Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres

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Men's 200 metres
at the Games of the X Olympiad
Eddie Tolan 1932.jpg
Eddie Tolan
Venue Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
DatesAugust 2 (heats and quarterfinals)
August 3 (semifinals and final)
Competitors25 from 13 nations
Winning time21.2 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Eddie Tolan
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg George Simpson
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Ralph Metcalfe
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
  1928
1936  

The men's 200 metres sprint event at the 1932 Summer Olympics took place on August 2 and August 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. [1] There were 25 athletes from 13 nations. [2] The 1930 Olympic Congress in Berlin had reduced the limit from 4 athletes per NOC to 3 athletes. [3] After missing the podium entirely in 1928, the United States swept the medals in the event in 1932. It was the second medal sweep in the event by the United States (after 1904), as well as the nation's sixth victory in eight Games. Eddie Tolan won gold, with George Simpson winning silver and Ralph Metcalfe winning bronze.

Afterwards, the film of the race revealed that Metcalfe had run 201.5 meters due to a measurement error: despite being offered a re-run by race officials, Metcalfe graciously declined. [2]

Background

This was the eighth appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Olympics in 1896 but has been on the program ever since. None of the six finalists from the 1928 Games returned. The Americans were favored coming into the Games, particularly Eddie Tolan and Ralph Metcalfe. Tolan had won the 100 metres over Metcalfe two days before the final of the 200 metres. [2]

The Republic of China made its debut in the event. The United States made its eighth appearance, the only nation to have competed at each edition of the 200 metres to date.

Competition format

The competition used the four round format introduced in 1920: heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. There were 7 heats of between 2 and 5 runners each, with the top 3 men in each advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals consisted of 4 heats of 5 athletes each; the 3 fastest men in each heat advanced to the semifinals. There were 2 semifinals, each with 6 runners. Again, the top 3 athletes advanced. The final had 6 runners. The races were run on a now-standard 400 metre track. [2]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows:

World record20.6*
Olympic recordUS flag 45 stars.svg  Archie Hahn  (USA)21.6 St. Louis, United States 31 August 1904

*On a straightaway; no world record existed for running on a curve at the time. [4]

Ralph Metcalfe set a new Olympic record in the first quarterfinal with a time of 21.5 seconds. Eddie Tolan matched the new record in the second quarterfinal. Carlos Bianchi broke it in the third, with 21.4 seconds; Arthur Jonath matched Bianchi's time in the fourth quarterfinal. That record survived the semifinals, but Tolan bettered it with 21.2 seconds in the final.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Tuesday, 2 August 193215:00
17:30
Heats
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 3 August 193214:30
17:00
Semifinals
Final

Results

Heats

Seven heats were held; the fastest three runners advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Heat 1

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Erich Borchmeyer Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 22.1Q
2 Takayoshi Yoshioka Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 22.3Q
3 Stanley Engelhart Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Q

Heat 2

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Willie Walters Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.9Q
2 Eddie Tolan US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 22.0Q
3 Stanley Fuller Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.4Q
4 Enrique Sánchez Flag of Mexico (1916-1934).svg  Mexico 22.8

Heat 3

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Harold Wright Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 22.8Q
2 Ralph Metcalfe US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 22.9Q
3 Stuart Black Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 23.1Q
4 Liu Changchun Flag of the Republic of China.svg China 23.4

Heat 4

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Itaro Nakajima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 22.2Q
2 Fritz Hendrix Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 22.9Q

Heat 5

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Roberto Genta Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 25.3Q
2 Chris Berger Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 26.1Q
3 George Simpson US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 29.0Q

Heat 6

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Arthur Jonath Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.9Q
2 Allan Elliot Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 22.2Q
3 Carlos Bianchi Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 22.3Q
4 Andrej Engel Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 22.3
5 Everardo Múzquiz Flag of Mexico (1916-1934).svg  Mexico 23.0

Heat 7

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Bert Pearson Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 22.3Q
2 Danie Joubert Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 22.3Q
3 Teiichi Nishi Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 22.4Q
4 Ronald Vernieux British Raj Red Ensign.svg  India 22.8

Quarterfinals

Four heats were held; the three fastest runners in each heat advanced to the semifinal round.

Quarterfinal 1

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Ralph Metcalfe US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5Q, OR
2 Willie Walters Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.5Q
3 Erich Borchmeyer Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.6Q
4 Itaro Nakajima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 21.9
5 Chris Berger Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 22.0

Quarterfinal 2

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Eddie Tolan US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5Q, =OR
2 Bert Pearson Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 21.7Q
3 Roberto Genta Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 21.8Q
4 Fritz Hendrix Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.9
5 Stanley Fuller Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 22.0

Quarterfinal 3

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Carlos Bianchi Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 21.4Q, OR
2 George Simpson US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5Q
3 Danie Joubert Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.7Q
4 Takayoshi Yoshioka Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 21.8
5 Stuart Black Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 22.0

Quarterfinal 4

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Arthur Jonath Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.4Q, =OR
2 Harold Wright Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 21.7Q
3 Allan Elliot Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 21.8Q
4 Stanley Engelhart Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 21.9
5 Teiichi Nishi Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 22.1

Semifinals

Two heats were held; the fastest three runners advanced to the final round.

Semifinal 1

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Ralph Metcalfe US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5Q
2 George Simpson US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5Q
3 Carlos Bianchi Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 21.6Q
4 Danie Joubert Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.7
5 Erich Borchmeyer Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.8
6 Bert Pearson Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 21.9

Semifinal 2

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Arthur Jonath Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.5Q
2 Willie Walters Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.7Q
3 Eddie Tolan US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.7Q
4 Harold Wright Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 21.8
5 Allan Elliot Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 21.9
6 Roberto Genta Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 22.0

Final

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Eddie Tolan US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.2 OR
Silver medal icon.svg George Simpson US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.4
Bronze medal icon.svg Ralph Metcalfe US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 21.5
4 Arthur Jonath Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Germany 21.5
5 Carlos Bianchi Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 21.6
6 Willie Walters Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa 21.9

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References

  1. "Athletics at the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games: Men's 200 metres". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "200 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. Official Report, p. 377.
  4. Official Report, p. 386.