Lake Placid 1932 Collection

A family donation

At the time, Lake Placid was a town with a population of fewer than 4,000 people. Faced with major obstacles to raising money in the midst of a depression, Mr Godfrey Dewey, President of the Organising Committee, donated a plot of land belonging to his family for the construction of the bobsleigh track.

 

Memorable champions

Norway’s Sonja Henie and the French pair of Andrée and Pierre Brunet successfully defended their figure skating titles. American Billy Fiske won a second gold medal in the four-man bobsleigh. However, Gillis Grafström of Sweden was thwarted in his attempt to win his fourth gold medal, placing second behind Austrian Karl Schäfer.

 

American heats

For the first and only time in Olympic history, the American group race method was used in the speed skating competition. This involved mass starts and athletes racing against all other competitors, in contrast to the European system of heats where two participants compete against each other and the clock.

 

Unique double

American Eddie Eagan achieved a unique feat by winning gold medals in both summer and winter sports. In 1920 in Antwerp, he had won the light-heavyweight boxing category at the Olympic Summer Games. In Lake Placid, 12 years later, he won in the four-man bobsleigh.

 

NOCs 17
Athletes 252 (21 women, 231 men)
Events 14
Volunteers n/a
Media n/a

A PRIVATE DONATION

Mr Godfrey Dewey, President of the Organizing Committee, donated a plot of land belonging to his family for the construction of the bobsleigh track.

A FEMALE FLAG-BEARER

A small, all female team of just four figure skaters from Great Britain meant that for the first time it was a woman, Mollie Phillips, who had the honour of carrying the British flag into the stadium at the Opening ceremony.

The American-style Heats

For the first and only time in Olympic history, the European system of heats with two participants each was not used in the speed skating competition. Instead, the American group race method with its mass start and athletes racing against all other competitors and not just the clock and only one other athlete was used to determine the Olympic champions.

Indoor Hockey

Hockey was played in a covered hall.

THE GAMES CONTINUED

Warm weather conditions caused the holding of the four-man bobsled competition to be delayed until two days after the closing ceremony for the Games had already taken place.

Ceremonies

Lake Placid 4 February 1932. Opening Ceremony. Speechs of the Officials.

Official opening of the Games by: The Governor of the State of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Lighting the Olympic Flame by: A symbolic fire at an Olympic Winter Games was first lit in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Olympic Oath by: John Ames "Jack" Shea (speed skating)

Officials' Oath by: The officials' oath at an Olympic Winter Games was first sworn in 1972 at Sapporo.