936 Summer Games in front of the Berlin crowds. <br> <br> <br> - Alex Wilson
Alexander ("Alex") S. Wilson (December 1, 1905 - December 10, 1994) was a Canadian athlete who competed in both the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics. In his time he was a star at the University of Notre Dame and the Alex Wilson Invitational was named for him.
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