Know Your Olympics - Los Angeles Olympics 1932
Between the Olympics that happened in Amsterdam and Los Angeles, a lot had happened. The world had changed for the worse. A booming, soaring world economy crashed down. Millions of jobs vanished in thin air. As such, people wondered if it was even worthy to host the Olympics in Los Angeles.
Some noteworthy points of the Los Angeles Olympics
However, the Olympics were conducted, and they were a significant success. For the first time, the Olympics were a profitable venture for the host country. The concept of an Olympic village had already been introduced in Paris in 1924.
Also read: Know Your Olympics - Paris Olympics 1924
But a standardized concept was laid down in Los Angeles for the first time, with separate quarters for men and women.
The Los Angeles edition is well known for bringing curtains to the career of Paavo Nurmi. The Finnish legend aimed to end his career with a gold medal in the marathon. However, conflicts between Sweden and Finland claimed his amateur status, and he was banned from participating in these Olympics.
The 1932 Games also saw the rise of Takeichi Nishi, a Japanese hero. An equestrian show jumper, he dazzled the world with his horse riding skills, and won an Olympic gold medal for Japan.
However, he is as famous on the field as he was off the field. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, he fought bravely, and was martyred in action. He even helped some of the wounded rival soldiers in action before being killed.
If Amsterdam was the beginning, Los Angeles would maintain the authority of Indian hockey. 'Like a typhoon from the East', India bulldozed any challenge that came its way.
Though there were only two teams to oppose them, including the host United States, India clinched the gold medal in style. While defeating USA, they scored a record score of 24-1, a world record that stood for years, until Australia broke it against Papua New Guinea.