Canada at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Canada at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games

The 1932 Olympic Winter Games were held in Lake Placid, New York, from 4 to 15 February 1932. Canada sent 42 athletes (38 men, 4 women) to the Games and placed third in the overall medal count with seven medals (1 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze). The Winnipeg Hockey Club won Canada’s fourth consecutive Olympic medal in ice hockey, while speed skaters Alexander Hurd, William Logan and Frank Stack became the first Canadian medallists in speed skating. Montgomery Wilson took bronze in the men’s figure skating competition, becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in the sport.
Canadian Men
Canada's men's ski team participates at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics.

The first Olympics to be held outside Europe were opened at Lake Placid by then Governor of New York Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the future president of the United States. Despite the Great Depression, the Americans spent extravagantly on a new stadium and other facilities, including a bobsleigh track.

These Games marked a strong improvement by Canadian athletes, as they came away with seven medals. The organizers dramatically altered the rules for speed skating, using North American pack-style racing instead of competing against the clock. This greatly benefited North American skaters, who won 10 of 12 medals in the sport. The great champion Clas Thunberg of Finland refused to even make the trip. (Pack-style skating was dropped from the Olympics after the 1932 Games.) Three Canadian speed skaters won a total of five medals, including silver and bronze in the 1500m.

Frank Stack
Canada's Frank Stack competes in the speed skating event at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games. Stack won the bronze medal in the 10,000m.

For the first time, women’s speed skating was included as a demonstration sport at the Olympic Winter Games. Canadian Jean Wilson won the 500m race and came a close second in the 1500m. (Sadly, shortly after the Games, Wilson was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, and died in 1933 at only 23 years of age.) Fellow Canadian speed skater, Lela Brooks (the “Queen of the Blades”) also competed at the Games. Although the events were a success, women’s speed skating did not become an official Olympic sport until 1960.

Jean Wilson
Canada's Jean Wilson participates in the demonstration women's speed skating event at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics, placing first in the 500m and second in the 1,500m races.

In men’s figure skating, Montgomery Wilson took bronze, becoming the first Canadian — and the first North American male — to win an Olympic medal in the sport. In women’s figure skating, Norwegian skater Sonja Henie defended her title, while Canadian Constance Wilson (Montgomery Wilson’s sister) finished fourth.

Montgomery Wilson
Canada's Montgomery Wilson competes in the figure skating event towards a bronze medal at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics.

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, sled-dog racing was included in the schedule of demonstration events (Canada and the United States competed).

Only four teams competed in ice hockey: Canada, the United States, Poland and Germany. The Winnipeg Hockey Club represented Canada. The Americans proved to be tough opponents and were ahead deep into the third period of the deciding game until Romeo Rivers scored the tying goal. At the end of the third overtime the officials called a halt to the game and awarded the gold to Canada on the basis of a previous narrow victory over the Americans.

Winnipeg Hockey Club, 1932
The Winnipegs, representing Canada, won the gold medal in ice hockey at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games.

Canadian Team: 42 athletes (38 men, 4 women)
Canada's Rank (Overall Medal Count): 3rd (7 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze)

Canadian Medallists at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games

Athletes Event Medal
Winnipeg Hockey Club:
William Cockburn
Clifford Crowley
Albert Duncanson
George Garbutt
Roy Hinkel
Victor Lindquist
Norman Malloy
Walter Monson
Kenneth Moore
Romeo Rivers
Harold Simpson
Hugh Sutherland
Stanley Wagner
Alston Wise
Ice hockey (men) Gold
Alexander Hurd 1500m long track speed skating (men) Silver
William Logan 1500m long track speed skating (men) Bronze
William Logan 5,000m long track speed skating (men) Bronze
Alexander Hurd 500m long track speed skating (men) Bronze
Frank Stack 10,000m long track speed skating (men) Bronze
Montgomery Wilson Figure skating (men) Bronze